A large selection of open groups to which users can freely subscribe and unsubscribe is a great thing. But with no way to pre-filter open groups, from interest groups to department updates to canteen options by office, users can sometimes be overwhelmed trying to sort through all the options at once. 

That is why we now offer a way to link to a pre-filtered group chooser within the app. This way, you can create a link that will automatically present users with all group options visible to them of a certain type, for example all interest groups available in their office location or all company canteen options. Once a user has joined one of these groups they can find the content related to those groups in their app menu. 

Prerequisites 

• You have created open groups.
• You have created content with the appropriate visibility settings for your open group.
• You have installed the Links plugin.

Set up a Folder or News Page for Open Group Content

Depending on what kind of content you would like to show in your group chooser, create either a folder or a news page for your group content to live in:

• If you would like the group chooser pre-filtered to news-related open groups, create a newspage. 
• If you would like the group chooser pre-filtered to different types of content, such as plugins, pages, or news create a folder. 

In this example, we will create a folder.

1. In the Studio, navigate to Menu.
2. Click Create folder.
   A dialog to create a new folder opens.
3. Give your folder a name and provide a description for the folder.
   
   
4. Click Create.
   The new folder now appears in the menu. Optionally, you can adjust its position in the menu. 
5. Move the desired group content into the folder you just created. 
   In this example, all Meal Plan plugins are moved into the folder Canteen.
   
   
6. Click Save.

Finding the ID of your Content

In order to pre-filter the group chooser, you must find the ID of the folder or news channel containing the open group content you want filtered. In this example, we will use a folder rather than a news page.

1. In the app menu, click on My Groups.
2. Join one of the groups you want to appear in the pre-filtered group chooser.
   
   
   
   This allows you to see the folder in the app menu. 
   
   
3. Open the folder.
4. Copy the Folder ID at the end of the URL.
   The Folder ID is the entire code after the last forward slash symbol. 
   
   
5. Save the Folder ID, where you will have access to it again. You will need the ID to set up the link to the pre-filtered group chooser.

Create a Link to the Pre-Filtered Group Chooser

1. In the Studio, navigate to the Links plugin.
2. Click Add link.
   A dialog to create a new link opens. 
3. Add a title for the link.
4. Under Target URL, construct the URL to your pre-filtered group chooser in three steps: 
   

   Component:	Your Domain	Menu Path (Copy and paste this component)	Folder or Newspage ID
   Example:	https://showcase.staffbase.com	/settings/groups?contexttype=menufolder&contextid=	7r1847a4619979aa55a2df43

   
   These three components make up your URL. It should look similar to this: 
   http://showcase.staffbase/settings/groups?contexttype=menufolder&contextid=7r1847a4619979aa5
5. Click Add link.
6. Click Publish link.                                          
   Your link is now visible in the app. You can adjust the placement of the link at any time in the menu settings in the Studio. 

How Users Will View Pre-Filtered Group Choosers in the App