Join and use groups

If you see the Join this group button on the Overview tab of a group page, you can click it to join the group. Depending on how the owner configured the group, you will either become a group member right away or a request will be sent to the group owner for review and potential approval.

As a member of a group, you can use the group page to view details about the group, access the items shared with the group—which may include some items not shared with the organization or the public—and view and find group members. In addition, you may be able to share your maps, apps, and other items with the group if the group owner allows member contributions. Check the Details section on the Overview tab to find out.

Join a group

To join a group, do the following:

  1. Verify that you are signed in.
  2. Click Groups at the top of the site, and use the tabs, filters, sort options, and search as needed to find the group you want to join.
  3. Click the name of the group to open its group page.
  4. On the Overview tab, click Join this group. If necessary, click Submit Request.

    Depending on the group's membership settings, you will see a message indicating that you are now a member of the group or that your request has been sent to the group owner (after clicking Submit Request). If a request is sent, the owner of the group sees it on the group page and accepts or denies your request for membership. If the owner accepts your request, you are added as a member, and the group appears on your Groups page.

Note:

If you don't see the Join this Group button, the group doesn't accept membership requests or you don't have the correct privileges. The group owner can invite you to the group, but you can't initiate a request through the website.

Notifications

You receive messages in the Notifications pop-up when you request to join a group, when your request has been accepted or declined, and when you've been invited to join a group. The number of notifications you have appears next to your name at the top of the site. Click the number to view your group request messages.

View group details

The Overview tab provides details about a group you've joined. For example, you can see a description of the group, your role in the group, the date it was created, and who owns it. The Overview tab also includes an option to leave the group, as well as a Share button (if you have sharing privileges) to share the group.

Use content

To access items shared with a group you've joined, go to the Content tab of the group page. To help you find items shared with the group, do any of the following on the Content tab:

  • Use the view option buttons (table, list, or grid) to change the way the items are displayed.
  • Enter keywords in the search field.
  • Use the search filters to narrow the list of items. You can filter by group category (if categories have been configured for the group), item type (such as map, layer, or app), location, date created, date last modified, tags, how the item was shared (everyone, organization, or group), and collaborations the item is included in.
    Tip:

    When searching for apps, you can narrow your search to registered apps only by clicking the Registered Apps Only button under the Apps filter.

    Tip:

    Active filters are shown at the top of the results page. Click the x next to a filter to clear it. To clear all active filters at once, click Clear filters.

    Note:

    Group content may already be filtered by item type if the group owner or manager specified an item type to display by default on the Content and Overview tabs. Clear the filter to see all items in the group.

  • Sort the list of items by title, owner, view count, date modified, or date added. You can also choose to sort in alphabetical or reverse-alphabetical order.

To view an item's item page, click the name of the item. You can open an item by clicking its thumbnail when viewing it in list view or grid view. You can also mark an item as a favorite by clicking the Add to Favorites button Add to Favorites. This displays the item in the My Favorites tab of the content page.

If the group owner allows member contributions and you have the correct privileges, you may also be able to share your own items with the group.

View and find members

The Members tab of the group page includes a list of group members. To find specific members of the group, do any of the following:

  • In the search field, provide the full name of the group member—for example, Jeff Smith.
  • Use the Group Role and Date Joined filters to narrow the list of group members.
    Tip:

    Active filters are shown at the top of the results page. Click the x next to a filter to clear it. To clear all active filters at once, click Clear filters.

  • Sort the list of members by name, group role, or the date the member joined the group. You can also click the arrow to reverse the alphabetical sort order.

Note:

The Members tab does not appear for groups whose membership is controlled by an Active Directory, LDAP, or SAML group.