User Groups

User Groups allow you to control which locations specific users can access within your organization. This feature is perfect for organizations that need to restrict visibility - for example, allowing contractors to only see sites they're working on, while maintaining full access for your admin team.

How User Groups Work

Access Rules

1. Organization Owners & Admins - Always see all locations (user groups don't apply)
2. Users in Groups - Can only see locations assigned to their groups
3. Users Not in Any Group - Can see all locations (maintains backward compatibility)
4. Restricted Viewers - Only see their single assigned location (existing behavior)

What Gets Filtered

When a user is part of a user group, they will only see:

• Locations assigned to their groups
• Devices at those locations
• Gateways at those locations
• Alerts from those locations
• Metrics from those locations

Setting Up User Groups

Step 1: Access User Groups

1. Navigate to Organization Settings (gear icon in top right)
2. Look for the Groups section with the member count
3. Click Add Group button

Step 2: Create a User Group

1. Group Name - Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Western Power Sites", "East Coast Technicians")
2. Select Locations - Choose which locations this group can access
   • Locations show their online/offline status
   • Use the search box to filter locations
   • Select multiple locations as needed
3. Select Users - Choose which users belong to this group
   • Shows user names and email addresses
   • Users can belong to multiple groups
4. Click Create Group

Step 3: Managing Groups

Edit a Group

1. Click the Edit (pencil) icon on any group card
2. Modify the name, locations, or users
3. Click Save Changes

Delete a Group

1. Click the Delete (trash) icon on any group card
2. Confirm the deletion
3. Users in deleted groups regain access to all locations

Common Use Cases

Client Access

Scenario: You manage sites for multiple clients and want each client to only see their own sites.

Setup:

1. Create a group for each client (e.g., "ACME Corp Sites")
2. Assign only that client's locations to the group
3. Add the client's users to the group

Regional Teams

Scenario: You have technicians in different regions who should only see local sites.

Setup:

1. Create groups by region (e.g., "Northeast Region", "Southwest Region")
2. Assign locations by geographic area
3. Add regional technicians to their respective groups

Contractor Access

Scenario: External contractors need access to specific sites for maintenance.

Setup:

1. Create a group for the contractor (e.g., "Solar Maintenance Team")
2. Assign only the sites they're working on
3. Add contractor accounts to the group
4. Remove locations as work is completed

Important Considerations

Multiple Groups

• Users can belong to multiple groups
• They will see all locations from all their groups (union of access)
• Example: If User A is in "Group 1" (Location A, B) and "Group 2" (Location B, C), they see Locations A, B, and C

Role Hierarchy

• Owners & Admins: User groups don't restrict their access - they always see everything
• Technicians & Viewers: Access is filtered based on their group memberships
• Restricted Viewers: Always limited to their single assigned location, regardless of groups

Default Behavior

• Users not in any group can see all locations
• This ensures existing users maintain their current access
• To restrict a user, you must explicitly add them to a group

Cross-Organization Security

• User groups are organization-specific
• Being in a group in Organization A doesn't affect access in Organization B
• Each organization manages its own groups independently

Best Practices

1. Use Descriptive Names - Make group names clear and meaningful
2. Regular Reviews - Periodically review group memberships and access
3. Document Purpose - Keep notes on why each group exists
4. Start Small - Test with a small group before rolling out broadly
5. Communicate Changes - Inform users when their access changes

Troubleshooting

User Can't See Expected Locations

• Check if they're in the correct group
• Verify the location is assigned to their group
• Ensure they're not a restricted viewer (limited to one location)
• Have them refresh their browser

User Sees Too Many Locations

• Check if they're an admin/owner (see everything by design)
• Review all groups they belong to
• Remove them from groups with unwanted access

Changes Not Taking Effect

• Have the user refresh their browser
• Check that the group was saved successfully
• Verify the user is looking at the correct organization

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a user be in multiple groups? Yes, users can belong to multiple groups and will see all locations from all their groups.

Do groups affect admin users? No, admins and owners always have full access to all locations.

What happens when I delete a group? Users in that group will revert to seeing all locations (unless they're in other groups).

Can I temporarily disable a group? No, but you can remove all users from it. The group structure remains for future use.

Do groups affect API access? Yes, the same access restrictions apply to API calls made by users in groups.