Creating Custom Group Categories
Why categories matter for Follow-Up auto-assignment, and how to set them up before creating dozens of groups.
What a category is for
A Group Category (Cell Groups, Ministries, Departments) organizes similar groups together and, importantly, powers Follow-Up's auto-assignment logic, which relies on Primary and Secondary Group Categories to route absentees to leaders.
Creating one
From Groups, then Categories, add a new category with a name, groups are then created under a category rather than existing independently.
If you're planning to use Group Leaders auto-assignment in Follow-Up, decide your Primary Category (usually Cell Group or Shepherding Group) before creating dozens of groups, it's easier to organize from the start than to re-categorize later.
Renaming a category
Renaming a category doesn't affect the groups already inside it, groups keep their membership and history, only the category label changes.
Related Articles
Group Check-In: Taking Attendance for a Group Meeting
Record attendance for a cell group or ministry meeting, separate from a full church service session.
Best Practices for Structuring Group Categories
Set up categories with Follow-Up auto-assignment in mind from the start.
Troubleshooting: Why a Member Isn't Showing in Auto-Assignment
The most common, checkable reasons an absentee ends up Flagged instead of assigned.
Approving a Group Leader Request
What triggers a leader request, where to review it, and what approval actually grants.