Whether you’re setting up a new ministry leader or refining user access across your team, understanding how the “All Groups” vs. “Specific Groups” permissions work can make a big difference in security and communication clarity.
Admins, This One’s for You
If you're an account holder or admin, you’re in the right place. Let’s walk through what it looks like to assign group permissions—specifically when you select “All Groups” with View Only access.
What “All Groups: View Only” Access Looks Like
When a user has access to All Groups but only with View permissions, here’s what they can (and cannot) do:
✅ They Can:
View all Groups in your Text In Church account.
Click into a group to view members, associated keywords, and phone numbers.
Send text messages to people within the Groups if they also have permission to view the People section.
🚫 They Cannot:
Add new Groups.
Edit existing group names or settings.
Delete any Groups.
This is especially helpful for ministry leaders or volunteers who need visibility across communication channels but shouldn’t be modifying your group structures.
Bonus: What They’ll See in the People Section
If you’ve enabled All Groups view for a user, and they also have People View access, they’ll be able to see all contact records in your church’s account.
This is super helpful for roles that require broad communication ability—without giving complete control over data editing or list organization.
Use Case: Ministry Leaders with Limited Access
Here’s a real-world scenario:
Let’s say your small Groups director needs to text any person in your database, but you want to keep editing rights reserved for admins.
👉 “All Groups” + “View Only” = Perfect fit.
They can view who’s in each group and send follow-up texts, but they won’t be able to change group names or remove contacts accidentally.
Where to Set This Up
Go to Settings > Users
Select a user or create a new one
Under Permissions, find Groups
Choose All Groups and set the permission level to View Only
Pair this with View or View + Modify access under the People section if they’ll be messaging members.
Need Help?
If you’re unsure which permission combination is right for your team, please reach out to us.
Head to the Resources tab in your account and click Send Us a Message. We’re here to help.
With clear permissions, your team stays empowered to communicate well—without compromising security or structure.
Ready to review your team’s permissions? Log in and take a look.