Group hierarchy use case: tree loaded from a daily file
Feed the tree from a daily parent/child file — store, level, department, sub-department — so store managers see all store staff, in line with HR every day.
Overview
A store loaded from a daily file
The HR system exports one row per group with its parent. The daily load builds the store’s tree from it, and the store manager, appointed on the store group, follows everyone below.
Store tree · who manages whom
top group + up to 6 levels below
Store – Riverside
Store manager
Level A
Level manager
Food hall
Department manager
Bakery counter
Team leader
Home & garden
Department manager
Level B
Level manager
Level C
Level manager
The daily parent/child file
| Group | Parent group |
|---|---|
| Level A | Store – Riverside |
| Food hall | Level A |
| Bakery counter | Food hall |
Example: Emma is a direct member of Bakery counter and an indirect member of Food hall, Level A and Store – Riverside.
Groups to create
The 4 tiers to create
The file describes the whole store; each tier carries its own managers.
| Tier | Example groups | How it is built | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Store | Store – Riverside | Top group, no parent | The store manager’s scope |
| 2Level | Level A, Level B, Level C | Parent = the store, from the file | Follow-up by level |
| 3Department | Food hall, Home & garden | Parent = the level, from the file | Department follow-up |
| 4Sub-department | Bakery counter | Parent = the department, from the file | The most detailed team level |
- The file is the source of truth. Changes in the HR structure reach the platform with the next load.
- The connector links, it does not create. Its group hierarchies flow links existing groups matched by name; it never creates a group and never removes a link missing from the file.
Set-up
Set it up in 5 steps
Export
Prepare the daily file
One row per group, with the group and its parent, named exactly as on the platform.
Load
Automate the load
The connector’s group hierarchies flow or a script reads the file and sets each Parent group. Contact Support to set it up.
Check
Check the first load
Open the organisational chart of a store and expand every level.
Appoint
Appoint store managers
On the store group only, with the course permissions they need.
Monitor
Check after each change
Re-attaching a group re-runs automatic registrations: review manual removals after structural changes.
Expected result
The tree follows the HR structure every day, and store managers see their whole store.
Rules
The 5 rules to remember
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| A group has one parent, up to 7 levels (top group + 6 below) | Each team sits under one department, one level and one store |
| Members move up, training and visibility flow down | Emma is counted as an indirect member of Food hall, Level A and Store – Riverside — never copied. A course linked to Store – Riverside reaches every tier |
| A manager sees their group and everything below it | Never the levels above or neighbouring branches: the Level B manager does not see Level A. Reports and Data Lab filters on Store – Riverside include every tier |
| A manager’s rights add up across all their groups | Appoint the store manager on the store only, not on several tiers |
| Emails go to the managers of the direct group | Emails about Emma go to the Bakery counter managers; the store manager follows her but does not receive them |
Appendix
How it works in detail
The settings and screens you need for the set-up. The examples use the store above.
Create the hierarchy
Go to Groups › Create a group, or click the pencil icon of an existing group. In the Hierarchy section, choose the Parent group, or add several Child groups at once from the parent. Click Save.
When you create a group, Hierarchy and Configuration appear on one page; when you edit one, each is a collapsible section.
- Both groups must belong to the same company, and a group cannot be its own parent or loop back on itself.
- When you move a group that has sub-groups, the 7-level limit is checked on the whole branch.
- Through the API, one call replaces the parent and the full list of children — an empty list removes all children. Another call changes only the parent; sending no parent detaches the group and keeps its children.
- The connector’s group hierarchies flow links existing groups matched by name. It never creates a group and never removes a link missing from the file.
› Groups › Edit group
Name
Perimeter
Group members of a child group will become indirect members of their parent group.
Parent group
Child groups
Allowed IP address range
Illustration · editing “Level A”: its parent is “Store – Riverside” and its child groups are listed below it.
Manager rights
- Group managers follow and manage the members of this group and of its sub-groups.
- Course permissions set which courses they can register members to and follow: None, All courses, Only visible courses (courses visible to the manager), List of permitted courses, or List of permitted categories (every course in these categories).
- Learning path permissions work the same way: None, All learning paths, or List of permitted learning paths.
- Emails about a member go only to the managers of the group the member belongs to directly, and only when their course permissions cover the course. Managers of parent groups follow these members but do not receive the emails.
- A manager’s permissions add up across every group they manage: All courses on one group applies to every member they manage, sub-groups included. To limit a manager, appoint them only on the sub-group, with a list.
- Platform-wide rights, such as creating and editing users or groups, are set in Settings › Permissions › Group managers.
Learn more
Choose which courses the group managers will be allowed to manage
Choose which learning paths group managers will be allowed to manage
Illustration · the managers of “Level A” can manage Only visible courses and None.
In Configuration, choose what the group’s managers can manage:
- Courses: None, All courses, Only visible courses, List of permitted courses, List of permitted categories.
- Learning paths: None, All learning paths, List of permitted learning paths.
Platform-wide rights, such as creating users or groups, are set in Settings › Permissions › Group managers.
In their own Groups list, a manager sees only the top groups they manage — Store – Riverside for the store manager — and opens the tree from there.
Move or delete a group
- Adding a parent or a child group re-runs the automatic registrations for everyone in the group and its sub-groups: the courses linked to the group itself and those of the new parent. Only active registrations are checked, so people removed from a course by hand are registered again and receive the usual emails — from the screen or the API alike.
- Detaching a group unregisters no one: learners keep the courses they received through the former parent.
- Deleting a group moves its child groups up under its parent: delete Food hall and Bakery counter moves up under Level A. Check the organisational chart afterwards.
Check the result
Groups page. Only top-level groups show by default — here the stores. Search looks at every level.
› Groups
| Group ↑ | Hierarchy | Number of users ↑ | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Store – Riverside (12)
Internal |
- | 247 | |
|
Store – Harbourside (11)
Internal |
- | 198 | |
|
Head office (6)
Internal |
- | 75 |
Search
Hierarchy
Perimeter
Creation date
Custom fields
User - Department
User - Job
User - Location
Illustration · the Groups page. The hierarchy icon shows how many groups sit below “Store – Riverside”; the right-hand panel holds the filters.
Organisational chart. Shows the tree from any group. Search it by group name and download it as an image. Each card counts the group’s direct members: the levels hold few people themselves, while the staff sit in departments and sub-departments.
› Groups › Organisational chart
Internal • Contains 12 groups
Store – Riverside
Level A
Level B
Level C
Direct vs indirect: a card counts direct members only. “Store – Riverside” shows 2, yet 247 people sit in its tree: the members of its child groups count as its indirect members, listed on its Manage group page.
Search
Creation date
Custom fields
User - Department
User - Job
User - Location
See all custom fields ▾
Illustration · the organisational chart of “Store – Riverside” with its first level expanded.
Manage group page. The member list of Store – Riverside also shows the members of every level, department and sub-department, with the badge Indirect member.
› Groups › Manage group
Edit group configuration
Configuration
Type: Visible
Smart rule conditions: 0
Child groups: 12
See organisational chart
Linked to group
1 course
0 learning paths
0 goals
User activities
960 ongoing courses
1 pending correction
General statistics
247
Group members
310
Completed courses
12m
Average time spent
71 %
Average score
| User ↑ | Connection time ↑ | Progress ↑ | Score ↑ | Last login date ↑ | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LPLaura Price▲▲ | 2 h 45 | 04/11/2026 | ||||
| SKSam Kelly | 1 h 20 | 02/11/2026 | ||||
| BWBen Walsh | 1 h 05 | 03/11/2026 | ||||
| EHEmma Hughes | 15m | 26/10/2026 |
Child groups
User status
Minimum time spent
Progress
Score
Illustration · the Manage group page of “Store – Riverside” on the All members tab.
Reports and learner home page. In lists, reports and the Data Lab, filtering on Store – Riverside includes every tier; in the Data Lab, Group by: Group shows each person under their direct group. On the learner home page, Emma’s Groups widget shows Bakery counter and the groups above it.
Troubleshooting
Common issues and fixes
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| A group appears under the wrong parent after a load | The parent in the file is wrong or out of date. Fix it in the source file, or edit the group’s Parent group. |
| A link missing from the file is still there | Expected: the flow never removes a link missing from the file. Detach the group by hand. |
| A manager cannot see another branch | Managers see their group and the groups below it only — the Level B manager does not see Level A. Appoint them on each group they need to follow. |
| Learners removed from a course are registered again | Expected after adding a parent or a child group: automatic registrations re-run and only active registrations are checked. Check registrations after any change to the tree. |
| Levels, departments or teams are missing from the Groups list | Only top-level groups show by default. Use the search, which looks at every level, or open the parent’s tree. |
| Sub-group members do not match a parent’s smart rules | Expected: a parent’s smart rules only filter its own direct members; sub-group members are always indirect members. |
| After deleting a group, its teams sit one level higher | Expected: child groups move up under the deleted group’s parent. Re-attach them if needed. |
| A store manager does not receive emails about a learner | Emails go to the managers of the learner’s direct group. Also appoint them on that group if they need the emails. |
| A manager manages more courses than expected | Their rights add up across all their groups. Appoint them only where they need it, with a List of permitted courses. |
| A manager’s Data Lab does not load | Their tree contains hundreds of groups: contact Support. |
| No level can be added | The 7-level limit is reached: merge levels. |
Start from an outcome, not a setting.
Want help setting up this use case on your platform? Our team can review your group tree with you.
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