Understanding Groups
Groups are the primary way to organize entities in StructureGram. Think of them as containers that help you separate different clients, families, or projects.
What is a Group?
A Group is a collection of entities (individuals, companies, trusts, partnerships, SMSFs, and assets) that belong together. Each entity can belong to:
- Multiple Groups - entities can appear in more than one group
- Ungrouped - entities can remain without any group assignment
- Multiple Entity Filters - focused subsets within each group
Common Use Cases
For Professional Advisors:
- One group per client family
- One group per corporate structure
- One group per estate planning engagement
For Corporate Users:
- One group per business division
- One group per project
- One group per legal entity hierarchy
How Groups Work
Entity Assignment
When you create an entity, you can assign it to a group:
- During Creation: Select a group from the dropdown when creating an entity
- After Creation: Change the group assignment in the entity's edit dialog
- Ungrouped: Leave entities without a group assignment (accessible from "All Entities" view)
Group Scope
All entities in a group:
- Are accessible when viewing that group
- Can be included in diagrams for that group
- Can be filtered into entity filters for focused views
Switching Between Groups
Use the group selector in the top navigation to switch between:
- All Entities: View all entities across all groups
- Individual Groups: View entities and diagrams for a specific group
Groups vs. Entity Filters
Understanding the difference between Groups and Entity Filters is important:
| Concept | Purpose | Scope | Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Primary organization by client/family | All entities for that client | Multiple groups per entity |
| Entity Filter | Focused view for specific diagrams | Selected subset of group entities | Multiple entity filters per entity |
Example:
- Group: "Smith Family Trust Structure" (30 entities)
- Entity Filter 1: "Operating Companies Only" (8 entities)
- Entity Filter 2: "Trust and Beneficiaries" (12 entities)
- Entity Filter 3: "Asset Holdings" (15 entities)
Creating and Managing Groups
Creating a Group
- Navigate to Settings > Groups
- Click "Create New Group"
- Enter a name (e.g., "Smith Family Structure")
- Optionally add a description
- Click "Create"
Renaming a Group
- Navigate to Settings > Groups
- Click on the group you want to rename
- Click "Edit" or the edit icon
- Update the name and/or description
- Click "Save"
Deleting a Group
Warning: Deleting a group will also delete:
- All diagrams for that group
- All entity filters for that group
Note: Entities in the deleted group will remain if they also belong to other groups. Entities only in this group will be unassigned (ungrouped).
To delete a group:
- Navigate to Settings > Groups
- Click on the group you want to delete
- Click "Delete" or the trash icon
- Confirm the deletion in the dialog
- Type the group name to confirm (safety measure)
Best Practices
Group Naming
Good Names:
- "Smith Family Trust Structure"
- "ABC Corp Subsidiary Holdings"
- "Estate Planning - Johnson Family"
Avoid:
- Generic names like "Client 1", "Test", "Misc"
- Names without context
- Duplicate names (adds confusion)
Group Organization
Do:
- Create separate groups for unrelated clients/families
- Use descriptive names and descriptions
- Keep group membership current
Don't:
- Mix unrelated clients in one group
- Leave important entities ungrouped without purpose
When to Create a New Group
Create a new group when you're working with:
- A new client engagement
- A completely separate family structure
- An independent corporate structure
- A distinct project with its own entities
When to Use Entity Filters Instead
Use entity filters (not new groups) when you want to:
- Show only operating entities within a group
- Focus on trust structures only
- Create client presentation views
- Filter entities for specific analysis
Related Topics
- Working with Entity Filters
- Entity Filter Templates
- Groups vs. Entity Filters: Quick Reference
- Creating Entities
- Managing Diagrams
- Organization Settings
- Xero Practice Manager Sync — sync XPM groups into StructureGram
- Push to Xero Practice Manager — push group data to XPM
- XPM Reconciliation — compare group data between SG and XPM