Group visibility: public, closed or private?

Adam · September 19, 2026 at 09:12 AM

A group of ten friends has different needs than a group where you happily welcome new players from the area. Group visibility lets you decide who can find the group at all and how they can join it.

Public — join instantly

A public group is visible in the group directory to logged-in users, and anyone can join on their own and becomes a member right away, without waiting for an admin's approval. It works well where you want to grow and don't need to control who shows up. The member limit that comes with your group's plan still applies.

Closed — join after approval

A closed group is also visible in the directory, but joining requires approval. A person interested in joining sends a join request, the admins get a notification and can approve or reject it. Once approved, the person becomes a member of the group. It's a good compromise: the group can be found, but you decide who's in it.

Private — by invitation only

A private group doesn’t appear in the directory, and it is the default visibility for a newly created group. You can join only by admin invitation: the admin creates an invite link (single-use or for many people) or shows its QR code, and the person who opens it joins the group — straight away or after admin approval, depending on the link’s setting. A former member can be invited again, and that person accepts the invitation themselves. We cover the details in the article Group invitations: link, QR code and admin approval. It works well for a fixed circle of friends or a club that doesn’t want to take in outsiders.

What a person outside the group sees

For public and closed groups, a person outside the group sees the basic information: the name and description. The group's content — the session list, ranking, member list and rules — is available only to members.

Changing visibility

An admin or the owner changes visibility in the group's settings, in the “Visibility and joining” section. The change takes effect immediately and doesn't affect people who are already in the group — so you can start with a private group and open it up later, when you're ready for new players. All three levels are available in every plan.

Someone only playing once? They don't need to join the group — see how to add a guest without an app account. Create a group — 14 days free, no card required.