Summary: This guide compares Tithely Groups and Tags to help you decide which tool best fits your ministry needs. By understanding the key differences, you can effectively organize your data for reporting (Tags) or foster community connection through the Church App (Groups).
Before You Begin
Groups are primarily designed for community, communication, and App engagement.
Tags are primarily designed for administrative organization, data reporting, and bulk filtering.
Permissions: Creating Groups and Tags requires Admin permissions. However, Group Leaders can manage members within their own assigned Groups, whereas Tags do not have a "Leader" role.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Select Groups when you need Community Engagement. Groups are best used when you want people to interact with one another or need public visibility. Use Groups if you need:
App Visibility: Groups can be displayed in the Church App for members to find and join.
Two-Way Communication: Groups support "Chat" features, allowing members to message each other.
Leader Management: You can assign specific "Group Leaders" who can manage members and events for that specific group.
Events & Attendance: Groups can be https://www.google.com/search?q=linked to recurring events (e.g., Weekly Bible Study) for check-in and location tracking.
Select Tags when you need Data Organization. Tags are internal labels used for administrative sorting. Use Tags if you need:
Reporting: Quickly filter your database to find people with specific attributes (e.g., "2025 Donors," "Background Check Complete").
Bulk Actions: You can use Tags to create lists for mass emails or bulk data updates.
Flexible Structure: Tags can be organized into Folders (e.g., a "Volunteer" folder containing tags for "Greeters," "Ushers," and "Tech"), whereas Groups use "Types."
Temporary Lists: Tags are excellent for temporary needs (e.g., "VBS Registration 2025") that do not require a public page or chat function.
Convert Tags to Groups (Optional). If you have an existing list of people in a Tag that you want to upgrade into a community Group (to enable chat or app visibility), you can do this easily during Group creation.
When creating a New Group, simply check the box for Create from Existing Tags.
Select the tag you wish to import. All individuals with that tag will be automatically added as members of the new Group.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Can I send messages to people in a Tag? Yes, but it is limited to one-way communication (Email or SMS blasts from Admins). If you want members to be able to reply to each other or chat within the app, you must use a Group.
Do Tags show up in the Church App? No. Tags are strictly for internal administrative use and do not appear in the Church App. Only Groups (with "Show in App" toggled ON) are visible to your congregation.
Can I assign a leader to a Tag? No. Tags do not have a hierarchy or leadership roles. If you need to designate a leader for a specific list of people, you should create a Group.