---
title: "Group Users and Group Leaders"
source: "https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/group-users-leaders/"
description: "Groups in LearnDash make it easier to manage multiple learners at once. Each group includes two participant types: Group Leaders, who manage and oversee the gro…"
vertical: "Software"
area: "LearnDash"
date: "2020-06-30"
last_modified: "2026-07-02"
---

# Group Users and Group Leaders

Groups in LearnDash make it easier to manage multiple learners at once. Each group includes two participant types: **Group Leaders**, who manage and oversee the group, and **Group Users**, who are learners enrolled in the group and its assigned courses. This structure allows course administrators to delegate management tasks without granting full administrative access.

## What Is a Group Leader?

A **Group Leader** is a special LearnDash user role designed to help manage groups without requiring full WordPress administrator privileges.

By default, Group Leaders can:

- View course progress reports for Group Users
- View quiz and assignment performance
- Send email messages to all users in a group
- Create and manage groups and group users

For additional customization options, see **Group Leader Settings**.

### Creating a Group Leader

Before a user can be assigned to manage a group, the **Group Leader** role must be applied to their WordPress account.

To assign the Group Leader role:

1. Navigate to **Users > All Users**
2. Select the checkbox next to one or more users
3. Choose **Group Leader** from the **Change Role To** dropdown
4. Select **Change** to apply the role

Once assigned, the user becomes available in the **Group Leaders** list when creating or editing groups.

### Assigning Group Leaders to a Group

Each group must have at least one Group Leader. There is no maximum limit, and a single Group Leader can manage multiple groups.

To assign Group Leaders:

1. Open the **Edit Group** page
2. Scroll to the **Group Leaders** section
3. Select one or more users from the available list 
    - Hold **CTRL** (Windows) or **CMD** (Mac) to select multiple users
4. Use the right arrow to move users to **Assigned Group Leaders**

Group Leaders can be reassigned or removed at any time.

## Group Users

### Assigning Group Users

Any WordPress user, regardless of role, can be added as a Group User. This allows learners to be organized into cohorts for enrollment, tracking, and communication.

To manually assign Group Users:

1. Open the **Edit Group** page
2. Scroll to the **Group Users** section
3. Select one or more users from the list 
    - Hold **CTRL** (Windows) or **CMD** (Mac) to select multiple users
4. Use the right arrow to move users to **Assigned Group Users**

Once added, Group Users receive access to any courses assigned to the group.

## Next Steps

After Group Leaders and Group Users are assigned:

- Assign one or more courses to the group
- Group Leaders can log in and begin monitoring learner progress
- Reports, grading tools, and group email features become available

For additional details, see **[Managing LearnDash Groups](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/group-administration/)**.

## MCP Automation (LearnDash 5.0)

LearnDash 5.0 introduces MCP-based automation for group management.

With MCP, administrators can use AI tools to:

- Enroll or remove existing WordPress users from groups
- Manage group course assignments
- Perform bulk actions through the REST API v2

Important considerations:

- MCP cannot create new WordPress users
- Users must already exist before group enrollment
- All actions respect LearnDash group permissions and access controls

For examples and workflows, see the **[MCP Guide](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/mcp-setup/)** and **[LearnDash AI Prompt Library](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/ai-prompt-library/)**.