Hide Groups on Signup Forms

Sometimes, you may want to import group data about subscribers, but you don't want them to view or edit it. You can do this when you create a hidden group, or hide an existing group field.

In this article, you'll learn how to hide groups when you create a new form or group, or after it's already live.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

• Groups work best to collect data on subscriber interests or preferences. If you're looking for an internal audience organization tool, consider creating tags for your contacts.
• Hidden group fields default to checkboxes. Groups that use radio buttons or a drop-down can't be hidden.
• The entire group, including group category and names, must be hidden.

Create hidden groups

To create a new hidden group, follow these steps.

1. Click Audience.
   
2. Click Audience dashboard.
   
3. If you have more than one audience, click the Current audience drop-down and choose the one you want to work with.
4. Click the Manage Audience drop-down and choose Manage contacts.
5. Click Groups.
6. Click Create Groups to expand group options.
7. Under How should we show group options on your signup form?, choose Don't show these groups on my signup form. This option defaults to checkboxes and can't be changed.
   
8. In the Group details section, type in a Group category and Group names.
9. Click Save.

• Our system handles group fields differently from audience fields. For this reason, group fields appear at the bottom of your audience's signup form and can't be moved.
• Group fields can't be set to "required" on general and embedded signup forms. Our pop-up signup form, and the Signup Form Content block on landing pages, treat groups differently, however, and will allow you to choose whether a group field should be required.

Change visibility of groups on your signup form

In these steps, you'll learn how to change the visibility of a group on your signup forms, from visible to hidden and vice versa. If you use the embed form option, make sure you copy the new the embed code to your website as well.

1. Click Audience.
   
2. Click Audience dashboard.
   
3. If you have more than one audience, click the Current audience drop-down and choose the one you want to work with.
4. Click the Manage Audience drop-down and choose Signup forms.
5. Scroll to the Form builder tile then click Manage forms.
6. On the Build it tab in the Form Builder, click the group field you want to hide on your signup form.
   
7. On the Field settings panel, click the Hidden radio button.
   
8. Click Save Field. You'll see a "hidden" watermark appear over the group field on your form.

To unhide your group, follow the same steps, but choose Visible on step 5 instead.