Class management overview
This article covers ongoing class and roster management in Grouper: creating, renaming, reordering, duplicating, combining, and archiving classes; adding and removing students; syncing roster changes; and managing how students are displayed.
For initial account setup and class creation, see the Getting started support article.
For a quick guide to class views (List, Grouping, and Seating), where to find the view selector on desktop and mobile, and what each view is for, see the Class views support article.
The left navigation panel
The left navigation panel is the primary place to create and manage your classes. Click the two-arrow button at the top of the panel to expand or collapse it.
When expanded, the panel shows your full class list under Classes:
Click a class name to open the class.
Click the + button next to the Classes heading to add a new class.
Hover over (or keyboard-focus) a class name and click the three-dot menu for class actions: Rename, Change icon, Duplicate, Combine with…, and Archive.
Click the icon next to a class name to change the class icon.
Drag and drop classes to reorder them.
If your classes sync from a roster source (Google Classroom, Clever, Schoology, or ClassLink), a separate three-dot menu next to the Classes heading (not the per-class menu) lets you resync your roster or reconnect to Google — see Sync class below.
Notes:
Reordering, the per-class three-dot menu, and icon changes are available in the expanded panel only. The collapsed panel shows class icons for quick navigation.
On mobile, open the navigation panel with the three-line menu button in the top-left corner, and close it with the x in the top-right corner of the panel.
You can also see a full-page list of your classes on the Classes dashboard, which supports the same actions plus bulk selection.
Create a class
Expand the left navigation panel.
Click the + button next to the Classes heading.
Add students manually, or paste a whole list of names at once — see Paste a list of students below.
For roster syncing and other first-time setup options, see the Getting started support article.
Rename a class or change its icon
From the left navigation panel:
Hover over the class name and click the three-dot menu.
Select Rename to edit the name in place, or Change icon to open the icon picker.
You can also click the class icon in the left navigation panel to open the icon picker directly.
From the class page top toolbar:
Click the class name at the top of the page and type to rename it.
Click the class icon next to the name to change the icon.
Reorder classes
Drag and drop classes in the expanded left navigation panel to put them in your preferred order. Your order is remembered across devices.
Duplicate a class
Hover over the class name in the expanded left navigation panel.
Click the three-dot menu and select Duplicate.
Combine classes (merge classes into one class)
You can combine two or more classes into a new merged class:
Hover over one of the classes in the expanded left navigation panel.
Click the three-dot menu and select Combine with….
Check the other class or classes you want to combine with it.
Click Combine.
Important notes:
Combine creates a new class with a merged roster.
Original source classes remain in place (they are not deleted).
Attributes and attribute values are carried over into the new class.
Combined class attributes and original source class attributes do not sync.
Saved groupings and seatings are not carried over into the new combined class.
Archiving and deleting classes
Archiving a class
Archiving removes a class from your active list without permanently deleting it.
Hover over the class name in the expanded left navigation panel.
Click the three-dot menu and select Archive.
Viewing archived classes
Archived classes appear in the Archived section of the expanded left navigation panel. Click Archived to expand the section and show archived classes.
Unarchiving a class
Expand the Archived section.
Hover over the class name, click the three-dot menu, and select Unarchive.
Permanently deleting an archived class
You can permanently delete a class after archiving it.
Expand the Archived section of the left navigation panel.
Hover over the class name, click the three-dot menu, and select Delete.
Important:
Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
A class must be archived before it can be deleted.
A class that still syncs from your roster source comes back the next time you sync, as a new class without its groupings, seatings, or attributes. To hide a synced class, archive it. Deleting is for classes that were archived or removed in your roster source.
The Classes dashboard
The Classes dashboard is a full-page list of your classes. To open it, click the Grouper logo in the top-left corner, or navigate directly to https://grouper.school/classes.
The dashboard supports the same class actions as the left navigation panel, plus bulk actions:
Hover over the class icon for each class you want to select, then click the checkbox that appears.
Use the action buttons that appear above the selected rows: Duplicate (1 class selected), Combine (2+ classes), and Archive.
The Archived classes tab has its own bulk actions: Unarchive and Delete.
If your classes sync from a roster source, the Sync classes button at the top of the dashboard refreshes your rosters.
Add students
For manual classes:
Switch to the List view using the view selector at the top of the page.
Click the + Add student box. If there are already students in the class, the box will appear at the bottom of the student list.
Type the student's name and press Enter.
Press Escape or click anywhere outside the box when you're done.
You can also click the three-dot menu at the top of any class page and select Add student. This works from the Grouping and Seating views too: Grouper switches to the List view and opens the add student box for you.
For auto-rostered classes:
Preferred:
Add students in the source system first.
Click the Sync classes button at the top of the Classes dashboard, or click the three-dot menu at the top of any class page and select Sync class.
Fallback: If you can't add the student in the source system, you can also add them directly in Grouper, using the same steps as for manual classes above.
Paste a list of students
You do not have to type students in one at a time, and you do not need a file. If you already have your students in a list — a column in a spreadsheet, a roster in a document, an email — you can paste them straight into the class:
Copy your list of names, one student per line.
Switch to the List view using the view selector at the top of the page.
Click the + Add student box. If there are already students in the class, the box will appear at the bottom of the student list.
Paste. Grouper creates one student per line.
Notes:
Pasting works the same way in a brand-new class, so you can create a class and paste your roster into it right away.
If you copy several columns from a spreadsheet, Grouper uses the first column as the student's name and ignores the rest. To bring the other columns in as attributes, import the file instead — see the Importing student data support article.
Blank lines are skipped, and extra spaces around a name are trimmed.
On the Free plan, classes are limited to 40 students. At 40, Add student becomes an upgrade link. A paste adds every line, though, so pasting into a class with fewer than 40 students can take it past the limit, and the class then asks you to upgrade to PRO.
Remove students
Click on a student's name in the List view, or click on a student's avatar and select "Edit student" in the Grouping or Seating view, to open the student details card.
Click Remove from class (in manual classes) or Archive student (in auto-rostered classes).
Sync class
If roster changes from your roster source are not showing in Grouper:
Confirm the change exists in the source system.
Sync the class in Grouper: click the Sync classes button at the top of the Classes dashboard, or click the three-dot menu at the top of any class page and select Sync class.
Refresh and re-open the class.
If still missing, verify you signed in with the correct account.
For Google Classroom, see Google Classroom sync troubleshooting below.
Re-granting Google Classroom permissions
If you signed up with Google but don't see your Google Classroom classes, it's possible that you didn't grant Grouper the permissions needed to sync your classes and roster, or Google sync has stopped working because those permissions were later revoked. To re-grant Google Classroom permissions:
Open the left navigation panel and click the three-dot menu next to the Classes heading.
Select Connect Google Classroom.
Grant the requested permissions in the Google pop-up, including both checkboxes on the second screen.
You can also find a Connect Google Classroom button on the Classes dashboard.
This option only appears for users signed up with Google. Once permissions are granted, the menu item and dashboard button switch back to the normal Resync from Google Classroom / Sync classes option.
Google Classroom sync troubleshooting
Grouper asks for two separate Google permissions, and Google lets teachers grant one without the other. That is worth knowing before anything else, because each permission fails in its own way:
The first permission lets Grouper see your classes. Without it, no classes sync at all.
The second permission lets Grouper see your class rosters. Without it, your classes sync but arrive empty, with no students in them.
Both checkboxes are on the same Google screen, and it is easy to continue past it with one or neither checked. Start from what you are seeing.
None of my classes synced
The permissions were not granted. This is the first thing to rule out. Re-grant them with Connect Google Classroom — see Re-granting Google Classroom permissions above — and check both boxes on the Google screen.
You are signed in with a different Google account. Teachers often have a school account and a personal one, and only the account that teaches the classes can see them. Check which address you are signed in with on the Account page.
You teach no active classes in Google Classroom. Only classes you teach sync. A class you are enrolled in as a student, or added to as a guardian, does not become a class in Grouper.
If your classes still do not appear, reset Grouper's access to your Google Account — see below.
Some of my classes are missing
The class is archived in Google Classroom. Grouper syncs active classes only. Unarchive it in Google Classroom, then click Sync classes in Grouper.
The class was archived in Grouper. If a synced class is archived or removed on the Google side, Grouper archives it here too, and it stays archived until you unarchive it. Check the Archived tab on the Classes dashboard before recreating anything.
You are not a teacher on the class. Only classes where you are the teacher or a co-teacher sync.
The class is new. Grouper syncs on a schedule and when you ask it to. Click Sync classes at the top of the Classes dashboard to pull in a class you just created.
Some of my students are missing
The class has no students at all. That points at the roster permission rather than the class itself. Re-grant permissions with Connect Google Classroom and check both boxes.
The students have not joined the class yet. Google Classroom does not list an invited student on the roster until they accept and join, so Grouper cannot see them either. They appear after they join and you sync.
The roster changed recently. Confirm the student is on the roster in Google Classroom, then click Sync classes, and refresh the class in Grouper.
The student was removed in Google Classroom. Grouper archives students who leave a synced roster instead of deleting them, so their data is still there if they come back.
Last resort: reset Grouper's access to your Google Account
If the permissions look right and syncing still does not work, clear Grouper's access on the Google side and grant it again from scratch. This does not delete your Grouper account or any of your work — your classes, groupings, seatings, and attributes all stay.
Go to myaccount.google.com/connections. You can also reach it from myaccount.google.com by opening Security and finding Your connections to third-party apps & services.
Make sure you are on the Google account that teaches your classes.
Find Grouper in the list of connected apps and click it.
Choose the option to delete all connections you have with Grouper, then confirm. Grouper's access to your Google Classroom data is now removed.
Go back to grouper.school and sign out.
Sign in with Google again, choosing the same account you just cleared.
Google shows the permissions screen. Check both boxes — one for seeing your classes, one for seeing your class rosters — then continue. If you see a Select all option, use it.
Your classes should sync within a few moments. If they do not, click Sync classes at the top of the Classes dashboard.
If that does not fix it, email [email protected] and tell us the email address you sign in with and the name of a class that is missing.
The student details card
The student's display name, avatar, attendance status, and attributes can be edited from the student details card. The student can also be removed or archived from the student details card.
From the List view, click on the name of the student to open the card.
From the Grouping view, click on the student avatar, then select Edit student.
From the Seating view, hover over or click the student avatar, then open the three-dot menu in the small toolbar that appears over the student and select Edit student.
Change student display name
Open the student details card.
Edit the student's name.
Change student avatar
Use the student details card to randomly select a new avatar.
Use the Avatar tool in Live mode to let your students customize their avatar (PRO users only).
Change how all students names and avatars are displayed
Use the Account page to change how all students' names and avatars are displayed.
Student names can be shown as full names, initials only, or anonymized.
Student avatars can be shown as full avatars (the cute characters) or initials only.
Undo and redo
Use Undo when a recent change in the List view — adding a student, editing a name, or changing an attribute value — is not what you wanted:
Click Undo to step back one change.
Click Undo again to continue stepping back through recent changes.
If needed, click Redo to re-apply a change you just undid.
Keyboard shortcuts:
Undo — Command+Z (Mac) or Control+Z (Windows).
Redo — Command+Shift+Z (Mac) or Control+Shift+Z (Windows).
Important:
Undo is best for immediate corrections right after a change.
The shortcuts do not apply while your cursor is in a text field, such as a student's name.
Deleting a class is permanent and is not covered by Undo — see the Archiving and deleting classes section.
Quick troubleshooting FAQ
"I added/removed students but Grouper did not update"
If the class is auto-rostered:
Update the roster in the source system first.
Then resync in Grouper.
If the class is manual:
Update students directly in Grouper (List view).
"My classes disappeared from my class list"
Several things can take a class off your active list. Work through them in this order:
The class was archived. Archived classes keep all of their students and data. Open the Archived tab on the Classes dashboard, then unarchive the class — see Archiving and deleting classes above.
The class was deleted. A class can be permanently deleted from the Archived tab. Deleted classes and their data cannot be recovered.
You are signed in with a different email address. Your classes belong to the email address you sign in with. The same address always reaches the same account whether you use Google, Clever, Schoology, ClassLink, or an email magic link — but a second address is a separate account with its own classes.
A synced class changed in your roster source. If a class that syncs from Google Classroom, Clever, Schoology, or ClassLink is archived or removed there, Grouper archives it too. It stays archived until you unarchive it in Grouper. This does not apply to manually created classes. For other Google sync problems, see Google Classroom sync troubleshooting above.
You were removed as a co-teacher. If the class belonged to another teacher who added you, they can remove your access — see the Co-teachers support article.
If none of those explain it, email [email protected].
"How do I combine two sections into one class?"
Use Combine with… from the left navigation panel.
Expand the left navigation panel and hover over one of the classes.
Click the three-dot menu and select Combine with….
Check the other section and click Combine.
Grouper will create a new merged class and keep the original classes intact.
"Can I permanently delete a class?"
Yes, after archiving it first. If the class still syncs from your roster source, archive it instead: a deleted synced class comes back the next time you sync. Deleting is for classes that were archived or removed in your roster source.
To delete a class:
Archive the class first: hover over the class name in the left navigation panel, click the three-dot menu, and select Archive.
Expand the Archived section at the bottom of the panel.
Hover over the class name, click the three-dot menu, and select Delete.
"My imported class contains students from two different sections or classes. How do I separate them?"
The cleanest solution is to create two separate Grouper classes — one per section — rather than trying to manage sections within a single class.
Click the + button next to the Classes heading in the left navigation panel and name the new class for the first section (e.g., "Period 1 – Biology").
Add only that class's or section's students by copy/pasting your students or importing from an existing roster file, or by adding the student names manually (see the Getting started article for details).
Repeat for the second section.
Stop using (or archive) the original combined class.
Note that the new manually created classes will no longer be synced.
Why not use student attributes or constraints instead? You can, but it requires ongoing manual maintenance every time your roster changes. Separate classes are simpler and more reliable.
"I want to unenroll/remove a student to reduce the class size below 40, but the Upgrade to PRO message prevents me from editing the class"
This can happen when a Free-plan class has more than 40 students.
Removing/archiving students is not itself a PRO-only action.
The over-40 class limit can block normal student-list editing until the class is back under the limit.
Best workaround:
If the class is auto-rostered, remove/archive the student in the source system first.
Then click Sync classes in Grouper and reopen the class.
If you're on a manual class and can't access student removal controls, contact [email protected] for help.