Skip to main content

Sign-up and class creation

Sign-up and class creation overview

Grouper helps teachers create and manage student groups quickly.

If you are new to Grouper, start here:

  1. Sign up and sign in.

  2. Set up your classes and student rosters.

  3. Understand how the free trial works.

For ongoing class and roster management (adding/removing students, resyncing, combining classes), see the Class management support article.

Sign up

You can create an account using:

  • Google

  • Clever

  • Email (magic link)

Recommended sign-up method

If your school uses Google Classroom or Clever, signing up with that provider is usually the easiest option because classes can sync automatically.

Email sign-in note

Grouper uses passwordless email sign-in (magic link).

  • You enter your email.

  • Grouper sends a sign-in link.

  • You click the link to sign in.

The magic link signs you in only on the device and browser where you open the link.

Grouper uses magic-link sign-in rather than a password flow.

Initial class and roster setup

There are three common ways teachers set up classes for the first time.

1) Auto-roster with Google Classroom or Clever

When you sign in with Google or Clever, your classes can sync from your roster source.

For Google Classroom, this is a critical step:

  • During Google sign-in, you must grant all required permissions (including class and roster access).

If your classes did not appear, it may be that you didn't grant permissions during Google sign-in. To connect to your Google Classroom classes:

  1. Open the left navigation panel and click the three-dot menu next to the Classes heading.

  2. Select Connect Google Classroom.

  3. Confirm permissions in the Google pop-up: make sure to click both checkboxes.

You can also find the Connect Google Classroom button on the Classes dashboard.

Your classes should sync in shortly after you grant permissions.

2) Create a class manually

You can create a class from the left navigation panel:

  1. Expand the left navigation panel using the two-arrow button.

  2. Click the + button next to the Classes heading.

  3. Add students manually or by copy/paste.

You can also create a class with the New class button on the Classes dashboard.

3) Import a class roster file (PRO)

You can import files (for example spreadsheets, CSV, PDF, screenshots) to add students to a class:

  1. Expand the left navigation panel using the two-arrow button.

  2. Click the + button next to the Classes heading.

  3. Drag your file anywhere onto the class page — the Import panel opens in the right-hand control panel. You can also open it from the three-dot menu in the Attributes section of the control panel by selecting Import student data, then drag files in or use Browse to select a file.

  4. Review the Import preview.

  5. Click Apply changes to complete import.

Notes:

  • If import doesn't seem to have worked, check that you completed the final Apply changes step.

  • Import files must be in table (spreadsheet) form, with students in rows and data in columns or vice versa.

  • If your file includes other information about your students, such as diagnostic scores or demographic information, you'll be able to choose which data to import.

Free trial

Grouper includes a free PRO trial for new users.

Key points:

  • No credit card is required to start the trial.

  • Trial access ends automatically after the trial period.

  • If you don't upgrade, your account will automatically continue on the Free plan.

  • You won't be charged just because the trial ended.

  • Your trial expiration date can be found on the Account page.

For current plan details and features:

Quick troubleshooting FAQ

"My classes are not showing up"

Most common causes:

  • Required Google permissions were not granted during sign-in.

  • You signed into the wrong Google account.

  • You used a different sign-in method.

Best next step:

  • If Google permissions are missing, use the Connect Google Classroom option — no need to sign out first. Open the left navigation panel, click the three-dot menu next to the Classes heading, and select Connect Google Classroom (or use the same button at the top of the Classes dashboard). Grant permissions in the Google pop-up.

  • If you signed into the wrong account or used a different sign-in method, sign out and sign in again with the intended Google/Clever account, then resync.

"I use Google Classroom or Clever, but I do not want my classes to auto-roster during sign-up. What should I do?"

Sign up with email (magic link) instead of Google or Clever.

That lets you create a Grouper account without connecting a roster source, so you can create classes manually from the left navigation panel.

"I already signed up with Google Classroom or Clever, but I want to start over without auto-rostered classes. What should I do?"

If you want a fresh start without auto-rostered classes, the cleanest option is to delete that Grouper account and then sign up again with email (magic link) instead of Google or Clever. You can use the same email address, but don't use the Google or Clever signup button.

That creates an account that is not connected to a roster source, so you can create classes manually from the left navigation panel.

"Will I be charged when the free trial ends?"

No. Your trial ends automatically and your account moves to the Free plan unless you choose to upgrade.

"How do I sign in with a password?"

Grouper uses email magic links for email sign-in, plus Google/Clever sign-in options.

Did this answer your question?