Overview
This document explains how to use student attributes and classroom context to create better groupings and seating charts in Grouper.
It covers:
Why attribute-based grouping and seating is valuable.
Smart randomization in simple terms.
Adding and managing student attributes.
Editing attribute values from the Grouping and Seating views.
Auto-creating groups using attributes (Spread, Cluster, and Attribute only).
Auto-placing students in seats using attributes (Spread and Cluster).
This document focuses on using attributes to make automated groupings and seatings.
For general grouping actions (group size, drag and drop, shuffle, rotate, lock, undo), see the Grouping basics support article.
For seat layout and general seating actions, see the Seating basics support article.
For file import flow and import troubleshooting, see the Importing student data support article.
For Do not group with, Study buddies, Seating preference, and Role, see the Preset attributes support article.
For class setup and roster setup, see the Sign-up and class creation article.
Helpful links:
Why use attributes and student context
Teachers often use what they know about their students to form groups and seating charts. But creating ideal groups or seating arrangements using student data can be time-consuming. Even so-called "random" groups are rarely truly random: some students misbehave when paired together, groups often benefit from a mix of boys and girls, and so on. With the Attributes feature, Grouper makes it easy for teachers to automatically create groupings and seatings using all sorts of information about their students: academic performance, behavioral, demographic, interests, and so on--or even a mix of several.
Common academic goals include:
Intervention groups for similar support needs.
Mixed-skill groups for peer learning.
Balanced groups for participation and classroom dynamics.
Structured collaboration with specific student roles.
Smart-randomized groups that ensure students who shouldn't be in the same group aren't.
Pairing special needs students with peers who work well with them.
Seating charts that keep distracting pairs apart, seat students near needed supports, or seat similar students together.
Using attributes makes grouping and seating faster and more repeatable than building arrangements manually every time.
Smart randomization (simple explanation)
Smart randomization means:
Groups and seat assignments are still randomized.
But the randomization follows the attribute rules you choose.
In simple terms: Grouper shuffles students, but with guardrails based on your selected attributes.
Examples:
If you use a reading-level attribute with Spread (heterogeneous or mixed), the arrangement is randomized while spreading reading levels across groups or across the seating chart.
If you use the same attribute with Cluster (homogeneous or similar), the arrangement is randomized while keeping similar levels together.
If you use Do not group with, the arrangement is randomized while keeping specified student pairings apart.
If you use Gender with Spread, groups are randomized while distributing genders more evenly across groups.
Important:
Results may still need final manual adjustments.
Use drag and drop for finishing touches when needed.
Adding and managing student attributes
Student attributes are the data Grouper uses to automatically create groupings and seatings.
You can add attributes from the Grouping, Seating view, and List views:
In the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel, click the + button. The Add attribute panel takes over the control panel.
Pick a preset attribute from a category, or type a name in the search field and create your own attribute with that name.
Grouper opens the new attribute's properties, so you can set up its options and start entering values right away — see Attribute properties panel below.
The List view also has a second route, right in the table:
Scroll to the right end of the attribute columns and click the + button in the table header. The Add attribute menu opens.
Pick a preset attribute from a category, or type a name in the search field and create your own attribute with that name.
The new attribute becomes a column in the table, ready for you to fill in.
Notes:
To import a file instead of building an attribute by hand, select Import student data — from the three-dot menu next to the + button in the control panel, or at the bottom of the Add attribute menu in the List view. See the Importing student data support article.
Preset attributes are grouped into Academic skills, Social & behavioral, and Demographics & roles wherever you add them. Searching looks across all of them.
PRO Teams members also see attributes published by their school or district, listed under the name of the dataset they come from. See the PRO Teams and Central support article.
Click Back at the top of the control panel to leave the panel.
The right-hand control panel and its Attributes section are the same in all three views, so you can add an attribute, open its properties, and manage its options from the List view exactly as you would from Grouping or Seating.
Plan note:
Free plan supports up to 2 student attributes.
PRO supports unlimited student attributes.
Plan details: grouper.school/pricing.
Assigning attribute values to students
You can assign attribute values to students the following ways:
Click on a student cell in the List view and select from the dropdown or start typing to add a custom value
Open the Student details card and select the attribute value or add a new one
Click a student directly in the Grouping or Seating view while that attribute's properties panel is open — see Editing values in the Grouping and Seating views below
Attribute properties panel
The attribute properties panel is where you configure an attribute.
To open it, click an attribute's name in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel. The panel takes over the control panel and gives you:
The attribute's name, which you can edit in place. Preset attributes such as Do not group with keep their names.
A dropdown for switching to another attribute, with Add attribute at the bottom of the list.
The Options list for the attribute's values — see Customizing attribute options below.
A Delete attribute button.
In the Grouping and Seating views, students' values for that attribute stay visible on every student while the panel is open, and clicking a student edits their value.
Click Back at the top of the control panel when you're done.
Editing values in the Grouping and Seating views
With an attribute's properties panel open in the Grouping or Seating view, every student on screen shows their value for that attribute, and clicking a student sets it.
To edit one student's value:
Open the Grouping or Seating view.
Click the attribute's name in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel.
Click the student's value on the main stage. Students with no value yet show a dashed outline with a +.
Pick a value from the list, or type to search the existing values. To use a value that doesn't exist yet, type it and select Create "your value".
Tips:
To remove a value a student already has, click the value with the checkmark next to it in the list.
For attributes that hold a number, such as a score or a percentile, you type the number instead of picking from a list.
Do not group with, Study buddies, and Seating preference open their own student or zone pickers — see the Preset attributes support article.
To edit several students at once (Seating view):
Click the attribute's name in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel.
Select the students you want to change: Shift-click or Command-click (Control-click on Windows) each one, or drag a selection box around them, starting the drag on an empty spot rather than on a student.
Click any student in that selection. The editor shows how many students you're editing, and the value you pick applies to all of them.
Notes:
If the students you selected have different values, the editor shows "Multiple values" and offers Clear value to empty them all.
Editing several students at once is a Seating view feature. In the Grouping view, values are edited one student at a time.
Do not group with, Study buddies, and Seating preference are always edited one student at a time.
A selection box only picks up seated students, not empty seats. For more on selecting students, see the Seating basics support article.
Attribute header menu
The attribute header menu is the List view's counterpart to the attribute properties panel. It holds the same name and Options settings, plus the actions that only make sense in a table, such as sorting.
To open it:
In List view, find the attribute column.
Click the attribute name at the top of that column.
Note: The features of each attribute header menu may differ depending on attribute type.
Customizing attribute options
For custom attributes, you can define and manage the list of available values in the Options section. There are two places to find it: the attribute properties panel in the control panel, and the attribute header menu in the List view.
From the attribute properties panel:
Click + to add an option, then type its name.
Click an option's name to rename it.
Drag an option by its handle to reorder the list.Can we
Click the color dot at the left of an option to change its color.
Click the trash icon on an option to delete it.
The panel's Options section also has a three-dot menu with actions for the whole list:
Assign values distributes the options across your students, which is handy for roles or for trying something out (PRO).
Clear all values empties this attribute for every student, leaving the options in place.
Show color coding and Hide color coding turn this attribute's colors on and off.
Delete all options empties the list.
From the List view:
Open the attribute header menu for that attribute.
Add new option names in the Options section.
To rename an option, change its color, or delete it, hover over the option and click the arrow that appears.
Notes:
Preset attributes like Do not group with and Study buddies do not have editable options. Role does — see the Preset attributes support article for details.
Attributes that hold a range of numbers build their options from the values your students have, so those options appear on their own and cannot be added by hand. You can still rename them, delete them, and change their colors.
Built-in column: Group
Group is a built-in column rather than an attribute you add: Grouper keeps it up to date for you. It appears automatically in the List view when your students are in groups.
How it works:
The column header shows the name of the saved grouping that is currently in use.
Each student's cell shows the name of their current group.
If a student is not currently in a group, their Group value is blank.
You can click a student's Group cell to select or change the student's group.
You can create a new group by typing a new group name in a student's Group cell.
From the Group column's header menu, you can sort students by group (ascending or descending).
Note: Group is a built-in column, so it does not count against the Free plan's 2-attribute limit.
Built-in column: Attendance
Attendance is a built-in column rather than an attribute you add. It tracks each student's attendance status.
How it works:
Default attendance options are Present, Absent, and Tardy.
Click a student's attendance cell to set their status.
Tardy and any custom attendance status marked as present are treated as present in Grouping view and Live mode.
If you create custom attendance statuses, open the Attendance column's header menu, then open the menu for that status option and set it to count as Present or Absent.
From the Attendance column's header menu, you can sort by attendance or email yourself an attendance report.
The Attendance column cannot be deleted.
Notes:
Attendance is a built-in column, so it does not count against the Free plan's 2-attribute limit.
Attendance is managed in the List view. Like Group, it is not listed in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel: attendance shapes who is included in a grouping rather than how students are distributed.
You can also set a student to present or absent from the Grouping view, the Seating view, or the Attendance tool in Live mode (PRO), but Tardy and custom states can only be set in the List view.
Attribute color coding
Grouper automatically assigns colors to attribute values so they are easy to scan in the List view and on avatar overlays in the Grouping and Seating views. To change a color:
Open the attribute header menu for that attribute.
In the Options section, hover over the value.
Click the arrow that appears to open the color picker.
You can also change colors from the attribute properties panel: in the Options section, click the color dot at the left of the option and pick a color, or select the crossed-out swatch for no color.
Notes:
Color-coding of attributes that include a large range of numbers, such as 0 - 100, cannot be customized.
To turn an attribute's colors off entirely, open the three-dot menu in the attribute properties panel's Options section and select Hide color coding. Select Show color coding to bring them back.
Deep-dive articles
See these dedicated articles for specific topics:
For file import flow and import troubleshooting, see the Importing student data support article.
For Do not group with, Study buddies, Seating preference, and Role, see the Preset attributes support article.
Spread and Cluster
Spread and Cluster are the two ways to apply an attribute to a grouping or a seating.
Spread mixes values: each group (or area of the seating chart) gets a range of values.
Cluster keeps similar values together: students with the same value end up in the same group, or seated near each other.
In both the Grouping and Seating views, each attribute shown in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel has two small circular icon buttons next to it. The outward-arrows icon applies Spread; the inward-arrows icon applies Cluster. Hover over either button to see a tooltip confirming what it does.
Do not group with, Study buddies, and Seating preference show an Auto badge instead of those two buttons. They have no Spread or Cluster setting to choose, because Grouper always honors them when forming groups and arranging seats — see the Preset attributes support article.
Spread examples:
Spread reading levels so each group has a range of readers.
Distribute boys and girls more evenly across groups.
Spread out strong leaders to make sure each group or table has a strong leader to help the group dynamic.
Cluster examples:
Cluster by proficiency band for targeted small-group instruction.
Group students with similar math diagnostic scores together for differentiated tasks.
Seat students who share a table role or proficiency band next to each other.
Auto-creating groups with attributes
Once you have attributes set up, Grouper can use them to automatically shape your groups in the Grouping view. Multiple attributes can also be layered in a single grouping.
Two things decide how to set this up: what you want, and how many distinct values the attribute has.
To mix values across groups — a range of levels in every group — use the Students per group or Number of groups formation and click Spread.
To keep similar students together, click Cluster. Start with Students per group or Number of groups: you set the group size, and Grouper fills each group with students at the same or nearby values. This works for any attribute, however many values it has, so it is the safe default when you want students of similar ability or level working together.
To make one group per value, use the Attribute only formation with Cluster. Group size is ignored entirely, so this fits only attributes with a handful of values.
Spread and Cluster are both available when using the Students per group and Number of groups formations; in the Attribute only formation, only Cluster is available.
Using attributes in Students per group and Number of groups formations
Use these formations when controlled group sizes matter and you want attributes to shape how students are distributed within those groups. Grouper keeps the group sizes or number of groups you set and uses the attributes you select to influence how students are distributed.
To apply Spread or Cluster:
Open a class and select the Grouping view.
In the Formation section of the right-hand control panel, open the formation dropdown and select Students per group or Number of groups, then set your target group size or count.
Under the attribute list, click the Spread icon or Cluster icon next to the attribute you want to use. Groups are generated immediately, distributed according to the setting you chose.
You can layer more than one attribute in these formations. For example: Spread gender while Clustering by proficiency level. The first attribute you select takes priority over any you add after it.
Important:
When multiple attributes are applied, results may not be perfect — use drag and drop for final adjustments.
Using attributes in the Attribute only formation
Use the Attribute only formation when you need truly homogeneous groups — one group per attribute value, containing every student who shares that value. Group size is ignored entirely — the data defines the groups. If 5 students are "Below" and 14 are "Meets", you get exactly those two groups at exactly those sizes — no blending, no balancing.
Attribute only is the right choice when the purity of the grouping matters more than any size target, and the attribute has few enough values that one group per value is what you actually want. For an attribute with many distinct values - like test scores or Lexile levels - use Cluster with Students per group or Number of groups instead.
To use Attribute only:
Open a class and select the Grouping view.
In the Formation section of the right-hand control panel, open the formation dropdown and select Attribute only.
Click the Cluster icon next to the attribute you want to use (the Spread icon is not available in this formation). Groups are generated immediately — one per attribute value, containing all students with that value.
Important:
Only one attribute can be selected at a time. Layering is not supported in this mode.
Group names are generated automatically to match the attribute value (for example: "Below", "Partial", "Meets", "Exceeds"). You can still rename groups afterward.
Students with no value assigned for the selected attribute will be left ungrouped.
Auto-placing students in seats with attributes
In the Seating view (PRO), the same Spread and Cluster actions shape where students sit instead of which group they join:
Open a class and select the Seating view. (Build your seat layout first — see the Seating basics support article.)
In the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel, click the Spread icon or Cluster icon next to the attribute you want to use. Students are placed immediately.
How it works:
Cluster seats students with similar attribute values near each other.
Spread spreads students with similar attribute values out across the seating chart.
As in the Grouping view, you can layer multiple attributes, and the first attribute you select takes priority.
Notes:
Do not group with, Study buddies, and Seating preference rules are applied automatically during automatic placement — see the Preset attributes support article.
Seating students by their current grouping is not available. If you want group members seated together, use an attribute they share, or drag students into place.
Viewing attributes in Grouping and Seating views
Once an attribute is added and values have been assigned to your students, you can check those values in the Grouping or Seating view:
Hover over an attribute name in the right-hand control panel to see color-coded overlays on student avatars.
To keep the overlays visible so you don't have to hover while you make adjustments, click the eye icon at the right of the attribute's row in the control panel. Click it again to go back to overlays that appear only on hover.
While an attribute's properties are open, its overlays stay visible and the eye icon is unavailable — Grouper keeps them on so you can see the values you're editing.
Attributes are not visible to students in Live mode, even when the overlays are turned on in the control panel. The exception is the Role attribute, which can be made visible in Live mode — see the Preset attributes support article.
Deleting attributes
To remove an attribute from a class:
Open the List view.
Open the attribute header menu for that attribute by clicking the column header.
Select Delete attribute.
You can also delete an attribute from the control panel in any view: click the attribute's name in the Attributes section, then click Delete attribute at the bottom of the properties panel.
Note: deleting an attribute removes it and all its student values permanently for that class.
Sorting students in the List view
You can sort students by any attribute column to make it easier to review or assign values:
Open the attribute header menu for the column you want to sort by.
Select from the sort options.
Sorting is for display only and does not affect grouping or seating.
Practical workflow examples
Intervention groups
Import current assessment data.
Cluster by the target proficiency attribute.
Name the grouping (for example: "Math Intervention - Week 1").
Save and reuse.
Mixed-skill collaboration groups
Use a proficiency attribute.
Spread by that attribute.
Add roles if needed.
Review and make small manual edits.
Social/behavior constraint groups
Add Do not group with and Study buddies attributes.
Run automated grouping.
Groups will automatically respect Do not group with and Study buddies rules.
Data-informed seating chart
In Seating view, Spread by a behavior or participation attribute to break up concentrations.
Or Cluster by a shared attribute, such as a table role or a proficiency band, to seat similar students together for collaborative work.
Fine-tune with drag and drop, then lock any seats that must not change.
Quick troubleshooting FAQ
"Grouper matched the wrong student name"
Use the student match dropdown during import review, then apply changes.
"Do not group with is set, but I cannot find a toggle"
These constraints can run in the background once configured. Run grouping and verify outcomes. For full constraints behavior, see the Preset attributes support article.
"What is the difference between Spread and Cluster?"
Spread mixes values — across groups in the Grouping view, or across the seating chart in the Seating view. Cluster keeps similar values together — in the same group, or in nearby seats.
"Do attributes work the same way in the Seating view?"
Yes. The same attributes and the same Spread and Cluster buttons are available in the Attributes section of the Seating view's control panel. The difference is the result: in Grouping view they shape group membership; in Seating view they shape where students sit. (Formations like Students per group apply only to the Grouping view.)
"How do I group students by ability, level, or score?"
This is the same for any attribute — a proficiency band, a reading or Lexile level, a test score, a language, or one of your own. Add the attribute and enter each student's value, then:
Open the Grouping view and select the Students per group or Number of groups formation, and set the size you want.
Click the Cluster icon next to the attribute to put students with the same or nearby values together, or the Spread icon to give every group a mix of values.
That works no matter how many values the attribute has. If the attribute has only a handful of values and you want exactly one group per value regardless of group size, use the Attribute only formation with Cluster instead. Avoid Attribute only for fine-grained attributes such as a Lexile level or a percentile, where it makes one group per distinct value.
In the Seating view (PRO), the same Cluster and Spread buttons seat similar students together or spread them across the room.
"What's the difference between the Attribute only formation and using Cluster in Students per group or Number of groups?"
Both approaches group similar students together. The difference is whether group size matters. In Students per group or Number of groups with Cluster, Grouper targets the size you set and uses Cluster to skew groups toward similar values — but size still wins. In Attribute only, size is ignored entirely: you get one group per attribute value containing every student with that value, regardless of how big or small each group ends up.
"My groups are close, but not exactly what I wanted"
This is expected in complex constraints. Use drag and drop to finalize.