<h3>What is Groups?</h3>
<p>The Groups plugin for WordPress is an essential tool that helps you organize users on your website. Think of it like sorting people into different clubs or teams, where each club has its own set of rules about who can access and do what.</p>
<h3>Why use it?</h3>
<p>This plugin is very useful if you want to control who can see certain content or perform specific actions on your website. It helps you to keep some parts of your website exclusive to specific groups or to give special rights to some users.</p>
<p>Groups works great with WooCommerce, so you can make some products only available to members of certain groups.</p>
<h3>What it Does</h3>
<p>It allows you to create groups, assign users to these groups, and set permissions for what each group can do or see on your site.</p>
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<p> </p>
<h3>Ease of Use</h3>
<p>The Groups plugin works within the familiar WordPress Dashboard, so you do not need to learn something completely new. Clean views and clear functions make it quick and easy to work with.</p>
<h3>Control Content</h3>
<p>You can make parts of your website visible to members of specific groups only, which is great for managing exclusive areas and products. You can protect whole pages, products and other types of content. You can also protect sections within pages.</p>
<h3>Control Permissions</h3>
<p>Define what actions users in particular groups can perform, based on standard WordPress capabilities and custom capabilities provided by plugins.</p>
<h3>In a Nutshell</h3>
<p>The Groups plugin makes managing your WordPress site easier, especially if you need to control who can do what or see what. It is designed to be easy to use, reducing the complexity of user management and content access.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr />
<p> </p>
<h3>Key Features</h3>
<h4>Membership Management</h4>
<p>You can put users into different groups, similar to assigning them to different classes or teams.</p>
<h4>Content Access Control</h4>
<p>You can decide that only specific groups can see certain content, posts, pages or products. If you are not in the right group, you will not see that protected content.</p>
<h4>Capabilities</h4>
<p>You can assign special rights to users based on which group they are a member of.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr />
<p> </p>
<h3>Comprehensive Features</h3>
<p>Groups is powerful and effective, yet simple and easy to use. While its flexibility covers a wide range of functions, some of the most commonly used aspects include:</p>
<h4>User groups</h4>
<ul>
<li>Supports an unlimited number of groups</li>
<li>Provides a Registered group which is automatically maintained</li>
<li>Users can be assigned to any group</li>
<li>Users are added automatically to the Registered group</li>
</ul>
<h4>Groups hierarchy</h4>
<ul>
<li>Supports group hierarchies with capability inheritance</li>
</ul>
<h4>Group capabilities</h4>
<ul>
<li>Integrates standard WordPress capabilities which can be assigned to groups and users</li>
<li>Supports custom capabilities: allows to define new capabilities for usage in plugins and web applications</li>
<li>Users inherit capabilities of the groups they belong to</li>
<li>Groups inherit capabilities of their parent groups</li>
</ul>
<h4>Access control</h4>
<p>Access to pages (posts, pages, products and other post types) can be restricted by group.</p>
<p>If access to a page is restricted to one or more groups, only users who belong to one of those groups may view it.</p>
<p>Fully supports custom post types, so that access to post types such as products or events can easily be restricted.</p>
<ul>
<li>Built-in access control that allows to restrict access to whole pages to specific groups only.</li>
<li>Blocks: The <em>Groups Member</em> block allows to restrict the visibility of its content to members of selected groups. The <em>Groups Non-Member</em> block hides its content from members of chosen groups. The blocks can be nested to provide multiple layers of access control to content.</li>
<li>Shortcodes allow to control who can access sections of content on pages, show parts to members of certain groups or to those who are not members. Shortcodes can also be used to show content for users based on their capabilities.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Easy user interface</h4>
<ul>
<li>Integrates nicely with the standard WordPress Users menu</li>
<li>Provides an intuitive Groups menu</li>
<li>Conceptually clean views showing the essentials</li>
<li>Quick filters to locate groups, capabilities, users and pages</li>
<li>Bulk-actions where needed, apply capabilities to groups, add users to groups, remove users from groups, protect pages in bulk</li>
</ul>
<h4>Sensible options</h4>
<ul>
<li>Enable access restrictions by custom post type</li>
<li>An optional tree view for groups can be shown when desired</li>
<li>Provides its own set of permissions</li>
<li>Administrator overrides for tests</li>
<li>Cleans up after testing with a “delete all plugin data” option</li>
</ul>
<h4>Framework</h4>
<ul>
<li>Groups is designed based on a solid and sound data-model with a complete API that allows developers to create group-oriented web applications and plugins</li>
</ul>
<h4>Multisite</h4>
<ul>
<li>All features are supported independently for each blog in multisite installations</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<hr />
<p> </p>
<h3>Extensions</h3>
<p>You can add more features with official extensions that further integrate Groups and WooCommerce. Among the extensions in the WooCommerce Marketplace we recommend:</p>
<h4><a href="https://woocommerce.com/products/groups-woocommerce/">Groups Integration</a></h4>
<p>Sell Memberships with Groups and WooCommerce. Grants memberships based on products. It automatically assigns a customer to one or more groups based on the products ordered.</p>
<h4><a href="https://woocommerce.com/products/group-coupons/">Group Coupons</a></h4>
<p>Automatically apply and restrict coupon validity for user groups. Offer exclusive, automatic and targeted discounts for your customers.</p>
<h4><a href="https://woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-product-search/">WooCommerce Product Search</a></h4>
<p>The perfect Search Engine helps customers to find and buy products quickly – essential for every WooCommerce store. Supports performance features based on group memberships.</p>
<h4><a href="https://woocommerce.com/products/restrict-payment-methods/">Restrict Payment Methods</a></h4>
<p>Limit the use of Payment Methods by Group Memberships, Roles, Countries, and Order Amounts.</p>
<p> </p>

Groups

<div style="width: 980px" class="wp-video"><video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-0-3" width="980" height="551" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><a href="https://woocommerce.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SelfServiceRefundsPromo.mp4">https://woocommerce.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SelfServiceRefundsPromo.mp4</a></video></div>
<p> </p>
<hr class="wccom-product-heading__hr" />
<p></p>
<h2>Key Benefits</h2>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-primary">
<li><strong>Reduce Support Tickets</strong> – Let customers request refunds directly from their account without contacting support</li>
<li><strong>Automatic Processing</strong> – Refunds processed instantly through payment gateways when conditions are met</li>
<li><strong>Complete Control</strong> – Flexible rules engine, time limits, per-user controls, and per-product settings</li>
<li><strong>Guest & Logged-In Support</strong> – Secure refund forms for both registered customers and guest orders</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2>Main Features</h2>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-secondary">
<li><strong>Full & Partial Refunds</strong> – Support both full order refunds and line-item partial refunds</li>
<li><strong>Automatic Refund Processing</strong> – Process refunds through payment gateways without admin intervention</li>
<li><strong>Guest Refund Form</strong> – Shortcode and Gutenberg block for guest customers to request refunds</li>
<li><strong>Refund Rules Engine</strong> – Automate approval based on user role, product category, payment method, and more</li>
<li><strong>Abuse Prevention</strong> – Per-customer refund limits (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) and per-user blocking</li>
<li><strong>Custom Refund Reasons</strong> – Configurable reason list with drag-and-drop ordering</li>
<li><strong>Decline Message Presets</strong> – Rich text rejection templates for consistent communication</li>
<li><strong>WooCommerce Analytics Integration</strong> – Track refund reasons and patterns in the Analytics dashboard</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<div class="">
<div class="">
<h3>Self-Service Refund Requests</h3>
<p>Customers can request refunds directly from their My Account page with a guided multi-step process. Choose full or partial refunds, select line items, provide a reason, and review before submitting. No more back-and-forth emails or support tickets.</p>
</div>
<div class="">
<h3>Intelligent Rules Engine</h3>
<p>Define rules to automatically process or escalate refund requests based on conditions like user role, product category or tag, payment method, shipping zone, order value, and more. First matching rule wins, with drag-and-drop priority ordering.</p>
</div>
<div class="">
<h3>Guest Refund Form</h3>
<p>Allow guest customers to request refunds using a secure three-factor verification form (email, order number, order date). Available as a shortcode or a native Gutenberg block with customizable styling options.</p>
</div>
<div class="">
<h3>Admin Approval Workflow</h3>
<p>Review and manage refund requests with quick approve/reject actions on the order list and individual order pages. Use decline message presets for consistent, professional rejection responses with rich text support.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<h2>How It Works</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Install & Activate</strong> – Upload the plugin and activate it in WordPress</li>
<li><strong>Configure Settings</strong> – Set refund time limits, enable automatic processing, and configure refund reasons</li>
<li><strong>Set Up Rules (Optional)</strong> – Create rules to auto-approve or escalate requests based on conditions</li>
<li><strong>Customers Request Refunds</strong> – From My Account or the guest refund form</li>
<li><strong>Process or Review</strong> – Refunds are auto-processed or queued for admin approval based on your rules</li>
</ol>
<p></p>
<h2>Flexible Refund Options</h2>
<p>Give customers the right level of control:</p>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-secondary">
<li><strong>Full Order Refunds</strong> – One-click full order refund requests</li>
<li><strong>Line-Item Refunds</strong> – Customers select specific items and quantities to refund</li>
<li><strong>Non-Refundable Products</strong> – Mark specific products or variations as non-refundable</li>
<li><strong>Time Limits</strong> – Set a configurable window (1-365 days) for refund eligibility</li>
<li><strong>Re-Request After Rejection</strong> – Optionally allow customers to resubmit declined requests</li>
<li><strong>Request Cancellation</strong> – Customers can cancel pending requests before admin review</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2>Powerful Rules Engine</h2>
<p>Automate refund decisions with flexible conditions:</p>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-secondary">
<li><strong>User Role</strong> – Different handling for wholesale, retail, or VIP customers</li>
<li><strong>Product Category / Tag / Type</strong> – Auto-approve for specific product groups</li>
<li><strong>Payment Method</strong> – Route based on how the order was paid</li>
<li><strong>Shipping Zone / Method</strong> – Handle international orders differently</li>
<li><strong>Billing / Shipping Country</strong> – Region-specific refund policies</li>
<li><strong>Order Value / Quantity</strong> – Thresholds for automatic vs. manual processing</li>
<li><strong>Order Status</strong> – Conditions based on current order status</li>
<li><strong>Priority Ordering</strong> – Drag-and-drop rule priority with first-match-wins logic</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2>Abuse Prevention</h2>
<p>Protect your business while staying customer-friendly:</p>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-secondary">
<li><strong>Refund Limits</strong> – Set maximum automatic refunds per customer per day, week, month, or year</li>
<li><strong>Per-User Controls</strong> – Block refund requests or disable auto-processing for specific users</li>
<li><strong>Per-User Limit Overrides</strong> – Custom refund limits for individual customers</li>
<li><strong>Counter Management</strong> – View and reset refund counters from the user profile</li>
<li><strong>Rate Limiting</strong> – Built-in protection against spam and abuse on request endpoints</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2>Email Notifications</h2>
<p>Keep everyone informed at every step:</p>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-secondary">
<li><strong>Customer Confirmation</strong> – Automatic email when a refund request is submitted</li>
<li><strong>Admin Notification</strong> – Alert when a new refund request needs review</li>
<li><strong>Escalation Alert</strong> – Notification when auto-processing falls back to manual review</li>
<li><strong>Rejection Notice</strong> – Customer notification with decline reason when a request is rejected</li>
<li><strong>Full WooCommerce Integration</strong> – Manage all emails from WooCommerce > Settings > Emails</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2>Refund Analytics</h2>
<p>Make data-driven decisions with built-in analytics:</p>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-secondary">
<li><strong>Refund Reasons Report</strong> – See which reasons customers select most frequently</li>
<li><strong>Date Range Filtering</strong> – Analyze refund trends using WooCommerce’s standard date picker</li>
<li><strong>Product-Level Data</strong> – Identify which products generate the most refund requests</li>
<li><strong>Status Tracking</strong> – Monitor approved, rejected, and pending request counts</li>
<li><strong>Seamless Integration</strong> – Access analytics directly from WooCommerce > Analytics menu</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2>Seamless Integration</h2>
<p>Works perfectly with your existing setup:</p>
<ul class="wccom-tick-list-secondary">
<li><strong>WooCommerce HPOS</strong> – Fully compatible with High-Performance Order Storage</li>
<li><strong>Payment Gateways</strong> – Automatic refunds through any gateway that supports programmatic refunds</li>
<li><strong>Gutenberg Block</strong> – Native block editor support for the guest refund form</li>
<li><strong>Shortcode Support</strong> – Use <code>[ssr_guest_refund]</code> to place the guest form anywhere</li>
<li><strong>WooCommerce Emails</strong> – Full integration with the WooCommerce email system</li>
<li><strong>Any Theme</strong> – Works with any properly coded WooCommerce theme</li>
</ul>

Self-Service Refunds

<p>Let customers request refunds directly from their account, no support tickets, no back-and-forth emails. Self-Service Refunds streamlines your refund workflow with automatic processing, flexible rules, and complete admin control.</p>

Groups vs Self-Service Refunds