Your group's topics should describe your group in a word or two. Interested members are more likely to find your group if you use a broad or suggested topic. (For instance, "photography" instead of a specific type of photography.)
Your group can have a maximum of 15 topics. To edit your group's topics, follow these steps:
Edit your group's topics
Desktop and mobile web
From your Meetup group’s homepage, select Manage group.
Select Edit group settings.
Click the Basic Information section.
Scroll down to the Topics section. Then enter a new topic into the field or select relevant topics from the suggestions.
To remove a topic, tap the X.
Scroll down and selectSave.
Android & iOS Apps
From your Meetup group’s homepage, tap the gear or three dots in the upper right-hand corner.
Tap Group Settings.
Tap Topics.
Enter a new topic into the field or select relevant topics from the suggestions.
Having a cover photo is a quick simple way to brand your group. Having a cover photo will help your group be more appealing to potential members.
For best results, you should choose a photo in JPG, PNG, or non-animated GIF format with a 16:9 ratio.The ideal dimensions for a group cover photo are 1200 x 675; if the photo is not at least 1200 x 675 pixels, you will not be able to upload it. The file size limit is 10MB.
If you’re setting your cover photo for the first time, you must set it from desktop web.
Desktop web
Go to your group’s homepage
If you’re just starting out and don’t have any group photos yet, select Upload a photo
If you already have group photos, select Change photo
Here you can either Choose from existing or Upload a photo if you want something new
Choose your new cover photo and be sure to Save your changes
Mobile Web
Navigate to your group's page.
Tap Change photo.
Tap Upload a photo or Choose from existing.
Choose your photo, crop it accordingly, add a caption, and tap Finish to confirm.
Android App
Navigate to your group's page.
Tap the ... Three dots icon, and select Group settings.
Tap Basics. (This will open your mobile web view.)
Select Change photo.
Choose your new cover photo from your previously uploaded photos, and tap Save.
iOS App
Navigate to your group's page.
Tap the ... Three dots icon, and select Group settings.
Choose Basics.
Select Change photo.
Choose your new cover photo from your previously uploaded photos, and tap Save.
Note: You can choose from photos you've previously uploaded to your group on the Android and iOS apps. To upload a new photo, follow the Desktop Web or Mobile Web instructions.
Closing a group will remove all traces of it from Meetup. Members will no longer be able to access photos, discussions, or the list of members. We recommend stepping down instead.
Stepping down
If you step down, your community can continue to flourish! You can either nominate a new organizer from your group or let us invite members of your community to step up and keep the group going.
We understand that everyone’s situation is unique. If you’d still like to close your group, please submit a request to our Community Support team. Then let your members know you intend to close the group, so everyone has time to save any photos or reach out to other members.
If you do not wish to lead any Meetup groups, you will also need to manually cancel your subscription to ensure you are no longer charged.
You can link your Meetup group to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts. This will also make it easier to show everyone on your social media networks what kind of community you're building and the events you're hosting.
From your group’s homepage, select Manage Group.
Select Edit group settings.
Select the Basic information section and scroll down to Social media.
Enter your social profile URLs into the spaces provided.
Click Save to save your changes.
Once you’ve linked an account, you’ll see the icon for that social media profile appear in the bottom of your group’s homepage where it says ’Find us also at.’
You can customize your group's URL so members can easily identify your group. You can make your URL a combination of words, as long as the URL isn't already taken.
To change your Meetup Group's web address:
From your Meetup group's homepage, select Manage group.
Select Edit group settings.
Click on Basics.
Scroll to the "Where" section.
Enter your proposed URL in the field.
Click Submit.
Guidelines for creating a URL:
Only use letters, numbers, and dashes (no punctuation or special characters).
Keep your web address between 6-70 characters.
Make your URL specific to your group (purpose and location).
Don't create one-word URLs (e.g. tech).
Put dashes between words instead of combining them all into one word; this will help search engines find it.
You can change your group's basic settings, like the name and description, from your group's homepage.
If you’re changing the purpose of your group in addition to its name, you should consider starting a new group or sending a message to your members so they are aware of the change.
Changing your group's name
Desktop & mobile web instructions
From your Meetup group’s homepage, click Manage group.
Select Edit group settings from the drop-down menu.
Select Basics
Enter your new group name.
Click Save to confirm the update.
App instructions (Android & iOS)
From your Meetup group’s homepage, tap the gear or three dots in the upper right-hand corner.
Tap Group Settings (this will open your group settings page in your mobile web browser).
Content visibility settings affect what content people who are not members of your group can see before joining. These settings only affect the content of your group. Private and Public Meetup groups will both appear in search results and recommendations to members. Learn more about content visibility settings.
Making a group private is a permanent change. If you make your group private, you won’t be able to make it public again. When you change the content visibility settings of a group, members will be alerted via email notification.
To change your group’s content visibility to private:
Log in to Meetup on a desktop computer.
From your Meetup group’s homepage, select Manage group.
Choose Edit group settings.
Select Group Privacy.
Choose either Public or Private.
Confirm with Save.
Private groups
The following information is visible to everyone, including non-members:
Basic group information like date founded, number of members, and group reviews
Group description
The name and profile photo of the main organizer(s)
Sponsors
Date and time of upcoming events
Title of upcoming events
Any Forums which have been set to "Everyone can see it" (In groups where the message board is set to "Forum view.")
Public groups
The following information is visible to everyone who has logged into their Meetup account:
Basic group information like date founded, number of members, and group reviews
Group description
Name of the main organizer(s) and their photo
Date and time of upcoming events
Title of upcoming events
The location of upcoming events
A list of members RSVPed to an event and the event description and host name(s)
The group's full member list, photo albums, all message board threads and discussion boards, and mailing list archives
New activity posted on the group
Past event details
Mailing Lists and Discussion Board posts set to "Forum View"
If you decide to step down as the organizer of your group, you can invite a member of the leadership team or a member of the group to step up as an organizer. If you're nominating a member to become your group's new organizer, we recommend contacting them in advance and sharing the instructions to step up.
To step down as an organizer, you must log in from a desktop or mobile web browser.
How to step down as an organizer
Navigate to your group's home page.
Hit Manage group.
Select Step down as organizer from the drop-down menu.
You have two options for finding a new organizer for your group:
Nominate a member of the group to become the new organizer
Step down without a nomination
Nominating a new organizer
In the search box, find the organizer you want to nominate (they must be a member of the group) and check the box beside their name. Then hit Next.
Add a custom message for the potential incoming organizer (this is particularly helpful if you haven't spoken with the organizer you are nominating).
Select Ask selected members.
If the member declines your nomination, you can to nominate a new organizer using the same process.
Stepping down without nominating anyone
If you decide not to nominate a member, we’ll notify your leadership team giving them the first opportunity to step up as the organizer. If you don’t have a leadership team or if nobody from your leadership team steps up, we’ll extend the invitation to all group members for thirty days.
De-select any members that are selected.
Select Skip and choose a reason on the following page.
Select Next, and then Continue.
Choose Yes, I want to step down.
If no one steps up to take over the group after thirty days, the group will be closed. Learn more about what happens when you close a Meetup group.
Stepping down or closing a group does not automatically cancel your organizer subscription. To prevent your subscription from automatically renewing, you’ll need to cancel your subscription.
The process of transferring ownership of a Meetup group requires action by both the current organizer and the organizer taking over. The new organizer must already be a member of the Meetup group they wish to organize.
Your subscription will not be transferred along with the group. The new organizer must start their own subscription when they step up and your subscription will remain active until you cancel it.
To transfer a group to another organizer, you must log in from a desktop or mobile web browser.
Current organizer instructions:
From the Meetup group homepage, select Manage group.
Choose Step down as Organizer.
In the search box, find the organizer you want to nominate (they must be a member of the group) and check the box beside their name. Then hit Next.
Add a custom message for the potential incoming organizer (this is particularly helpful if you haven't spoken with the organizer you are nominating).
Navigate to the Meetup group's homepage. Make sure you're in the "About" section in the top navigation.
Scroll down to the "Organizer" section.
Select Accept to confirm the nomination.
When a new organizer accepts the nomination, they will need to start a subscription if they don't have one already. At this time, the previous organizer rescinds their leadership role and becomes a member of the group or can leave the group.
Custom titles can only be assigned from the desktop web version of Meetup.
Meetup group organizers, co-organizers, and assistant organizers have the ability to give custom titles to your members. Assigning custom titles can make your group stick out from the crowd, and can also help keep members engaged.
Desktop Web
Navigate to the member’s profile that you’d like to assign a title to.
Select "View full profile."
Click Give member a Custom Title beneath their name.
Enter the title of your choice.
To edit/delete a title click Edit or Delete to the right of the title.
Be sure to click Save to update the member’s new title.
Custom titles will always be visible to the members of your group.
Member titles aren’t permanent. Only group organizers can edit or remove titles from members.
In addition to the primary organizer (the person that pays for a group’s subscription), there are three roles on a group’s leadership team: co-organizers, assistant organizers, and event organizers. You can have as many leadership team members as you need.
To support the primary organizer, each role has different levels of access to a group’s organizer tools.
Here’s what they’re able to do:
Everyone on a group's leadership team can use the event check-in feature.
Appoint new leadership members
To add, change, or remove leadership members:
From your group’s homepage click Members.
Click the Three dots button next to the person you want to appoint.
Click Change member role from the drop-down menu.
Select co-organizer, assistant organizer, or event organizer.
Click Update role to confirm.
Leadership roles can be adjusted on Meetup’s desktop and mobile website.
For more, watch our Community Support specialists walk you through assigning leadership roles in this video:
Event hosts
Every event is assigned a one-time event host. This is not a leadership team position, but the event host does have access to manage details of the event. An event host can:
Manage attendees
Contact attendees
Close or open RSVPs
Edit event settings in the event scheduler
Cancel event
Delete event
Check in attendees on the Meetup for Organizers App
The event's creator is assigned as host by default but this role can be assigned to any member of the group.
Meetup organizers can access statistics about their groups. You can monitor how your group grows, how active your members are, and which events they’re most drawn to.
It’s currently only possible to view your group’s stats via your desktop web browser.
Here are the stats you can see for your Meetup group:
Member joins (your total new members)
RSVPs (attendance records for your events)
Total members in your group, and number of group members who have visited your Meetup group’s page within the last 30 days (i.e., active members)
To view these statistics:
From your Meetup group's homepage, select More
Select Stats from the menu
From there, you can choose to view your group data from the past month, the past three months, or the past year. You can also click Download data to get a .CSV file of your group's entire history.
We want to help you find members who are the best fit for your group.
By default, anyone can join a public Meetup group. As an organizer, if you want to be more selective, you can enable settings to help you screen members before they join your community.
Desktop Web
From your Meetup group’s homepage, click Manage Group
Select Edit group settings from the drop-down menu
On the Group Settings page, click New member settings
Mobile Web
From your Meetup group’s homepage, select Manage Group
Select Edit group settings from the drop-down menu
On your Group Settings page, tap Members
Android & iOS App
From your Meetup group, tap the three dots icon
Tap Group Settings
On the Group Settings page, tap New member settings
For all platforms, checking the box next to New member approval allows you to manually approve all new member requests. Meetup will always notify you about any new membership requests, and a members will remain Pending until their request is accepted or denied.
To make things personal, you can also require that your Meetup group members have a profile photo, meaning members cannot join until they upload a photo.
You can also ask new members to answer profile questions, so that you and others in the group can get to know them better. New members have to answer these questions before their membership request is submitted. You can review their answers from their group profile page. Once accepted into the Meetup, all members have the option to edit these answers at any time from their group profile page.
Profile questions don’t have to be permanent. Group organizers can edit them, and add up to five profile questions for their Meetup group at any time.
Want to learn more in person. Join the orgaizer network and see if there is a real life Meetup happening around you. There be people who have done this before, ready to help and you can be part of something special.