# Good use cases for groups (to better understand groups vs categories)

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/good-use-cases-for-groups-to-better-understand-groups-vs-categories/62875
**Category:** Community Building
**Created:** [5월 17, 2017, 1:39오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/good-use-cases-for-groups-to-better-understand-groups-vs-categories/62875 "2017-05-17T13:39:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![tophee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/tophee/32/73406_2.png) [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [5월 18, 2017, 10:10오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/good-use-cases-for-groups-to-better-understand-groups-vs-categories/62875/9 "2017-05-18T22:10:50Z")

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Here is a technical comparison between groups and categories:

> [@Configuring incoming email to create new topics or group messages](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-incoming-email-to-create-new-topics-or-group-messages/62977/1):
>
> Why use a group?
> 
> Using a group is useful if you want to set up a support-like workflow.  
> Sending an email to a group will create a message sent to all the members of that group.  
> These messages will appear in /my/messages.  
> Anyone can send an email to a group (since it’s just an email behind the scene)  
> Any member of the group may read, reply, delete or archive the message.  
> All member of the group have their own read tracking state.
> 
> Why use a category?
> 
> Using a category is useful if you want to simulate a mailing list.  
> Sending an email to a category will create a topic in said category.  
> Anyone with access to that category may read and reply using the web interface or via email.  
> Emails sent to a category must respect the category’s security settings.  
> Emails sent to a category must respect the email\_in\_min\_trust\_level site setting.  
> You may disable staged users on a per category basis.

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