# Make members of a group watch a category by default
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** completed
**Created:** [13 בנובמבר, 2014, 8:27am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127 "2014-11-13T08:27:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [21 באוגוסט, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/21 "2015-08-21T19:19:52Z")
There you go 😉
[https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/bef80633b1b58189a732a3959d3a59da44aa55e9](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/bef80633b1b58189a732a3959d3a59da44aa55e9)
:allthethings:_OVERRIDE ALL THE THINGS_
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [21 באוגוסט, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/24 "2015-08-21T23:43:35Z")
To have this option in the Group settings.. so that we can add Watch status to members of a given group, it’s be nice.
Of course, this begs inheritance, permanence, and hierarchy of groups.. but, this is what I need for two of my four discourse.
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [23 באוגוסט, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/25 "2015-08-23T05:13:00Z")
I think that we can deal with this for the most part by [setting defaults for everyone.](https://meta.discourse.org/t/confirming-its-ok-to-set-default-watch-for-categories-a-user-cant-see/32420/2)
However, I’d still enjoy a setting on a Group that would apply Watch status to members as they were added. This would help in case someone had removed it from their profile before, and now that they’ve been added to the group, it’s best if they Watch the related category again.
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### Author:  [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)
#### Post date: [24 באוגוסט, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/26 "2015-08-24T21:40:54Z")
What happens when someone is removed from the group?
What happens if they were watching the category, then are added and removed?
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [24 באוגוסט, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/27 "2015-08-24T22:11:29Z")
If they are removed from a group, it will be just like I had set a group as default universally (no more notices for them, it wouldn’t show in their profile)
If they were watching and got removed & re-added, it would re-add the watch.
If the user had removed it.. well, it’d be re-added. As an admin, I can let them know this is the case & give’m a heads-up.
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### Author:  [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)
#### Post date: [24 באוגוסט, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/28 "2015-08-24T22:14:23Z")
I don’t think you addressed the last one.
1. Initial
User is not in the group, not watching the category
2. User watches the category
User is not in the group, watching the category
3. User is added to group
User is in the group, watching the category
4. User is removed from group
???
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [24 באוגוסט, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/29 "2015-08-24T22:28:19Z")
4 - nothing happens, they stay “watching” the category.
[says here that it’s just fine](https://meta.discourse.org/t/confirming-its-ok-to-set-default-watch-for-categories-a-user-cant-see/32420/2)
This is assuming that the only reason they can see the category is because they were in the group. But regardless, removing doesn’t need to change the watch settings.
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [25 באוגוסט, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/30 "2015-08-25T01:00:14Z")
> [@watchmanmonitor](#):
>
> I think that we can deal with this for the most part by setting defaults for everyone.
>
> However, I’d still enjoy a setting on a Group that would apply Watch status to members as they were added. This would help in case someone had removed it from their profile before, and now that they’ve been added to the group, it’s best if they Watch the related category again.
This is exactly what I have been thinking as well - and it’s good to see this problem is solved for _new users_ using the awesome new default user settings (thank you so much @zogstrip - merci beaucoup!)
… but this does not help with existing users. I think the ability to even just _see_ who in a group is watching a certain category would move me along in ensuring that everyone who needs to be _is_ watching it.
According to Sam…
[https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-see-and-mass-update-user-category-watch-track-mute-settings-by-group/31934/6?u=tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-see-and-mass-update-user-category-watch-track-mute-settings-by-group/31934/6)
If anyone is willing to create a howto for this I would be immensely grateful.
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [9 באוקטובר, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/31 "2015-10-09T21:25:34Z")
I just noticed this discourse plugin:
[https://github.com/discourse/discourse-watch-category-mcneel](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-watch-category-mcneel)
It appears to be by @techAPJ - can you confirm this works and can you give any guidance on configuration? If so it solves my problems!
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### Author:  [@techAPJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/techAPJ)
#### Post date: [13 באוקטובר, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/32 "2015-10-13T14:06:09Z")
> [@tobiaseigen](#):
>
> can you confirm this works
Yep, it works!
> [@tobiaseigen](#):
>
> can you give any guidance on configuration?
You will need to fork the plugin and edit category and group name in [`plugin.rb`](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-watch-category-mcneel/blob/master/plugin.rb#L9-L10) file.
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [14 באוקטובר, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/33 "2015-10-14T03:28:59Z")
wow - it works! thanks much.
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [13 בנובמבר, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/34 "2015-11-13T00:57:21Z")
Any chance we an get @techAPJ plugin rolled into discourse proper?
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [13 בנובמבר, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/35 "2015-11-13T13:55:17Z")
This would be nice! I have been discouraging this generally on my site but there are frequent requests for private categories set up as mailing lists, for working groups that are working very closely together yet don’t log in frequently if at all. I’d rather set these up on discourse than on elsewhere on google groups etc. This can only work if I am able to force members of those groups to watch their category.
Making a code change and rebuilding each time I create a working group is not ideal but it’s reasonable.
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [15 בנובמבר, 2015, 6:52am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/36 "2015-11-15T06:52:17Z")
The issue I’m facing here is that I need to make a new category which I need everyone subscribed to.
the recently added controls allow me to have it as a default for new users, but I’m still lacking a UI to say "everyone who’s in this group.. I force this new Category in your watch list. (they can opt out later if they like)
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [15 בנובמבר, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/37 "2015-11-15T18:20:47Z")
@techAPJ has solved just this problem with a plugin.. See above. But it’s not configurable via the ui.
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [15 בנובמבר, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/38 "2015-11-15T18:40:40Z")
Thanks @tobiaseigen I want to suggest, not enforce that members of a given group watch a Category. In our use cases, it’s fine if they want to change to notify, or just unwatch if they don’t want all the emails.
This is solved for all new users in this [bit of awesome by @zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-email-settings-for-a-new-user/14980/43)
However, it doesn’t help when there’s a new category, and I want to add it for existing users [[without diving into the database](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-defaults-to-enable-mailing-list-mode-temporary-solution/25645)]
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [15 בנובמבר, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/39 "2015-11-15T18:52:35Z")
I guess you could use the plugin to add the category watching settings, then run it via sidekiq, then remove the category from the settings.
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [15 בנובמבר, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/40 "2015-11-15T19:05:22Z")
I’d sooner pay someone to submit a PR for this to core.
(Besides, the forum I’m going to need this on most is hosted w discourse, and I want our team to be able to do this at-will.)
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### Author:  [@ryanwanger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ryanwanger)
#### Post date: [5 בינואר, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/41 "2016-01-05T18:12:52Z")
Hey @pacharanero, I’d love to see an updated graph that shows what happened in the days/weeks following your change. Did it stick?
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### Author:  [@Jenn\_Briden](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jenn_Briden)
#### Post date: [25 במאי, 2016, 4:46am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127/42 "2016-05-25T04:46:44Z")
I would love to have this ability for subsets of my userbase. We are using Discourse for our company forums, and we have employees (defined via a group) that should get subscribed to specific notifications that we don’t want to require for all users.
This group is 200 people, and while it is possible for me to go and hand edit each profile, that seems tedious. I would like this to be set up for new members of the group as they get added, so the ad-hoc model doesn’t work so well for that.
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