Layers are a powerful way to target your content, based on role, customer code, marketing flag, or countless other criteria. 

But did you know you can now apply layers based specifically on a User or Group of Users? 

That's right - you can add content to your website that will appear ONLY to a pre-defined group of users. How's that for personalisation?

Configuring the feature

With the Additional Layer Filters feature enabled, you just need to make sure the setting to enable 'User Group Filtering' is on. 

1. In the CMS, navigate to Settings → Feature Settings.
2. Edit the Additional Layer Filters feature. 
3. Toggle 'User Group Filtering' on. 
   
   
4. Save & Exit. 

Creating a User Group

Now that your feature is up and running, it's time to create a user group. 

1. In the CMS, navigate to Users → User Groups. 
2. Click 'Add New User Group'. 
3. Give your group a Name and Description and click Save. 
   
   
   
   
4. An Options button should now appear near the Save button. Hover over it and select Add Users (we'll talk about importing later). 
   
   
5. In the Add User input box, start typing a user email address. Suggestions will be offered.
   
   
   
6. Either select from suggestions, or finish typing the address. When you hit Enter, the user will be added (you can also use the 'Add' button). 
7. If the email address does not match a user, a 'User not added' message will be returned. 
   
   
8. Repeat for remaining users to be added. 
9. If you make a mistake, remove the user with the Delete option. 
   
   

Adding a User Group to a Layer

Now let's assign our User Group to a Layer. 

1. Navigate to Advanced Content → Layers.
2. Edit an existing Layer, or Add New Layer. 
3. Scroll to the User Groups section.
4. Click Add User Group (or if you haven't yet created your group, click 'Maintain User Groups' and follow the steps above for "Creating a User Group").
   
   
5. A dropdown list will appear, containing all existing Groups. Select the one you require.
6. Consider the setting "Layer active for all user groups excluding the ones listed above" - tick this if you want the group(s) you just added to act as an exclude (rather than include).
7. Click Save & Exit (if you were creating a brand new layer, first scroll back up and enter required Layer info such as Name, Description, Authentication Status).

Importing Users

If you've got a lot of users to add to a group, it might be much easier to import them from a spreadsheet, rather than add them one by one.  Here's how. 

1. Navigate to Users → User Groups. 
2. We'll assume you've already created your group (if not, follow the steps above for Creating a User Group. Find your group in the list and click Users. 

Import - Can add based on email address, or even UserID (if you get this data from Analytics, for instance). CSV will accept either/both.