Game Settings Configuration
Chunk #3
**User Groups in Audience Groups**
User Groups allow configurations to be tailored for specific segments within Audience Groups. Refer to [this User Guide](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/3981377538/Player+Buckets+and+Audience+Groups#Audience-Groups) to know more about Audience Groups.
Perform the following steps for creating user groups in audience groups:
1. Click **Audience Groups**.
### **Accessing User Groups for a new Audience Group**
When configuring a new **Audience Group** for the first time in **Game Settings** , user groups cannot be set up immediately. Upon enabling a setting, the **User Groups** button appears next to it but remains inactive. Hovering over the button displays a tooltip: _"User groups will be available after the audience group is saved."_ To proceed with configuring user groups, the **Audience Group must first be saved**. This ensures that all configurations are properly initialised before assigning user groups.
### **Accessing User Groups for an Existing Audience Group**
When an audience group has already been configured as a game settings audience group, managing user groups becomes accessible within the settings. Upon opening the audience group, users will see a **User Groups** button next to each previously enabled setting, allowing for further configuration. If a new setting is enabled, the **User Groups** button remains disabled until the audience group is successfully saved with the updated setting.
Perform the following steps to configure a user group:
1. Click **Edit** to configure the **Audience Group**.
2. Enable the relevant setting. For each **enabled setting** , a **"User Groups"** button appears
3. If the setting was enabled previously, the user groups button is active and can be configured.
4. If the **setting was just enabled** , the button is **inactive until saved.** Once an Audience Group is **saved** , User Groups can be configured.
5. Configure the setting and save the Audience group. The **User Groups** button is now enabled.
### **Adding a New User Group**
1. Click **[+Add User Group]**.
2. Enter User Group Details like: Name, Status, Availability, and optional details like Labels and Notes.
3. Define Rules for the User Group.
### **Managing User Groups**
You can manage the user groups by reordering, duplicating and deleting them if required.
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### **Validation & Restrictions**
**Cannot disable a setting if User Groups exist. Can disable a setting only if no User Groups are present**
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# **Related articles**
-
Page:
[Configuring Game-Specific 3rd Party Machine Learning Models in Game Server](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/4580999169/Configuring+Game-Specific+3rd+Party+Machine+Learning+Models+in+Game+Server)
-
Page:
[Configuring Embedded Machine Learning Models in Game Server](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/4548263939/Configuring+Embedded+Machine+Learning+Models+in+Game+Server)
-
Page:
[File Configuration in Game Server](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/4440228000/File+Configuration+in+Game+Server)
-
Page:
[Managing Localisations in Harmony](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/3230760961/Managing+Localisations+in+Harmony)
-
Page:
[Generic Daily Challenges](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/2933653553/Generic+Daily+Challenges)
-
Page:
[Configuring Ads in Game Server](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/2765029415/Configuring+Ads+in+Game+Server)
-
Page:
[Rules in Game Server](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/2668494860/Rules+in+Game+Server)
-
Page:
[Setting up A/B Experiments](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/2581889051/Setting+up+A+B+Experiments)
-
Page:
[Game Settings Configuration](/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/2580021328/Game+Settings+Configuration)
Player Buckets and Audience Groups
Chunk #1
Audience Groups
Audience Groups consist of Holdout and Rollout groups, enabling structured user segmentation for feature releases, and experiments. Players allocated to an audience group are not assigned to A/B experiments. You can only allocate players to **active** audience groups that fall within their designated start and end dates. If an audience group is deactivated while a player belongs to it, the player will no longer be treated as part of that group and will instead receive the default configuration like any other player.
However, if the group is later reactivated, the player’s allocation will be restored, and they will once again receive the audience group’s configuration.
For example, if a group is active from January 1st to March 31st, and a player is allocated to it on January 1st, but the group is deactivated on February 1st, the player will stop receiving the audience group’s settings from that date (including any overrides or experiment configurations). If the group is reactivated on February 14th, the player will immediately regain the audience group settings.
### Holdout vs. Rollout Audience Groups
#### Holdout Groups
- Used to exclude specific players from certain features or experiments.
- Players in holdout groups do not receive updates or configurations applied to other users.
- Useful for measuring the impact of new changes by comparing holdout users with those in rollout groups.
#### Rollout Groups
- Used for gradual feature deployment or experimentation.
- Players in rollout groups receive specific updates, configurations, or feature activations based on segmentation rules.
- Helps manage risk by rolling out changes incrementally before full release.
### Accessing the Audience Groups Page on Harmony
1. Log in to Harmony.
2. Navigate to **Audience Groups** in the left-hand navigation menu.
### Creating a New Audience Group
1. Click the **"+ New"** button on the Audience Groups page.
2. Fill in the required fields as per the form:
3. Click **Save** to create the group.
### Editing an Audience Group
#### Editable Fields:
- **Name** : Update if needed.
- **Status** : Change to one of the available statuses.
- **End Date** : Can be updated, but the new date cannot be in the past.
#### Steps:
1. Select the group you want to edit from the list.
2. Click the **Edit** button.
3. Update the fields that are editable (as listed above).
4. Click **Save** to apply changes.
**Note:** Groups that are within their active time range (between Start and End Date) have limited editable fields (Name, Status, and End Date).
### Duplicating an Audience Group
1. Select the group you want to duplicate.
2. Click the **Duplicate** button.
A **Duplicate Audience Group** pop-up will appear.
3. Rename the Duplicate:
- The system automatically assigns a name by appending **"Copy"** to the original name.
- Edit the name if needed.
4. Confirm the Duplication:
- Click **Confirm** to create the duplicate Audience Group.
- Click **Cancel** if you want to discard the action.
- The duplicated group will:
- Edit and activate the duplicated group as needed.
### User Allocation to Audience Groups
Players are allocated to audience groups to refine the results of A/B experiments. To improve the accuracy and reliability of A/B experiment results by ensuring that players are grouped in a way that minimises external influences. Allocating players to audience groups helps create controlled testing conditions, making it easier to measure the true impact of new features or configurations without interference from outside factors.
Allocation follows specific rules based on player activity and group configurations.
#### Allocation Rules
- Players are **allocated to audience groups only when they come online**.
- A player is allocated to an audience group if they meet the following criteria:
- Allocation **starts on the start date** and ends when:
#### Special Cases:
- When the **end date is reached** , players are **removed** from the holdout/rollout group.
- If **allocation is paused** , players who were already allocated **stay** in the group until the end date, but **no new players are allocated**.
- The database stores **which group each player has been allocated to**.
- Only **new players** are allocated to audience groups.
- If group buckets are edited **after the start date** :
**Scenario 1: Allocation Between Start Date and End Date**
- **Group Status** : Always shown as **Active** from the start date to the end date
- **Deactivation** after the end date.
**Scenario 2: Allocation Between Start Date and Inactivation Date (Early End)**
- **Group Status** : Shows as **Active** initially, then **Inactive** after early manual inactivation (before end date).
**Scenario 3: Allocation Between Activation Date and End Date (Late Start)**
- **Group Status** : Initially **Inactive** , changes to **Active** when manually activated.
### Troubleshooting
| **Issue** | **Cause** | **Solution** |
| Unable to Save Group | Overlapping player buckets or time range. | Adjust the player buckets or start/end dates to avoid overlaps. |
| Cannot Edit Fields | Group is in its active time range. | Only **Name, Status, and End Date** can be edited during this time. |
| Player Bucket Warning | Inconsistent data input | Ensure the upper bound is not smaller than the lower bound. |
### **Audience Groups: Archiving Workflow**
#### **Deactivating Groups**
- **Start Date:** The group becomes **Active** on the start date, and allocations begin.
- **End Date:** When the end date is reached, the group does **not** immediately become inactive.
- Ended audience groups are automatically deactivated by the system once a day.
**Key Points:**
- Groups become **Inactive** after their **End Date (UTC)** when the cron job runs.
- Once **Inactive** , no new players are allocated, but past allocations remain.
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#### **Archiving Groups**
**Manual Archiving:**
- Users can manually set a group to **Archive** in the UI.
- The group stays in the **Archive** status for **7 days**.
**Automatic Archiving :**
- The system checks daily for groups in the **Archive** state for 7 days.
- After 7 days, the group is moved to **Permanently Archived**.
**Permanently Archived Groups:**
- **Data Cleanup:** Player allocation data is deleted from the **database**.
- **Analytics:** Data remains available in **Snowflake** , but the group cannot be restored in **Harmony**.
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#### **Reactivating Archived Groups**
- Users can **restore** an **Archived** group and set it back to **Active**.
- Restored groups:
**Conditions:**
- The group **must not** be in the **Permanently Archived** state.
- Reactivation restores all **original configurations and allocation rules**.
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### **System Workflow Summary**
**Deactivating:**
- **UI:** Groups transition from **Active → Inactive** after the **End Date** , based on the cron job.
- **Server:** A daily cron job ensures that groups with past end dates are deactivated.
**Archiving:**
- **UI:** Users can manually move a group to **Archive**. After **7 days** , it becomes **Permanently Archived**.
- **Server:** The cron job moves archived groups to **Permanently Archived** and deletes player allocation data.
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### Key Notes:
- Groups will only be permanently archived if they have been in the Archive status for 7 consecutive days.
- Reactivated groups will resume functioning as active groups, maintaining previous player allocations while including new players based on the defined rules.
- This workflow ensures seamless automation of group status transitions and minimal manual intervention.
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**Accessing Audience Groups in GS**
Audience Groups in Game Server (GS) allow for targeted feature rollouts and experiment segmentation by grouping players based on predefined criteria.
Configuring Audience Groups in GS ensures that the right set of players receives specific settings, enabling more controlled testing and personalisation.
1. Navigate to Game Settings in the GS interface.
2. Click the **“Audience Groups”** button in the settings list view.
The system will open a **new page listing all available Audience Groups as they are configured in Harmony**.
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### **Audience Groups List View**
The **Audience Groups list view** contains the following columns:
| **Column** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| ID | Unique identifier for the Audience Group. |
| Player Service ID | Unique identifier for the Audience Group in Harmony |
| Name | Name of the Audience Group. |
| Status | Current status of the group (e.g., Active, Scheduled, Ended). |
| Group Type | Indicates whether it is a Holdout or Rollout group. |
| Start Date | The date when the Audience Group becomes active. |
| End Date | The date when the Audience Group is deactivated. |
| Updated at (UTC) | Date, UTC time and name of the user at the time of the update. |
| Actions | Provides an Edit option for modifying the group. |
### **Sorting Rules**
- Active groups appear at the top.
- Within active groups, sorting is based on the **Start Date** (latest first).
### **Filters Available**
Users can filter the Audience Groups using the following criteria:
**Status**
**Group Name**
**ID**
**Type**
**Start Date**
**End Date**
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Player Buckets and Audience Groups
Chunk #3
**Accessing Audience Groups in Ads Configs**
1. Navigate to **Ads Configs** in Game Server.
2. Click the **“Audience Groups”** button in the Ads Configs list view.
3. The system will open a new page listing all available Audience Groups.
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### **Audience Groups List View**
The **Audience Groups list view** includes the following columns:
| **Column** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| ID | Unique identifier for the Audience Group. |
| Player Service ID | Unique identifier for the Audience Group in Harmony |
| Name | Name of the Audience Group. |
| Status | Current status of the group (e.g., Active, Scheduled, Ended). |
| Group Type | Indicates whether it is a Holdout or Rollout group. |
| Start Date | The date when the Audience Group becomes active. |
| End Date | The date when the Audience Group is deactivated. |
| Updated at (UTC) | Date, UTC time and name of the user at the time of the update. |
| Actions | Provides an Edit option for modifying the group. |
### **Sorting Rules**
- **Active groups appear at the top**.
- Within active groups, sorting is based on the **Start Date** (latest first).
### **Filters Available**
Users can filter Audience Groups based on:
**Status**
**Group Name**
**ID**
**Type**
**Start Date**
**End Date**
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### **Editing an Audience Group**
1. Click on the **Edit** button under the **Actions** column for an Audience Group.
2. The **Edit View** opens, displaying:
### **Modifying Settings**
- Users can **enable/disable settings** within the Audience Group.
- Newly created groups have **empty settings** by default.
- A setting is **highlighted** in the list view if at least one configuration is enabled.
### **Saving Changes**
- Audience Groups **can only be saved if at least one setting is enabled**.
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## **User Allocation Logic in Audience Groups**
**If a user belongs to an Audience Group**
**Holdout/Rollout groups take priority** over other configurations, including:
- **User Groups**
- **Overrides**
- **Super Overrides** _(if implemented for Ads Configs at the time of development)_
- **A/B Experiments** _(players in Holdout/Rollout groups are excluded from A/B experiments)_
**A/B Experiments are ignored**
Users in an Audience Group will not be allocated to any new experiments, even if they qualify. However, if they have already been allocated to an experiment, they will remain in the experiment but will not receive any new experiment-based configuration or updates.
The behaviour of users depends on whether the Audience Group is active or inactive:
- **Active Audience Group** : If the audience group is active and within its start and end dates, players in the group will not be allocated to any experiments, whether new or old. They won't receive any experiment configurations at all during this period.
- **Inactive Audience Group** : If the audience group is inactive, players can still be allocated to both new experiments and previous ones. Being in an inactive audience group is almost like not being in the group at all, as they will continue to participate in experiments without restrictions.
**Base Config, User Groups, Overrides, and Super Overrides (if implemented) are used** for settings that are not configured in the audience group in the Audience Group, but **A/B Experiments remain ignored**.
**If a user does NOT belong to an Audience Group**
- Standard priority applies:
**Base Config \> User Groups \> Overrides \> A/B Experiments \> Super Overrides (if implemented)**
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### **Displaying "Audience Groups" in Search Results**
- A new group is added to the **Game Settings Search** called **“Audience Groups”**.
- This group includes **all audience groups** where the required setting is used.
- The **search results** display **No Rules** and **Priority** for this entity.
### **Navigation to Audience Group Edit View**
- The **Audience Group name** is a **clickable link** in the search results.
- Clicking on the **config link** redirects the user to the selected **Audience Group Edit View**.
### **Ordering of Groups in Search Results**
The order in which groups appears in search results is:
1. **Audience Groups**
2. **Experiments**
3. **Overrides**
4. **User Groups**
5. **Base Config**
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## Configuring Holdout Groups for Push Notifications in Harmony
In Harmony, users can exclude specific audience groups from receiving push notifications.
This allows for analysing the uplift generated by push notifications.
The **Settings** sub-menu under **Push Notifications** provides the option to configure a holdout group.
### **Holdout Group Selection**
1. Go to **Push Notifications** in the **Harmony** menu.
2. Click on the **Settings** sub-menu.
3. On the **Push Notifications Settings** page, locate the **"Exclude push notifications for this group"** option.
4. Click on the **dropdown menu** to view the list of available audience groups.
5. The dropdown displays only audience groups with the **Holdout** type.
6. Select the desired **Holdout group** from the list.
7. Click the **Save** button to apply the selection.
### **Expected Behaviour**
- Users in the **selected holdout group** will **not receive push notifications**.
- Users in all other groups will receive notifications as per the standard campaign flow.
- If no group is selected (default: **None** ), notifications will be sent to all eligible users.
### **System Behaviour**
- Only the audience groups with Holdout type are displayed.
- Audience groups with the status **"Archived"** or **"Permanently Archived"** are excluded.
- If a user belongs to the selected **holdout group** , **they will not receive push notifications**.
- If a user belongs to other audience groups, the standard campaign behaviour applies.
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