Chunks Used in Chat #76

Adding User Groups In managing ad configurations, ensuring targeted and optimised ad experiences across diverse user segments is essential. Previously, to cater to these unique needs, the monetisation and product teams had to create multiple overrides for each setting, making it difficult to manage and review configurations across various segments. To streamline this process, a new feature called **User Groups** has been introduced. User Groups allow you to define multiple configurations for a single setting in one centralised location, with flexibility to assign different values for each user segment. In this section, you’ll learn how to create, edit, and manage User Groups within the **Base Ads Configuration** settings. You will also understand how priorities are defined between user groups, overrides, and experiments. This feature gives you the ability to add rules for each group, assign priority levels, and control the exact ad experience tailored to various user segments, all from a single interface. ### **Understanding User Groups in Configuration Priority** In the configuration hierarchy, **User Groups** serve as an intermediate layer, positioned between **Overrides** and **Base Configurations**. Here’s how they function and their role in the priority system: **Priority Order** - **Overrides** : Highest priority. Overrides take precedence over all other settings, ensuring that specific configurations are applied when explicitly defined. - **User Groups** : Second priority. User Groups provide a flexible layer that allows configurations to be tailored for specific subsets of users. - **Base Configurations** : Lowest priority. Base Configurations act as the default settings, applying when neither Overrides nor User Groups are applicable. The **User Groups** will only apply if no Overrides or higher-priority settings (like experiments) are present. **How User Groups Apply** 1. When a user matches a set of defined rules and there are **no Overrides or Experiments** that take precedence, the system checks which User Group the user belongs to. 2. The settings from this User Group will then be applied, based on the specific configuration associated with that group. **Resolving Conflicts When a User Belongs to Multiple Groups** - If a user qualifies for multiple User Groups (i.e., matches the rules of more than one group), the system will select the setting from the **group with the highest priority**. - Priorities are set as numeric values, with **higher numbers indicating higher priority** (e.g., a group with priority 100 will override a group with priority 50). **User Groups and Availability** **User Groups impact** _ **Live/Test Availability** _: User Groups configurations are applied to settings that are both live and test, meaning they affect both the active and inactive configurations. To configure a user group: 1. Navigate to Base Ads Configuration - Go to the **Edit Base Ads Configuration**.  1. Access User Groups for a Setting - In each ad setting tab, there will be a **User Groups** button next to each setting, displaying the number of user groups created. - Click the **User Groups** button for the desired setting (e.g., "Placement Bank" for Rewarded Videos) to open the User Group configuration page for that specific setting. 1. Edit User Groups Page Overview A list of user groups is displayed, each with its assigned priority. - You will also see a list of user groups created for this setting, each with specific priority. In the _Edit User Groups_ page, configurations are prioritised from **highest to lowest**. - This means that a configuration with **priority 10** is ranked higher than one with **priority 1**. - With higher-priority groups (those with larger numbers) taking precedence over lower-priority groups. This structure ensures that configurations are enforced according to their designated importance, impacting the _LIVE_ availability and usage displayed for each group. 1. Adding User Groups - Click on the **Add User Group** button to create a new group. - Assign a unique **Name** for the new user group. Each user group is sorted by priority, with the highest priority at the top. - Add details like **Status** (Active/Inactive), **Labels** , **Notes** , and any configuration for settings in the group. (These are optional) 1. Setting Rules for User Groups - Define at least one rule for each user group. - Add more rules by clicking on **Add Rule** , or organise rules with **AND/OR** conditions for more complex configurations. 1. User Group Management Options. You can duplicate, delete, reorder and expand/collapse the user groups.  1. Saving Changes - After configuring or modifying user groups, click **Save** to apply the changes. This will return you to the **Base Ads Configuration** page. - If you click **Cancel** , you will be redirected back to the **Base Ads Configuration** page without saving changes. Activity Log - Use the **Activity Log** button at the top of the **Edit User Groups** page to view the history of changes for the selected ad configuration and user groups. 1. Viewing ‘In Use’ Configurations To make navigation easier, there is a “Jump to Configuration” link. This allows you to quickly view the associated configurations for a User Group.  - When archiving a setting, ensure that it is not used in any user group. The system will validate this automatically to prevent errors. ## **User Groups in Audience Groups** User Groups allow configurations to be tailored for specific segments within 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 **Ads Configuration** , 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 an Ads Config 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: Name, Status, Availability, and optional details like Labels and Notes. 3. Define Rules for the User Group.  ### **Managing User Groups.** You can reorder, duplicate and delete the user groups.  * * * ### **Validation & Restrictions** **Cannot disable a setting if User Groups exist. Can disable a setting only if no User Groups are present** * * *

**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.  * * * ### **Validation & Restrictions** **Cannot disable a setting if User Groups exist. Can disable a setting only if no User Groups are present** * * * # **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)

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. * * * #### **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**. * * * #### **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**. * * * ### **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.  * * * ### 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. * * * **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**. * * * ### **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** * * *