Help / FAQ / Groups
How do I share a photo with a group?
Easy! If you're a member of the group, add your photo to the group pool. (If not, join the group, because only group members can contribute to the group pool.)
The easiest way to add a photo to a group is to go to the photo's page and click the "Add to a Group" link in the actions menu. Then choose the group you want to add it to, and you're done!
Only you and the group administrators can remove a photo from a group pool.
Note: If you share a photo that you marked as private with a group you are a member of, it's as if other group members have full access to that photo. They can add comments, notes, and tags. The photo isn't displayed for people who aren't members of the group.
How many group pools can I share my photos in?
If you have a free Flickr account, you can add any one photo to a maximum of 10 group pools.
If you have a Flickr Pro account, you can add any one photo to 60 groups.
Some free account holders might have added a photo to more than 10 group pools. If this is you and you want to add that photo to another group pool, you have to do a bit of housekeeping first because you're over the limit. To do this, open the photo page and click the "Add to / remove from group" link in the actions menu to remove it from that group. When you're within the limit, you can add that photo to a group.
How do I post a photo in a discussion?
To embed a photo in a group discussion, all you have to do is put the URL to the photo page in [square brackets]. For example, to put this photo in a comment, write this in the comment box:
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdx503/3197591403/]
Voila!
If you need a different sized photo than the small size that the square brackets posts, there are two ways to obtain it. For your own photos or for photos in groups that you administer, click a photo you want to add to a discussion and then open the 'Share This' menu and click 'Grab the HTML'. Choose the size you want up to medium (we'll re-size anything larger than that).
Right-click on the box containing the HTML code and select Copy from the shortcut menu. Go to where you want to paste the photo into the discussion post, right-click, and select Paste. This works for your's or other members' photos who have enabled sharing on their photos.
(psst! want to see what other HTML you can use?)
What is the difference between public and private groups?
Public groups are listed around the site and on the groups page, profiles, and photo pages if the photo is in a group pool.
There are two types of public groups: anyone can join and invitation only. Group administrators can choose to show or hide the group photo pool and discussion topics at any time.
Private groups are not listed anywhere on the Flickr site. You can join them only by invitation.
How do I make a public group private? And vice-versa?
If you are an administrator, go to your Groups page and select the group. Select Administration on the right. Go to Privacy toward the bottom. Click "Make this group private."
You can make a public group private, but a private group cannot be made public.
How are groups administered?
When you create a group, you are automatically made its first administrator. As administrator, you can also promote members to help you run the group. You can promote your members to either moderator or administrator status.
A group admin can:
- Modify information about the group
- Create or change the group name
- Create or change the group description
- Associate the group with an external URL
- Create a personalized URL for the group (like your photostream, this URL can only be set once so choose wisely)
- Determine whether or not your group topics or pool can be viewed by non-members.
- Create a group icon
- Determine group moderation rules
- What kind of content can be added to the group pool (photos, video or both)
- Set frequency of group pool submissions
- Determine what safety level of content is appropriate for the group (“safe”, “moderate” or "restricted")
Please note that if “moderate” or “restricted” content is allowed, then the group will be flagged as 18+ and only members over the age of 18 or those who can see “moderate” or “restricted” content will be able to participate in the group. There’s more about this in our Filters FAQ.
- Create group participation rules
There's no limit on the number of admins a group can have, although you should be aware that once someone becomes an admin, they can never be demoted.
Though there is no limit on the number of admins, we suggest you limit it to those you feel you can trust to maintain the integrity of the group because of the tools available to change group features. Flickr staff won't step in and remove people from your group if someone is abusing their admin privileges.
A group moderator can:
- Approve or remove photos from the pool
- Moderate group discussions
- Remove or ban members
You can read about keeping your group happy on the Tips for Running Your Group page.
I'm suddenly the admin of a group I didn't create. What's up with that?
There are two ways you might become a group admin
- You can be promoted, or
- If you are in a group with a single admin and the original admin leaves, the next longest-serving member in the group is promoted automatically. If that's you, you're it, baby!
If you don't want to be the group administrator, you can always quit the group and then just re-join as a member.
Who can see photos in a group pool?
Adding a photo to a group pool allows any group member to view your photo and add notes, tags, and comments, regardless of the photo's privacy setting.
Your photo retains the privacy settings you set for anyone who isn't a group member. It also stays in your photostream, available to everyone who can view it. You (or a group administrator) can remove your photo from the pool at any time.
How do I leave a group?
Go to your Groups page and select the group you'd like to leave. On the right-hand side, underneath the box where you can search group discussions, there's a red link labelled 'Quit (group name)?' Click this and you'll be taken to a page where you can leave the group.
How do I delete a group?
The only way to delete a group is to leave the group as the last remaining member. But you can quit the group (described above).
A group can't be deleted if it has more than one member.
How can I translate my group into other languages?
If you are an administrator, go to your Groups page and select the group. Next select Administration on the right. Then select Name/URL/Description from the list.
On the left, you'll see a list of available languages. Click the language you'd like to edit, and enter your new translation.
Can I create a group for my company?
Commercial use of groups is generally not allowed on Flickr as outlined in the Community Guidelines. The only way a company can run a group is if they work with us on an official Sponsored Group. If you're interested in advertising or learning more about our paid sponsorship program, please contact our Business Development team.
Why can’t I submit my photo/video to a group?
We’ve built a new feature to give group administrators more control over the sorts of content they will allow in their pool. If you run a group, you can say “I only want safe, geotagged video in my pool” by choosing from media type, safety level, and whether something is geotagged. There’s more info about this in this Groups FAQ.
Because of these new tools you may get an error when trying to add a photo or video to a group pool. If you get this error, check the group rules against the content you’re trying to add.
