How to Merge Facebook Groups

Thinking about combining your Facebook Groups? It's a smart move for consolidating your community, simplifying your management workload, and creating a single, powerful hub for your members. We'll guide you through exactly how to do it, step by step, using the best method available today.

The Big Question: Can You Still Merge Facebook Groups?

Let's get straight to it: Facebook has removed the official "Merge Group" feature. Years ago, admins could fuse similar groups together with a few clicks, automatically moving all members from one group into another. For safety and to prevent spammy behavior, this function no longer exists.

But don't worry. Just because the one-click button is gone doesn't mean you can't achieve the same goal. You can still consolidate your communities effectively - it just requires a more hands-on, strategic approach. This process is often called a "manual merge," where you guide members from a retiring group into your new primary group before archiving the old one.

Why Combine Your Groups in the First Place?

Before you start the process, it's helpful to be clear on your objective. Understanding your "why" will help you communicate the benefits to your members and keep the transition smooth. Most admins decide to merge groups for a few common reasons:

• Reducing Admin Workload: Managing one highly engaged group is far easier than juggling two or three smaller, quieter ones. Consolidating means fewer posts to approve, fewer comment sections to moderate, and a single source for announcements.
• Concentrating Engagement: If you have two groups on a similar topic, chances are the conversations are split. Bringing everyone into one place combines that energy, leading to more active discussions, better networking, and a more vibrant community for everyone involved.
• Simplifying Your Brand Presence: For businesses or creators, having multiple groups can confuse new followers. A single, official group creates a clear destination and makes it easier to promote and manage your community hub.
• Reviving a Stagnant Community: Sometimes, one group takes off while another fizzles out. Merging the less active community into the thriving one gives those members a new, more engaging home without you needing to abandon them completely.

The "Manual Merge": Your Step-by-Step Alternative Strategy

Merging your groups is a process of consciously guiding your members from one space to another. It isn't instant, but when done thoughtfully, it's highly effective. Follow these steps for a seamless transition.

Step 1: Choose Your Primary Group

First, decide which group will be the survivor - your primary hub. This is the group you will keep and actively build upon. The other group(s) will be retired and eventually archived. Consider these factors when making your choice:

• The Most Active Community: Which group has more daily posts, comments, and reactions? A lively community is the best foundation to build on.
• The Largest Membership: While bigger isn't always better, having a larger starting number usually provides a strong base.
• The Best Name: Which group has the clearer, more brand-aligned, or more searchable name? Renaming a group can disrupt its identity, so it's often best to stick with the one that already has a strong name.
• Historical Content: Does one group contain more valuable archives, files, or important past discussions? While you can save content, keeping the group with the richer history is often a good idea.

Once you've made a decision, the group you're keeping will be your "Primary Group," and the one you're closing will be your "Retiring Group."

Step 2: Prepare Your Retiring Group for the Move

Before you announce anything, get the Retiring Group ready. A little prep work makes the announcement and transition go much more smoothly.

• Draft an Announcement Post: Write out the message you'll share with members. We'll cover what to include in the next step.
• Create a Simple Graphic: Design a social media graphic that clearly states "WE'RE MOVING!" or "MERGING GROUPS!" This visual cue will help catch members' attention in the feed.
• Pause New Member Approvals: Go into your group settings and turn off new member requests for the Retiring Group. You don't want new people joining a group that is about to close.

Step 3: Announce the Merger Plan to Members

This is the most important part of the process. Your communication needs to be clear, positive, and repeated over time. Pin an announcement post to the top of your Retiring Group.

Here's what your announcement should include:

• The Big News: Start with a clear and exciting headline. Example: "Big News! We're bringing our two amazing communities together!"
• The "Why": Briefly explain the benefits for the members. Don't frame it as making your life easier, frame it as making their experience better. Example: "To create one central hub for the best discussions, resources, and networking, we're merging this group with our [Primary Group Name] group."
• A Clear Call to Action: Provide a direct link to the Primary Group and ask them to join. Example: "Click here to join the new group now! We can't wait to see you there: [Link to Primary Group]."
• The Deadline: Give a clear date for when you will be archiving the Retiring Group. Two to four weeks is usually enough time. Example: "We will be closing this group and archiving it on [Date], so make sure you join the new group before then!"

Step 4: Guide Your Members Over

Remember, you cannot move members automatically. Each person has to click "Join" on the new group themselves. Because of this, you'll need to do more than just make one announcement. A sustained communication effort is necessary to get as many people to move as possible.

• Post Regular Reminders: Every few days, post a friendly reminder about the move. Use your graphic and link to the new group each time. You could change up the messaging, highlighting different benefits of the primary group in each reminder post.
• Turn Off Posting: After a week or two, you can go into the Group Settings of the Retiring Group, manage discussion, and change "Who can post" to "Only admins." This effectively stops new conversations in their tracks and ensures the only posts members see are your reminders to move.
• Engage with Comments: People will have questions. Be present in the comments of your announcement to answer them promptly and guide them through the process.

Step 5: Archive the Retiring Group

Once your deadline has arrived, it's time to close the doors on the old group. It is highly recommended that you archive the group, not delete it.

An archived group is frozen in time. No one can post, comment, or react, and no new members can join. However, all existing content remains visible in a read-only state for current members. This is perfect because members can still find old information if they need to, but the community itself is effectively closed.

To archive your group:

1. Go to the Retiring Group you are an admin of.
2. Select the "..." button below the cover photo and click Archive group.
3. Confirm your choice. The group is now archived.

Step 6: Welcome The "New" Members

As people from your Retiring Group start joining the Primary Group, make them feel welcome! This final step makes sure the merge is not just a logistical move but a true integration of two communities.

• Create a Special Welcome Post: A few days into the migration, create a post in your Primary Group tagging some of the new members and welcoming them. Example: "A huge welcome to all the new faces joining us from our sister group! We're so excited to have you here. Introduce yourself below!"
• Encourage Introductions: This helps break the ice and integrates old and new members, making everyone feel like part of one unified community.

Bonus Tips for a Smooth Transition

Keep these few extra points in mind to avoid common hiccups:

• Be Patient: You will not get 100% of your members to move over. Some people are inactive and will miss the announcements, while others just might not be interested. That's okay! Focus on moving the active, engaged core.
• Save Your Best Content: Before archiving the old group, take some screenshots or copy the text of any particularly valuable posts, polls, or files. You can then re-share these "greatest hits" in your new primary group to provide immediate value.
• Update Your Links: If you linked to the Retiring Group on your website, email signature, or other social media profiles, remember to update those links to point to your new Primary Group.

Final Thoughts

While Facebook's direct merge feature is history, you can still effectively consolidate your communities. The key is to manage the transition with a clear strategy, communicate the benefits to your members, and guide them thoughtfully from your retiring group to its new, permanent home.

Running a single, thriving community means your content strategy needs to be consistent and engaging. We know firsthand how chaotic it can be to manage social media schedules, especially when trying to keep a community active. That's precisely why we built the visual content calendar in Postbase. We wanted a simple way to see our entire content plan across all platforms at a glance, drag-and-drop posts to reschedule, and ensure our communities never went silent on our busiest weeks.