Unable to search for users with a Viewer role to add to an ArcGIS Online shared update group

Description

In ArcGIS Online, members assigned User, Publisher or Administrator roles can create groups and add new members to share content privately or publicly, or to contribute content and collaborate for projects. However, only administrators can create shared update groups where group members can edit or update the content of other group members.

In some instances, when searching for members within the organization to invite to a shared update group, members with Viewer roles are not returned in the search results. When attempting to invite members outside the organization to a group without the shared update capability, members with Viewer roles are also not returned in the search results.

Filtering the search by the Viewer role also returns no results.

Cause

This issue occurs due to predefined settings when creating a shared update group. Members assigned a Viewer role cannot be added to any shared update group, as viewers cannot edit items, regardless of the owner.

This issue also occurs if the members with a Viewer role are not from the same organization as the group owner. By default, members with a Viewer role must belong to the same organization as the group owner to join a group without the shared update capability unless the members are assigned a custom role based on the default Viewer role.

Solution or Workaround

To add members with a Viewer role from within or outside the organization to a group with or without the shared update capability, follow either one of the workarounds below.

For groups with the shared update capability, change the member role, or create a new group without the shared update capability to enable adding members with Viewer roles to the group

To add members with Viewer roles to a shared update group, change the member's role to User, Publisher, or Administrator. Only administrators can change member roles. Alternatively, to add members with Viewer roles from within the organization to a group, create a new group, and select the Only their own items option under the What items in the group can its members update? setting.

For groups without the shared update capability, toggle the 'Only search in <organization name>' option on, or create and assign a custom role to the members to enable adding members with Viewer roles to the group

• When searching for members with Viewer roles within the organization to add to an existing group without the shared update capability, toggle the Only search in <organization name> option on.
• To add members with Viewer roles outside the organization to an existing group without the shared update capability, create and assign a custom role, or modify the custom role for the members based on the default Viewer role. Only administrators or members assigned a custom administrator role with the 'Member roles' privilege, can create and modify custom roles.