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Create known user groups

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Known user groups let you add specific people to a group, using the email address associated with their Microsoft account. These known user groups are most often used to distribute specific packages to a selected group of people with package flights, or for distribution of a submission to a private audience. They can also be used for engagement campaigns, such as sending targeted notifications or targeted offers to a group of specific customers.

In order to be counted as a member of the group, each person must be authenticated with the Store using the Microsoft account associated with the email address you provide. To download the app with package flighting, group members must be using a version of Windows 10 or Windows 11 that supports package flights (Windows.Desktop build 10586 or later or Xbox One). With private audience submissions, group members must be using Windows 10, version 1607 or later (including Xbox One).

To create a known user group

  1. In Partner Center, expand Engage in the left navigation menu and then select Customer groups.
  2. In the My customer groups section, select Create new group.
  3. On the next page, enter a name for your group in the Group name box.
  4. Ensure that the Known user group radio button is selected.
  5. Enter the email addresses of the people you'd like to add to the group. You must include at least one email address, with a maximum of 10,000. You can enter email addresses directly into the field (separated by spaces, commas, semicolons, or line breaks), or you can click the Import .csv link to create the flight group from a list of email addresses in a .csv file.
  6. Select Save.

The group will now be available for you to use.

You can also create a known user group by selecting Create a flight group from the package flight creation page. Note that you'll need to re-enter any info you've already provided in the package flight creation page if you do this.

Important

When using known user groups with package flighting, be sure that you have obtained any necessary consent from people that you add to your group, and that they understand that they will be getting packages that are different from your non-flighted submission.

To edit a known user group

You cannot remove a known user group from Partner Center (or change its name) after it's been created, but you can edit its membership at any time.

To review and edit your known user groups, expand the Engage menu in the left navigation menu and select Customer groups. Under My customer groups, select the name of the group you want to edit. You can also edit a known user group from the package flight creation page by selecting View and manage existing groups when creating a new flight, or by selecting the group's name from a package flight's overview page.

After you've selected the group you want to edit, you can add or remove email addresses directly in the field.

For larger changes, select Export .csv to save your group membership info to a .csv file. Make your changes in this file, then click Import .csv to use the new version to update the group membership.

Note that it may take up to 30 minutes for membership changes to be implemented. You don't need to publish a new submission in order for new group members to be able to access your submission through package flights or private audience; they will have access as soon as the changes are implemented.