Link a Group Policy Object

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

  1. In the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) console tree, locate the site, domain, or organizational unit (OU) to which you want to link a Group Policy object (GPO)

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To link an existing GPO, right-click the domain or OU within the domain, and then click Link an Existing GPO . In the Select GPO dialog box, click the GPO that you want to link, and then click OK .

    • To link a new GPO, right-click the domain or OU within a domain, and then click Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here . In the Name box, type a name for the new GPO, and then click OK .

Additional considerations

  • To link an existing GPO to a site, domain, or OU, you must have Link GPOs permission on that site, domain, or OU. By default, only domain administrators and enterprise administrators have this privilege for domains and OUs. Enterprise administrators and domain administrators of the forest root domain have this privilege for sites.

  • To create and link a GPO, you must have Link GPOs permissions on the desired domain or organizational unit, and you must have permission to create GPOs in that domain. By default, only domain administrators, enterprise administrators, and Group Policy Creator owners have permission to create GPOs.

  • The Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here option is not available for sites. The administrator can create a GPO in any domain in the forest, and then use the Link an Existing GPO option to link it to the site.

Additional references