Create a Friend Group
From an empty new-group screen to a real shared scrapbook with friends in it, in about the time it takes to make a coffee. Every step on this page corresponds to a single field in the app — with the decision behind it explained.
Two principles to keep in mind.
Never born alone.
Every new group has to send at least one invite before it goes live. We don’t let single-member groups exist — they read as sad.
Never born blank.
After creation you’ll be prompted to tag one existing post or make a new one. A scrapbook without a first page is a stub, not a page.
You don’t need a perfect name. You don’t need a crest, a motto, or a color picked out. The only required field is the name, and you can change everything else later. The whole point of the create flow is to get you from “maybe” to “done” without making decisions you’d regret in a week.
Open the create flow.
In the Gibbet app there are three ways to start a new Friend Group:
- From your own profile, tap the “Friend Groups” section header.
- From a friend’s profile, tap “Create together” on the Friend Groups card.
- From the groups tab, tap the + in the top-right.
Any of these lands you on the same screen. The form is short on purpose — you should be able to fill it out without scrolling.
Name it. Lightly.
The name is the only required field on the form. Anything from one to sixty-four characters works. Emoji are allowed and read well in the page header.
A motto is optional — one short line that tells outsiders what this group isabout, when there is one. “The roommates,” “Pond crew since 2019,” “Three idiots and a guitar.” If nothing comes to mind, skip it. The motto reads better when it’s missing than when it’s forced.
You can add a crest image, a banner color, or both. The crest goes on the page header and on the share card; the banner color sets the hero background when no crest is set. These are aesthetic, not load-bearing — every field on this step is editable any time from the group’s settings.
Pick a vanity URL (optional).
You can claim a vanity slug here — the bit after gibbet.app/g/. Lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes. If the one you want is taken, the URL falls back to an opaque ID, which still works.
The slug is what people see when you put the group link in your bio, so it’s worth picking one. pond-crew reads better than g/id/d7f8a91c….
You don’t have to set this at creation. You can claim a slug later from settings once you’ve seen what the group becomes.
Set the cap.
The cap is how many members the group will hold. The range is two to fifteen, with a default of eight. Pick something close to the actual number of friends you have in mind — the small size is part of what makes the page feel meaningful.
On the page, this shows up as “X of N spots,” e.g. “3 of 8.” It’s framed positively because that’s how it should be read — a small group with room is welcoming, not empty.
A cap of two is fine. A cap of fifteen is fine. The point isn’t the number — the point is that there is one, and that’s why the page never becomes a community.
Pick visibility.
Three settings. Only the creator can change which one is on.
Most groups should stay Unlisted. It is the right default for the use case — you want the link to work for friends who follow you, and you don’t need strangers stumbling in.
Send your first invite.
The group does not go live until at least one invite has been sent. You have two ways to send invites — the looser door and the gated door.
Invite link
A URL anyone can tap to join instantly — cap permitting. Best when you trust where the link is going.
Direct invite
Pick a specific Gibbet user. Even when a member sends one, the join still needs the creator’s approval.
You can revoke and regenerate the invite link any time from settings. The old token stops working immediately; people who already joined keep their seat.
Tag your first post.
Once the group is live, you’ll land on its page with a quiet prompt to tag something. There’s no special composer — you tag existing posts (or post something new and tag it as you publish).
From any of your posts, open the menu and pick Tag to Friend Groups. Select one or more groups. If you want the post to land in a specific Stage (“Summer Trip,” “Finals Week,” etc.), pick that here too. Done.
Tagging is editable forever. You can untag a post, add it to a different Stage, or move it between groups. The post itself doesn’t change — this is a label, not a copy.
Drop the link in your bio.
From the group page, tap Share. You get the vanity URL (or the opaque-ID fallback) and a Gibbet Card preview — the same card-style preview that renders when the URL is unfurled in a chat.
Paste it into your Gibbet bio, your Instagram, your Linktree, your group chat — wherever. Tapping the link opens the Friend Group’s page on the web. If the visitor has the app, it opens there instead.
Add your first Stage.
A Stage is a chapter of the friendship — a slice of time the group lived through. “Summer Trip,” “Winter Trip,” “2026 Season,” “Finals Week.” Filter the wall to a single Stage with one tap. Posts can sit in a Stage and on the main wall — Stages are labels, not folders.
Any member can create a Stage. Any member can tag their own posts to one. You don’t need to create a Stage on day one — create one when you notice the group is in the middle of something worth naming.
Running the group
Inviting more people
Any member can invite. Use the link for trusted contacts; use a direct invite when you want the creator to approve first.
Removing a member
Only the creator can remove a member. A spot frees up; the member’s posts stay on their own profile.
Raising the cap
Any time, in settings. You can’t lower it below the current member count.
Rotating the link
Creator-only. Revoke and regenerate from settings; the old URL stops resolving immediately.
Editing tags later
Open any of your posts → Tag to Friend Groups. Add, remove, or change Stage at any time.
Adding a Stage
Any member, from the chapter selector on the group page. Stages are labels; create them when one is needed.
Changing visibility
Creator-only. Switching to Private cuts external access immediately, including any links already shared.
Clips
Members’ existing VOD clips show up in the group’s clips section automatically — they aren’t mixed into the post wall.
Deleting the group
Creator-only. Deletion is soft for 30 days — restorable in that window. The underlying posts are never touched.
Things to avoid on day one.
Treating it like a server
A Friend Group isn’t a community. It’s not where you discuss things — it’s where you collect things. Group chats are still the right tool for back-and-forth.
Setting the cap too high
Twenty people in a “close friends” group is a community, not a friend group. Pick the cap that matches the actual close friends — usually four to ten.
Going Public on day one
Unlisted is almost always the right call. You still get the shareable bio link; you just don’t end up on Explore. Switch to Public later if you want to.
Forgetting to tag the first post
A group with no tagged posts reads as empty even if it has six members. Tag one existing photo and the page snaps into being a real scrapbook.
Trying to delete a post to remove it from a group
You don’t need to. Use the “Tag to Friend Groups” menu on the post and uncheck the group. The post stays on your profile.
Quick checklist
- ✓Name (required) — 1 to 64 characters, emoji OK.
- ✓Motto (optional) — one short line. Skip if forced.
- ✓Crest / banner color (optional) — editable later.
- ✓Vanity slug (optional) — claim now or claim later.
- ✓Member cap — 2 to 15, default 8. Raisable, not lowerable below current count.
- ✓Visibility — Unlisted by default. Private = members only. Public = may surface on Explore.
- ✓Send at least one invite — the group does not go live without it.
- ✓Tag your first post — make it a real scrapbook on day one.
- ✓Share — drop the link in your bio.
Make the group.
The whole flow is in the Gibbet app, under your profile or the groups tab.