The Dynamic List plugin gives app users the ability to create community-driven lists. The main reason for creating a dynamic list is to provide multiple interactions between people using the app.

App users can create groups and sub-groups, and link these groups to other plugins.

The plugin is designed so people with similar interests can communicate about a particular topic. For example, if a new group is created for “Basketball,” app users can discuss recent games, players, or basketball news within the group.

In order for the Dynamic List plugin to work, it must be linked to a companion plugin—specifically the Community Wall plugin.

(Note: Any of the old Social Wall plugins are also compatible with the Dynamic List plugin. But those are being removed from the feature marketplace).

Here’s a brief overview of the other top features powering the Dynamic List plugin:

Admins have total control over who can create public groups. The only way for a person to see a private group is if they were invited by the user who created it.

The Dynamic List plugin can be used to enhance any type of community forum. It’s a useful feature in any app that has an active user base. Some popular examples include:

The list goes on and on. This plugin is really designed to accommodate any type of app in all industries.

There are a few things you must know in order to use this plugin effectively:

As previously mentioned, the Dynamic List only works when it’s synced with a companion plugin. In this case, it’s meant to be connected with the Community Wall Plugin.

When you go to the Dynamic List plugin from your admin dashboard, it should automatically place you on the “Content” page. If not, just head to that tab from the top menu.

From here, click on the “Select Feature” button in the “Navigate To” section of the page.

After clicking “Select Feature,” a pop-up will automatically appear. Use the search bar at the top of this window to search for “Community Wall.”

Then click the empty check box to the left of the plugin’s name. Hit the green “Apply” button to continue.

If the Community Wall feature hasn’t been added to your app yet, then click “Add New Feature” to find it in the feature marketplace.

You’ll know that this has been done correctly when you see “Community Wall” listed in the “Navigate To” section of the “Content” tab, like this:

By default, private and public groups can be created by anyone. This can be changed by switching the settings from “Both” to “Public” or Private.”

Anyone can see public topics. Private groups can only be seen by the creator.

Admins also have control over who can create new groups. If “Anyone” is selected, then all app users can create a public group.

If “Tag Only” is selected, only users with specific tags (like admins) can create a public group.

Private groups can only be accessed by people other than the creator if the link is shared. To do this, locate the private group and click the three dots, as highlighted below:

You can tell if a group is private when there’s a lock icon next to the name (as shown left of the “Green” group above) as opposed to a globe icon (shown left of the “Fire” group above).

Clicking the dots will expand a menu. Select “Share With Others” from this list of options.

All of this can be managed directly from the UI within the app itself. This is not an administrative feature.

Then users can share the group using the available methods, like text message or Facebook.

We’ve seen the Dynamic List plugin used for lots of apps. After seeing this plugin used in real-life scenarios, we’ve learned some of the best practices for having success with this feature.

As previously mentioned, the Dynamic List plugin needs to be connected with a companion plugin to work. The companion plugin we chose in this tutorial is the “Community Wall” plugin. This is our newest and most improved version of the old Social Wall versions.

We’re slowly trying to retire those Social Wall versions from the marketplace. So even though the Dynamic list is technically compatible with Social Wall, we recommend using Community Wall as the companion plugin instead.

There’s a common misconception about what “tags” can be used for. To clarify, tags have nothing to do with who can see public or private groups.

Tags are only for controlling who can create a new group.

You cannot add custom images to a new group. This is a safety feature to ensure users don’t upload any inappropriate images. You’ll have two options for what type of image will be displayed once a new group is created—images or colors. This can be managed from the “Style With Random” section of the content settings page.

If “Image” is selected, a random image closely associated with the title will appear. If “Color” is selected, groups will each be assigned a random color.