If you use Subsplash Messaging, the Group Sync feature of the Rock Plugin lets you automatically create Subsplash groups, keep group details up to date, and sync group membership for your People in both directions. For more information on Subsplash Groups & Messaging, see this article.
Before you begin
Install Rock Plugin 3.1.0 or later.
Use Rock RMS version 17 or later.
Complete the initial Rock Plugin setup.
Confirm that your Subsplash API client is active and validates successfully.
Seeing Groups in your Subsplash dashboard navigation does not mean the feature is enabled. If you cannot create a group there, contact your Subsplash Client Success Manager to turn it on.
Syncing groups with Subsplash Sync
Rock Plugin 3.0.0 and later create one scheduled job automatically that syncs Giving, Groups, and People. You do not need a separate job for each feature. To learn more about enabling Subsplash Sync, see our article here.
In Rock Plugin 3.1.0 and later, you configure sync settings, automatic group creation, and individual group mappings directly from the Groups settings page in Rock (Admin Tools > Installed Plugins > Settings > Subsplash API Client > Groups).
Rock is the source of truth for group details. For every linked group, the sync updates the Subsplash group's name, description, and capacity with the values from Rock.
Group sync settings
Configure how groups sync between both platforms each time the scheduled job runs.
Navigate to Admin Tools > Installed Plugins > Settings > Subsplash API Client > Groups.
Ensure the Sync checkbox is active.
Set how often you want groups to sync.
Configure the bidirectional member settings.
Click Save.
The wording within the settings says "member," but these settings apply to both members and leaders in Rock, and members and managers in Subsplash.
Automatic group creation (group type mappings)
Mapping a Rock group type to a Subsplash group type is the fastest way to sync an entire ministry. The plugin automatically creates a matching Subsplash group for every eligible Rock group under that type and keeps them connected.
On the Groups settings page, locate the Group Type mapping section and click +.
Select the Rock Group Type you want to sync. For most churches, this is Small Group.
Select the Subsplash Group Type you want the plugin to use for new groups.
Click Save.
The next time Subsplash Sync runs, it creates a Subsplash group for each eligible Rock group under that type and links the two together.
Which groups get created
The plugin only creates Subsplash groups for Rock groups that are:
Active — the plugin skips inactive groups.
Not archived — the plugin skips archived groups.
Not security role groups — the plugin never syncs security roles.
The plugin also excludes Rock's built-in system group types, including check-in, relationships, containers, attendance, and chat. These never appear as mapping options.
What gets sent to Subsplash
When the plugin creates or updates a group, it sends:
Name
Description
Capacity
The plugin does not sync meeting schedule and location yet. The sync also leaves the group type, location, and schedule of an existing Subsplash group unchanged, so any values you set in the Subsplash dashboard stay as you set them.
Removing a group type mapping
Removing a mapping stops the plugin from creating new Subsplash groups for that group type. It does not unlink any groups, delete anything, or stop syncing. Groups that are already linked keep syncing their details and membership.
The plugin never deletes a Subsplash group. Unlinking, unmapping, or turning off sync all leave your Subsplash groups in place.
Managing individual group mappings
Not every group belongs to a mapped group type, and not every group under a mapped type needs to sync. You can manually link or create individual group mappings directly from the group mapping grid on the Groups page.
On the Groups settings page, scroll down to the group mapping grid.
Click Add Group Mapping.
Select the Rock group you want to link.
Choose whether to link an existing group or create a new group:
Link an existing group — Search for an existing Subsplash group and select it.
Create a new group — Select a Subsplash Group Type, and the plugin creates a new Subsplash group using the Rock group's name, description, and capacity. If the Rock group's type already has a Group Type mapping, the plugin preselects that Subsplash group type, but you can change it.
Click Save.
Removing an individual mapping
Click the remove action on the group mapping row. This stops all syncing between that Rock group and its Subsplash group. Both groups stay exactly as they are — the plugin deletes nothing on either side.
If the Rock group's type is still mapped under Group Type mappings, the next sync creates a new Subsplash group for it. To keep the group out of Subsplash entirely, remove the Group Type mapping first.
User mappings
The plugin maps leaders in Rock to managers in Subsplash. Members are members on both platforms. For more information about group roles and permissions in Subsplash, see this article.
Membership syncs for every linked group, whether the plugin created it through a Group Type mapping or you added it manually on the Groups page.
Upgrading from Rock Plugin 3.0 or earlier
If your church previously linked groups using the Subsplash Group attribute on group types, the plugin automatically brings those links forward into the new mapping grid when you upgrade to Rock Plugin 3.1.0.
You do not need to recreate your existing group links. They continue syncing group details and membership as before.
You no longer add or edit the Subsplash Group attribute on group types or individual groups. You now manage all new links, unlinking, and group creation from Admin Tools > Installed Plugins > Settings > Subsplash API Client > Groups.
If your Rock instance has more than one active API client, the upgrade left any existing links that it could not match to a single client unassigned. Re-link them using Add Group Mapping on the Groups page.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why wasn't a Subsplash group created for my Rock group?
Why wasn't a Subsplash group created for my Rock group?
The plugin only creates groups for active, non-archived Rock groups under a mapped group type, and it excludes security role groups and Rock's built-in system group types. If the group is eligible and still missing, check that the Subsplash Sync job is enabled in Job Administration and that Group sync is turned on in your Subsplash API Client settings.
Why aren't meeting times and locations showing up in Subsplash?
Why aren't meeting times and locations showing up in Subsplash?
The plugin does not sync meeting schedule and location from Rock yet. Set them directly in the Subsplash dashboard, and future syncs will leave them unchanged. We plan to add support for syncing schedule and location from Rock.
Why did my group's name or description change back in Subsplash?
Why did my group's name or description change back in Subsplash?
Rock is the source of truth for name, description, and capacity. Every sync overwrites those fields in Subsplash with the values from Rock, so make any changes to group details in Rock.
What happens to my Subsplash group if I unlink or unmap it?
What happens to my Subsplash group if I unlink or unmap it?
The plugin never deletes a Subsplash group. Unlinking a group, removing a Group Type mapping, and turning off sync all stop syncing and leave both groups in place.
Why can't I find the sync job in Job Administration?
Why can't I find the sync job in Job Administration?
The plugin uses one scheduled job, named Subsplash Sync, that syncs Giving, Groups, and People. Verify that this job is enabled in Job Administration and that Group sync is enabled in your Subsplash API Client settings.
Why doesn't anything appear in Subsplash when the job runs successfully?
Why doesn't anything appear in Subsplash when the job runs successfully?
Confirm that Groups is enabled on your Subsplash dashboard and that the Rock API client is connected to the correct Subsplash account.
Why are groups missing from the mapping grid after upgrading to Rock Plugin 3.1.0?
Why are groups missing from the mapping grid after upgrading to Rock Plugin 3.1.0?
If your Rock instance has more than one active API client, the upgrade left any links that it could not match to a single client unassigned. Re-link the group using Add Group Mapping on the Groups page.