How to create a Nextcloud group

Nextcloud groups collect accounts under names used by shares, app restrictions, and delegated administration. Creating the group before onboarding users gives administrators a stable target for access rules instead of editing each account separately.

The server-side occ group commands create the group and manage membership from the installed Nextcloud directory. Run them as the web-server user that owns the instance so database writes and generated files stay under the same account as the web application.

Use a neutral group ID such as editors and add an existing account only after the group record exists. A membership check with group:list proves the group can be assigned without depending on the browser Users page.

Steps to create a Nextcloud group with occ:

Open a shell on the Nextcloud server and enter the installation directory.
```
$ cd /var/www/nextcloud
```
Confirm occ can read the installed instance.
```
$ sudo -E -u www-data php occ status
  - installed: true
##### snipped #####
  - maintenance: false
##### snipped #####
```
www-data is the HTTP user on Debian and Ubuntu. Use the web-server user that owns the Nextcloud files when the instance runs under a different account.
Related: How to run Nextcloud occ commands
Create the group.
```
$ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:add editors
```
editors is the group ID stored by Nextcloud. Choose a name that still reads clearly in share targets, app rules, and user lists.

Inspect the group record.

$ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:info editors
  - groupID: editors
  - displayName: editors
  - backends:
    - Database

Add an existing user to the group.
```
$ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:adduser editors ada
```
group:adduser accepts one or more existing user IDs after the group ID. Create the account first if ada does not exist.
Related: How to create a Nextcloud user
Verify the group membership.
```
$ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:list editors
  - editors:
    - ada
```
Use --output=json_pretty when another script needs to consume the group list.