Static vs. Smart Groups

Created by Jarrett Woodall, Modified on Fri, 17 Jul at 9:49 AM by Jarrett Woodall

Static vs. Smart Groups

Choosing between a static and smart group depends on how you want membership to be managed. This article compares the two types to help you decide which is right for each situation.

Comparison

Feature	Static Group	Smart Group
Membership	Manual — you add and remove animals yourself.	Automatic — animals matching the criteria are included.
Updates	Only changes when you make a change.	Updates dynamically whenever animal data changes.
Best for	Sale lots, specific pens, one-time groupings.	Production stages, status-based views, ongoing filters.
Adding animals	Add individually or via bulk action.	No action needed — matching animals are included automatically.
Removing animals	Remove individually or via bulk action.	Animals leave the group when they no longer match the criteria.

When to Use a Static Group

Sale lots — You’ve hand-picked a set of animals to sell together.
Working pen — A specific batch of animals being processed.
Historical grouping — A record of animals that were together at a point in time.

When to Use a Smart Group

All active calves — Automatically includes all animals with type “Calf” and status “Active.”
Bred cows — Automatically includes cows with breeding status “Pregnant.”
Animals in a pasture — Automatically includes animals assigned to a specific pasture.
Recent purchases — Automatically includes animals purchased in a date range.

Can I Convert Between Types?

No. A group’s type is set when it is created and cannot be changed afterward. If you need a different type, create a new group and move or re-add animals as needed.