> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.parallelane.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Smart groups

> Collecting branches and tags into groups by glob pattern

<Info>
  **PRO only:** a group's **This repo** scope is a Pro feature.
  The **Global** scope is [available on every plan](/quickstart#plans).
</Info>

A **smart group** automatically collects refs whose names match a pattern.
Once you set the pattern, refs created later fall into the group automatically too.
In the **Repository** panel, the **Local Branches**, **Remote Branches**, and **Tags** sections each keep their own independent list of groups.

<Note>
  Groups are purely for organizing the display, and they're stored only inside the app.
  They have no effect on the git repository or the remote.
</Note>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/railgit/Youoqr4OEBTwrnAk/images/history-smart-groups.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Youoqr4OEBTwrnAk&q=85&s=0b20dc06434f413b880077f0df5dcafc" alt="The Repository panel with a Features group holding 5 branches under LOCAL BRANCHES, listing feature/canary-router, feature/multiregion, feature/protocol-v3, feature/swift-bindings, and feature/telemetry-batch, while the ungrouped main, experiment/wasm, maintenance/1.x, rebase/telemetry-base, and release/2.x stay below it, and a SDK releases group under TAGS holds sdk/v1.0.0, sdk/v2.0.0, sdk/v2.4.0, and sdk/v3.1.0-signed" width="2266" height="1784" data-path="images/history-smart-groups.png" />
</Frame>

## Creating a group

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a new group from the section header">
    Click the **＋** button (**New group**) that appears when you hover over the section header.
    If there's already at least one group, a gear button (**Manage groups**) also appears to its left.

    <Tip>
      These buttons only show up when you hover over the section header.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter a name and match pattern">
    Enter a **Group name** (e.g. `Releases`) and a **Match pattern (glob)** (e.g. `release/*`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a scope and create">
    In **Scope**, **Global (default)** applies to every repository, and **This repo** applies only to the current one.
    Click **Create** and refs matching the pattern are collected immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/railgit/Youoqr4OEBTwrnAk/images/history-smart-group-create.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Youoqr4OEBTwrnAk&q=85&s=a16c1ae78d166622ef9f2a67dbd4e39f" alt="The New group dialog, with Features in GROUP NAME, feature/* in MATCH PATTERN (GLOB), Global selected in the SCOPE dropdown, and the Cancel and green Create buttons at the bottom" width="886" height="688" data-path="images/history-smart-group-create.png" />
</Frame>

## Match pattern (glob)

The pattern must **match the ref's name in full**, and matching is case-insensitive.
`*` matches a string of any length (including `/`), and `?` matches a single character.

What gets compared differs by section.

* **Local Branches** compares the branch name (`feature/login`)
* **Remote Branches** compares the full name including the remote (`origin/feature/login`)
* **Tags** compares the tag name (`v1.2.0`)

<Tip>
  In the Remote Branches section, the pattern has to include the remote. Write it as `*/feature/*` or `origin/feature/*` for it to match.
</Tip>

<Note>
  A ref belongs to only one group.
  If it matches multiple patterns, the first group checked wins, in the order **this-repo-only groups → global groups**; within the same scope, list order applies.
  Placing narrower patterns higher up makes the outcome easier to predict.
</Note>

A ref that matches no group stays in its original place.

## Working with groups

* A group header shows a collapse arrow, the group name, and the number of matches.
  Click the header to collapse or expand it.
* Right-clicking the header opens a menu with **Edit group… / Move up / Move down / Delete**.
  Editing lets you change the name, pattern, and scope, all at once.
* Clicking **Manage groups** in the section header lets you reorder, edit, or delete every group in that section from one screen.
  Reordering only moves groups within the same scope.
* A group with zero matches keeps showing a count of 0.

<Warning>
  Group **Delete** happens with no confirmation step.
  Only the group disappears. The branches and tags return to the original list.
</Warning>
