---
title: "Public"
source: https://dev.pageseeder.com/reference/glossary/group_public.html
last_updated: 2026-08-07T17:09:54+10:00
tokens: ~357
---

# Public

The conventional meaning for ‘public’ refers to an external, often anonymous, community. In PageSeeder, setting to ‘public’ means you provide access to people who are NOT registered to the same [group](group.md) – public just means we don't check for the group membership.

A helpful rule for PageSeeder solutions is that [roles](role.md) filter functionality and groups filter content. Or put another way, because every group [member](member.md) can see all content, permission models are expressed as constraints on the ‘public’ not the ‘members’.

To control whether **non-members** can see documents in the group, use the **`Public`** options, under **[advanced options](group_config_advanced_options.md)** on the **group configuration page**.

To make the group visible to public (this doesn’t make any content visible but allows anyone with an account to request to join the group):

![Group configuration – Visible to public](/content/reference/glossary/../../images/glossary/group_configuration_public_group_v60000.webp)

To allow comments added by public:

![Group configuration – Comments added by public](/content/reference/glossary/../../images/glossary/group_configuration_public_add_v60000.webp)

To make comments and documents accessible to public:

![Group configuration – Comments accessible by public](/content/reference/glossary/../../images/glossary/group_configuration_public_view_v60000.webp)