---
title: Virtual group
slug: '252'
canonical_url: https://docs.coveo.com/en/252/
collection: glossary
source_format: adoc
---
# Virtual group
A {doctitle} is a [group](https://docs.coveo.com/en/202/) that only exists within the confines of a [security identity provider](https://docs.coveo.com/en/242/) to ease the [permission](https://docs.coveo.com/en/223/) model management of a given [indexed](https://docs.coveo.com/en/204/) enterprise system.

The only difference between a [group](https://docs.coveo.com/en/202/) and a virtual group is that the former typically exists as an entity in the original enterprise system, but the latter doesn't.