---
title: Summary of commands to search for group membership
description: The following summary of commands show the fastest way to retrieve direct or indirect member distinguished names (DNs) for groups.
component: pingdirectory
version: 11.0
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdirectory_server_administration_guide:pd_ds_commands_search_group_membership
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.0/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_commands_search_group_membership.html
revdate: September 13, 2023
---

# Summary of commands to search for group membership

The following summary of commands show the fastest way to retrieve direct or indirect member distinguished names (DNs) for groups.

* To retrieve direct member, non-nested DNs of group `cn=group.1,ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com`, run the following.

  ```shell
  $ bin/ldapsearch --baseDN "cn=group.1,ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com" "(objectClass=*)" uniqueMember member
  ```

* To retrieve direct member entries or non-nested under `dc=example,dc=com` of group `cn=group.1,ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com`, run the following.

  ```shell
  $ bin/ldapsearch --baseDN "ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" "(isDirectMemberOf=cn=group.1,ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com)"
  ```

  This is useful when attributes from member entries are used in the filter or being returned.

* To retrieve group DNs in which user `uid=user.2,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com` is a direct member or non-nested, static groups, run the following.

  ```shell
  $ bin/ldapsearch --baseDN "uid=user.2,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" "(objectClass=*)" isDirectMemberOf
  ```

* To retrieve all member entries under `ou=people,dc=example,dc=com` of group `cn=group.1,ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com`, run the following.

  ```shell
  $ bin/ldapsearch --baseDN "ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" "(isMemberOf=cn=group.1,ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com)"
  ```

* To retrieve the group DNs in which user `uid=user.2,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com` is a member, run the following.

  ```shell
  $ bin/ldapsearch --baseDN "uid=user.2,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" "(objectClass=*)" isMemberOf
  ```