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

# Nested Squads

> Add a Squad as a member of another Squad and vote on its behalf

A nested Squad is a Squad that is a member of another Squad. Its members approve among themselves using their own threshold, and the result counts as a single vote in the other Squad.

This is useful when two or more organizations share a joint treasury and each side needs to sign off independently.

<Info>
  Nested Squads are not used by most teams. If every signer can be a direct member, add them as wallets instead.
</Info>

## How it works

In this guide, Squad A is the nested Squad and Squad B is the Squad it is a member of.

* Squad A is one member of Squad B, whatever the number of members in Squad A.
* A member of Squad A opens Squad B "as" Squad A and votes on a transaction.
* That vote becomes a transaction in Squad A. Squad A's members approve and execute it like any other transaction.
* Once it is executed, Squad A's vote is counted on the transaction in Squad B.

<Warning>
  A nested Squad can only vote on existing transactions. It cannot create or execute transactions in the other Squad, change its settings, or manage its members. Always keep direct wallet members with the Proposer and Executor permissions in Squad B.
</Warning>

## Add a Squad as a member

To make Squad A a member of Squad B:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Copy Squad A's vault address">
    Open Squad A, navigate to **Settings**, and copy the **Squads Vault** address. Use this address, not the **Multisig account** address.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add it to Squad B">
    Open Squad B, navigate to **Members**, and select **Add member**. Paste the address in **Public key**.

    The app detects that the address is a Squad. It shows Squad A's name, member count, and threshold, with the note "This address is a Squad. Adding it makes the whole Squad one member".

    If no Squad preview appears, check that you pasted Squad A's **Squads Vault** address before you continue.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the permission and a tag">
    On a Pro plan, select only the **Voter** permission. A nested Squad can only vote, so the other permissions have no use. On a Basic plan, new members receive all three permissions, and the nested Squad can still only vote.

    Under **Tag**, pick a color to recognize this Squad in the Squad list. The tag is saved in your browser only. Other members choose their own.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Initiate and approve">
    Select **Initiate**. Squad B's members approve and execute the transaction like any other member change.
  </Step>
</Steps>

On the **Members** page, nested Squads are listed under **Squads**, separately from **Wallets**. You can edit, replace, or remove a nested Squad in the same way as a wallet member. See [Manage members](/app-guide/members/manage-members).

## Vote as a nested Squad

To vote in Squad B on behalf of Squad A, you need a wallet that is a member of Squad A with the Proposer permission there.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Squad B as Squad A">
    Connect your wallet and open the Squad selector. Squad A appears indented under Squad B. Select that nested row.

    Squad B opens, and the selector shows **Signed in as** with Squad A's name. On desktop, a badge with Squad A's name sits next to the page title. Hover it to read "You're viewing Squad B as Squad A".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Vote on the transaction">
    Open the transaction and select **Approve** or **Reject**. To cancel a transaction that is already approved, select **Cancel**. If you are not signed in, the app asks you to sign in first.

    The app confirms with "Transaction created in" followed by Squad A's name. Select **View** to open Squad A's **Transactions** page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve and execute it in Squad A">
    The vote appears in Squad A's **Transactions** page. Its details show the **Target Squad** and a link, **Open the target transaction**. Squad A's members approve it to Squad A's own threshold, then a member with the Executor permission executes it. If you have the Voter permission in Squad A, your own approval is included when you start the vote.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The vote is counted in Squad B">
    Once Squad A's transaction is executed, the vote applies to the transaction in Squad B. Squad A is listed as a voter in the transaction's **Progress** tab.
  </Step>
</Steps>

While Squad A's vote is waiting, the vote buttons on that transaction in Squad B are disabled for everyone acting as Squad A, with the message "Already sent". This prevents a duplicate vote. They become available again if Squad A rejects or cancels its transaction.

To stop acting as Squad A, open the Squad selector and select Squad B's own row.

## What a nested Squad cannot do

While you act as a nested Squad, everything except voting is unavailable in Squad B. The app shows the reason: "nested Squads can only vote on existing transactions".

| Action in Squad B | Available to a nested Squad |
| - | - |
| Approve, reject, or cancel a transaction | Yes |
| Create a transaction, or change settings and members | No |
| Execute a transaction | No |
| Batch actions | No |
| Reclaim rent | No |

Nesting works one level deep. If Squad A is a member of Squad B, and Squad B is a member of Squad C, a wallet that is only in Squad A cannot act in Squad C.

## Fees

The vote is a transaction in Squad A, so Squad A's setup decides who pays. If Squad A has the [Fee Relayer](/app-guide/members/fee-relayer) enabled, it covers the fees. Otherwise the connected wallet pays. Squad B's Fee Relayer is not used.

A cancel vote also needs a small amount of SOL in Squad A's vault.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Troubleshooting">
    | Issue | Solution |
    | - | - |
    | Squad A does not appear under Squad B in the Squad selector | Connect a wallet that is a direct member of Squad A, and check that the transaction adding Squad A to Squad B was executed |
    | "This wallet is not a member of this Squad" in Squad B | You opened Squad B directly. Select the Squad A row nested under Squad B in the Squad selector |
    | Vote buttons are disabled with "a direct member must vote first" | The transaction's proposal has not been created yet. This happens with transactions created outside the app. A wallet member of Squad B must vote first, then the nested Squad can |
    | Vote buttons are disabled with "Already sent" | Squad A's vote is waiting in Squad A. Approve and execute it there |
    | The app says Squad A has no Vote permission | Edit Squad A's permissions in Squad B's **Members** page and add **Voter**. Editing permissions requires a Pro plan |
    | You cannot start a vote as Squad A | Your wallet needs the Proposer permission in Squad A. Members with only the Voter permission can approve the vote in Squad A once another member starts it |
    | The tag color is different on another device | Tags are saved in each browser, not in the Squad |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="FAQ">
    **Do I need SquadsX to use a nested Squad?**

    No. Voting on behalf of a nested Squad is built into the app through the Squad selector.

    **Does a nested Squad count as one vote or several?**

    One. However many members Squad A has, it is a single member of Squad B and casts a single vote.

    **Can a nested Squad execute a transaction once it is approved?**

    No. A direct wallet member of Squad B with the Executor permission must execute it.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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