diff --git a/javascripts/discourse/components/categories-groups.js b/javascripts/discourse/components/categories-groups.js
index 365ef71..f7538b5 100644
--- a/javascripts/discourse/components/categories-groups.js
+++ b/javascripts/discourse/components/categories-groups.js
@@ -4,13 +4,6 @@ import { service } from "@ember/service";
 import { slugify } from "discourse/lib/utilities";
 import { i18n } from "discourse-i18n";
 
-function parseSettings(settings) {
-  return settings.split("|").map((i) => {
-    const [categoryGroup, categories] = i.split(":").map((str) => str.trim());
-    return { categoryGroup, categories };
-  });
-}
-
 const ExtraLink = class {
   constructor(args) {
     this.isExtraLink = true;
@@ -38,8 +31,17 @@ export default class CategoriesGroups extends Component {
   }
 
   get categoryGroupList() {
-    const parsedSettings = parseSettings(settings.category_groups);
-    const extraLinks = JSON.parse(settings.extra_links || "[]");
+    const parsedSettings = settings.grouped_categories;
+    const extraLinks = settings.links;
+
+    let currentUserGroups = [0];
+    const currentUser = this.currentUser;
+
+    if (currentUser) {
+      currentUser.groups.filter((group) => {
+        currentUserGroups.push(group.id);
+      });
+    }
 
     // Initialize an array to keep track of found categories and used links
     const foundCategories = [];
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@ export default class CategoriesGroups extends Component {
     const categoryGroupList = parsedSettings.reduce((groups, obj) => {
       const categoryArray = obj.categories.split(",").map((str) => str.trim());
       const categoryGroup = [];
+      const categoryGroupVisibility = obj.visibility ?? [0];
 
       // Iterate through each category/link in the order specified in settings
       categoryArray.forEach((categoryOrLinkId) => {
@@ -71,9 +74,14 @@ export default class CategoriesGroups extends Component {
         }
       });
 
-      if (categoryGroup.length > 0) {
+      const displayGroup = categoryGroupVisibility.some((group) =>
+        currentUserGroups.includes(group)
+      );
+
+      if (displayGroup && categoryGroup.length > 0) {
         groups.push({ name: obj.categoryGroup, items: categoryGroup });
       }
+
       return groups;
     }, []);
 
diff --git a/locales/en.yml b/locales/en.yml
index cf5a859..73c5619 100644
--- a/locales/en.yml
+++ b/locales/en.yml
@@ -2,8 +2,41 @@ en:
   theme_metadata:
     description: "custom category page with group settings"
     settings:
-      category_groups: "Format as: Group name: category-slug, extra-link-id, category-slug-2"
-      extra_links: "Extra links that can be mixed into category list. Add link ID in category_groups setting to render"
+      grouped_categories:
+        description: "Group categories together"
+        schema:
+          properties:
+            categoryGroup:
+              label: "Group heading"
+              description: "The name of the group"
+            categories:
+              label: "Slugs"
+              description: "The category slugs and/or extra-link IDs, separated by commas."
+            visibility:
+              label: "Visibility"
+              description: "The user groups that can see this category group. Leave empty, or select 'everyone' to show to all users."
+      links:
+        description: "Extra links that can be mixed into category list. Add link ID in Grouped categories setting to render"
+        schema:
+          properties:
+            id:
+              label: "ID"
+              description: "The ID of the link"
+            url:
+              label: "URL"
+              description: "The URL of the link"
+            color:
+              label: "Color"
+              description: "CSS compatible hexadecimal color code for the link. ie. #F1592A"
+            title:
+              label: "Title"
+              description: "The title of the link"
+            description:
+              label: "Description"
+              description: "The description of the link"
+            icon:
+              label: "Icon"
+              description: "The icon of the link"
       show_on_mobile: "Show the collapsible category box groups on mobile"
       show_ungrouped: "Display a group of categories that aren't assigned to another group"
       hide_muted_subcategories: "When enabled, a non-muted parent category will not appear under the muted section if it has a muted subcategory"
diff --git a/migrations/settings/0001-use-objects.js b/migrations/settings/0001-use-objects.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f3965a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/settings/0001-use-objects.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+export default function migrate(settings) {
+    if (settings.has("category_groups")) {
+        const groups = settings.get("category_groups");
+        const categoryGroups = groups.split("|").map((i) => {
+            const [categoryGroup, categories] = i.split(":").map((str) => str.trim());
+            return { categoryGroup, categories, visibility: [0] };
+        });
+
+        settings.set("grouped_categories", categoryGroups);
+        settings.delete("category_groups");
+    }
+
+    if (settings.has("extra_links")) {
+        const links = settings.get("extra_links");
+        settings.set("links", JSON.parse(links || "[]"));
+        settings.delete("extra_links");
+    }
+
+    return settings;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/settings.yml b/settings.yml
index ef458c0..da60db9 100644
--- a/settings.yml
+++ b/settings.yml
@@ -1,52 +1,63 @@
-category_groups:
-  type: "list"
-  default: "Default Categories: staff, site-feedback, lounge"
-extra_links:
-  default: >
-    []
-  json_schema: >-
+grouped_categories:
+  refresh: true
+  type: objects
+  default: [
     {
-      "type": "array",
-      "items": {
-        "type": "object",
-        "properties": {
-          "id": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "title": "ID",
-            "description": "A unique identifier for the link"
-          },
-          "url": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "title": "URL",
-            "description": "The URL for the link"
-          },
-          "color": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "title": "Color",
-            "description": "The color associated with the link",
-            "format": "color"
-          },
-          "title": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "title": "Title",
-            "description": "The title of the link"
-          },
-          "description": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "format": "markdown",
-            "title": "Description",
-            "description": "A short description of the link"
-          },
-          "icon": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "title": "Icon",
-            "description": "An icon for the link. Example: heart",
-            "default": ""
-          }
-        },
-        "required": ["id", "url", "title", "color"]
-      }
+      "categoryGroup": "Default Categories",
+      "categories": "staff, site-feedback, lounge",
+      "visibility": [
+        0
+      ]
     }
+  ]
+  schema:
+    name: "Category Groups"
+    identifier: categoryGroup
+    properties:
+      categoryGroup:
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      categories:
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      visibility:
+        type: groups
+        min: 1
+
+links:
+  refresh: true
+  type: objects
+  default: [
+    {
+      "id": "example",
+      "url": "https://example.com",
+      "color": "#F1592A",
+      "title": "Example Link",
+      "description": "This is an example link",
+      "icon": ""
+    }
+  ]
+  schema:
+    name: "Links"
+    identifier: id
+    properties:
+      id:
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      url:
+        type: string
+        required: true
+        url: true
+      color:
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      title:
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      description:
+        type: string
+      icon:
+        type: string
 
 show_on_mobile:
   default: true
diff --git a/spec/system/custom_category_group_spec.rb b/spec/system/custom_category_group_spec.rb
index 6e30d04..f8ec0bf 100644
--- a/spec/system/custom_category_group_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/custom_category_group_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def self.description
   before do
     sign_in(Fabricate(:admin))
     theme_component.update_setting(
-      :extra_links,
+      :links,
       [
         {
           "id" => ExampleGroupLink.id,
@@ -32,8 +32,14 @@ def self.description
     )
     theme_component.update_setting(:fancy_styling, true)
     theme_component.update_setting(
-      :category_groups,
-      "Default Categories: #{ExampleGroupLink.id}, #{category.slug}",
+      :grouped_categories,
+      [
+        {
+          "categoryGroup" => "Default Categories",
+          "categories" => "#{ExampleGroupLink.id}, #{category.slug}",
+          "visibility" => [0],
+        },
+      ].to_json,
     )
     SiteSetting.desktop_category_page_style = "categories_boxes"
     theme_component.save!