diff --git a/src/auth-service/bin/jobs/preferences-update-job.js b/src/auth-service/bin/jobs/preferences-update-job.js
index 5a98f6642c..53eb337a16 100644
--- a/src/auth-service/bin/jobs/preferences-update-job.js
+++ b/src/auth-service/bin/jobs/preferences-update-job.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const cron = require("node-cron");
 const UserModel = require("@models/User");
+const mongoose = require("mongoose");
 const PreferenceModel = require("@models/Preference");
 const SelectedSiteModel = require("@models/SelectedSite");
 const constants = require("@config/constants");
@@ -12,6 +13,30 @@ const stringify = require("@utils/stringify");
 const isEmpty = require("is-empty");
 const BATCH_SIZE = 100;
 
+// Function to validate critical default values
+const validateDefaultValues = () => {
+  const criticalDefaults = [
+    { key: "DEFAULT_GROUP", value: constants.DEFAULT_GROUP },
+    { key: "DEFAULT_AIRQLOUD", value: constants.DEFAULT_AIRQLOUD },
+    { key: "DEFAULT_GRID", value: constants.DEFAULT_GRID },
+    { key: "DEFAULT_NETWORK", value: constants.DEFAULT_NETWORK },
+  ];
+
+  const missingDefaults = criticalDefaults.filter(
+    (item) => isEmpty(item.value) || item.value === undefined
+  );
+
+  if (missingDefaults.length > 0) {
+    const missingKeys = missingDefaults.map((item) => item.key).join(", ");
+    logger.error(
+      `🚨 Aborting preference update: Missing critical default values: ${missingKeys}`
+    );
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
+};
+
 // Default preference object
 const defaultPreference = {
   pollutant: "pm2_5",
@@ -27,10 +52,22 @@ const defaultPreference = {
     unitValue: 14,
     unit: "day",
   },
-  airqloud_id: constants.DEFAULT_AIRQLOUD || "NA",
-  grid_id: constants.DEFAULT_GRID || "NA",
-  network_id: constants.DEFAULT_NETWORK || "NA",
-  group_id: constants.DEFAULT_GROUP || "NA",
+  airqloud_id: constants.DEFAULT_AIRQLOUD,
+  grid_id: constants.DEFAULT_GRID,
+  network_id: constants.DEFAULT_NETWORK,
+  group_id: constants.DEFAULT_GROUP,
+};
+
+// Function to validate user's group membership
+const validateUserGroupMembership = (user, defaultGroupId) => {
+  // Check if user has group_roles and is a member of the default group
+  if (!user.group_roles || user.group_roles.length === 0) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return user.group_roles.some(
+    (role) => role.group.toString() === defaultGroupId.toString()
+  );
 };
 
 // Function to get selected sites based on the specified method
@@ -62,6 +99,11 @@ const getSelectedSites = async (method = "featured") => {
 };
 
 const updatePreferences = async (siteSelectionMethod = "featured") => {
+  // Validate default values before proceeding
+  if (!validateDefaultValues()) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   try {
     const batchSize = BATCH_SIZE;
     let skip = 0;
@@ -74,43 +116,60 @@ const updatePreferences = async (siteSelectionMethod = "featured") => {
       return;
     }
 
+    // Use constants.DEFAULT_GROUP directly
+    const defaultGroupId = mongoose.Types.ObjectId(constants.DEFAULT_GROUP);
+
     while (true) {
+      // Fetch users with their group_roles
       const users = await UserModel("airqo")
         .find()
         .limit(batchSize)
         .skip(skip)
-        .select("_id")
+        .select("_id group_roles")
         .lean();
 
       if (users.length === 0) {
         break;
       }
 
-      // Fetch existing preferences for users in batch
-      const userIds = users.map((user) => user._id);
+      // Filter users who are members of the default group
+      const validUsers = users.filter((user) =>
+        validateUserGroupMembership(user, defaultGroupId)
+      );
+
+      // Get user IDs of valid users
+      const validUserIds = validUsers.map((user) => user._id);
+
+      // Fetch existing preferences for valid users
       const preferences = await PreferenceModel("airqo")
-        .find({ user_id: { $in: userIds } })
+        .find({
+          user_id: { $in: validUserIds },
+          group_id: defaultGroupId,
+        })
         .select("_id user_id selected_sites")
         .lean();
 
       const preferencesMap = new Map();
-
       preferences.forEach((pref) => {
         preferencesMap.set(pref.user_id.toString(), pref);
       });
 
-      for (const user of users) {
+      for (const user of validUsers) {
         const userIdStr = user._id.toString();
         const preference = preferencesMap.get(userIdStr);
 
+        // Prepare the default preference object with the specific group_id
+        const defaultPreferenceWithGroupId = {
+          ...defaultPreference,
+          user_id: user._id,
+          group_id: defaultGroupId,
+          selected_sites: selectedSites,
+        };
+
         if (!preference) {
-          // No preference exists, create a new one
+          // No preference exists for the user in the default group, create a new one
           await PreferenceModel("airqo")
-            .create({
-              ...defaultPreference,
-              user_id: user._id,
-              selected_sites: selectedSites,
-            })
+            .create(defaultPreferenceWithGroupId)
             .catch((error) => {
               logger.error(
                 `🐛🐛 Failed to create preference for user ${userIdStr}: ${stringify(
@@ -122,14 +181,21 @@ const updatePreferences = async (siteSelectionMethod = "featured") => {
           // Preference exists but selected_sites is empty, update it
           await PreferenceModel("airqo")
             .findOneAndUpdate(
-              { _id: preference._id },
+              {
+                user_id: user._id,
+                group_id: defaultGroupId,
+              },
               {
                 $set: {
-                  ...defaultPreference,
                   selected_sites: selectedSites,
+                  group_id: defaultGroupId,
                 },
               },
-              { new: true }
+              {
+                new: true,
+                upsert: true,
+                setDefaultsOnInsert: true,
+              }
             )
             .catch((error) => {
               logger.error(
@@ -154,3 +220,5 @@ cron.schedule(schedule, () => updatePreferences("featured"), {
   scheduled: true,
   timezone: "Africa/Nairobi",
 });
+
+module.exports = { updatePreferences };