In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for providing dynamic mechanisms for resource-path-based, dynamic group membership support for local and external membership groups is described. A method comprises: detecting, by a group resolver implemented in a management and control plane, that information about an object stored in the plane was created or updated; determining whether a URI of the object matches a URI regular expression and other conditions specified in membership criteria created for a membership group; in response to determining that a URI of the object matches a URI regular expression and other conditions specified in membership criteria created for a membership group: distributing the information about the object to network agents implemented in transport nodes to cause the network agents to automatically update a group membership policy associated with the membership group; and wherein the group membership policy affects packet forwarding behavior of a forwarding node.