In this article, we will review how to create and edit a Post's geofence and assign alerts to a recipient when a user enters or exits a geofence.
How to Create a Geofence
To Create a Geofence:
1. Log onto your GuardTek web portal.
2. Hover over the Settings tab and click Geofencing.
3. In the Post drop-down, select the Property Location you want to set the Geofence for.
4. Once the Post has been selected, click the green Add Geofence button at the right-hand side of the screen.
5. In the Geofence Name pop-up box give the geofence a name in the Geofence Name field.
6. Select a Geofence area type by checking the green circle next to the type of Geofence area you want to create.
There are three options for a Geofence area type: Inclusion, Exclusion, and Custom.
Select Inclusion if you want to enable an alert when a user exits the geofence. Checking this option will automatically toggle the enable Alert Yes / No options, and they cannot be changed.
Select Exclusion if you want to enable an alert when a user is entering and exiting the geofence. Checking this option will automatically toggle the enable Alert Yes / No options, and they cannot be changed.
Select Custom if you want to create a geofence with alternate alert options. This option will allow you to toggle the enable Alert Yes / No options and select alternate Geofence colors.
NOTE: The Yes/No toggle for the Start/End Virtual Close Protection when entering/leaving zone will default to No and is a legacy feature. If you are a legacy user, please contact your Customer Success Manager for setup.
The Assign device groups to geofence is another legacy feature. If you are a legacy user, please contact your Customer Success Manager for setup.
7. In the Address Input Address drop-down field, type in the address of the Post Property Location you want to create the geofence for.
8. Zoom in or out on the map to center or view the entire Post. You can click anywhere on the map to grab and move the map to the center of a Post as well.
9. Click the Draw a Shape icon at the top left corner of the map. Then click a place on the map of the first corner of the geofence you want to create. This will place a circle geofence point connecting a line to the next circle geofence point that you click on the map.
NOTE: In between each circle geofence point you add, a secondary translucent circle geofence point will appear on the map. You can click and drag this secondary translucent circle geofence point to change the geofence outline. If you click and drag a secondary translucent circle geofence point, it will become a primary geofence point, and two more secondary translucent circle geofence points will appear that you can further change the geofence outline with.
If you adjust a secondary translucent circle geofence point in error, you can click the reverse icon button that pops up when a secondary translucent circle geofence point is moved.
10. Once the desired geofence perimeter has been created, click the green disk drive icon next to the selected Address and then click the green Save button at the bottom right-hand corner under the map.
How to Edit a Geofence
To edit a geofence:
1. Log onto your GuardTek web portal.
2. Hover over the Settings tab and click Geofencing.
3. In the Post drop-down, select the Property Location where you want to set the Geofence.
4. Find the Geofence Name you want to edit, then click the green pencil icon in the Actions column.
5. You can edit the Geofence Name, the Geofence area type, and click on the green pencil icon to the left of the Address input Address drop-down to edit the geofence perimeters:
6. Once all edit has been completed click the green Save button at the bottom right-hand corner under the map.
How to Assign Alerts to a Recipient When a User Enters or Exits a Geofence
To Assign Alerts for Users entering or exiting a geofence:
1. Log onto your GuardTek web portal.
2. Hover over the Settings tab and click Geofencing.
3. In the Post drop-down select the Property Location you want to set the alert for.
4. There are 3 options to choose from when setting up alerts to be sent to a recipient or multiple recipients:
- Option 1: If there are multiple geofences for a Post you can click the green envelope icon in the Actions column header to send an alert to a recipient or multiple recipients for all of the geofences set up for the Post.
- Option 2a: If there are multiple geofences for a Post you can click the green envelope icon in the Actions column of a specific Geofence Name to send an alert to a recipient or multiple recipients for 1 specific geofence at the Post.
- Option 2b: If there is only 1 geofence set up for a Post click the green envelope icon in the Actions column to send an alert to a recipient or multiple recipients.
5.1. If you are setting up an alert for an individual Geofence Name and you click the green envelope icon for it, in the Search pop up box the Event drop-down will default to All. You can also click the drop-down and select Entering Area or Exiting Geofence as the trigger for the alert.
NOTE: Depending on the Geofence area type that was chosen when creating the geofence, you will be limited in selecting a specific event. If there is a limitation it will appear in red below the Event drop-down.
For example, setting up an individual geofence with the Geofence area type and the Inclusion option chosen will produce the red message below:
5.2. If you are setting up an alert for all the geofences created for a Post and you click the green envelope icon in the Actions column header, the Search pop up box Event drop-down will also default to All.
You can also click the drop-down and select Entering Area or Leaving Area as the activity type trigger for the alert, however no limitation will appear in red below the Event drop-down, even if they are set up that way, such as in the example above.
6. To add an alert recipient click the green Add new... button.
7. Verify the (1) Activity Type (Geo Fencing for a specific geofence or Geo Fencing Global for all geofences at a Post) the triggering alert (2) Event and the property location listed as (3) Relates to.
8. In the Recipient's Address section click on the (4) Recipient is a drop-down box and select one of the following:
- GuardTek User (Select user below)
- Employee
- Other Contact
9. If you selected the Recipient is as GuardTek User (Select user below) or Employee click the (5) Recipient's Address drop-down and select the name of the recipient from the list of users set up in your GuardTek web portal. This will auto-populate their email or SMS as set up in their user profile in the Notification Settings section under the (6) Type of Notification drop-down. If their profile does not include one you can manually add it.
If you selected the Other Contact option in the (4) Recipient is drop-down menu a Contact Details box will pop up and you will need to manually add the recipient's Last Name, First Name, Company, and Email.
10. Add an Email Subject Line (7) specific to the Alert being set up.
11. Click the green Add button at the bottom right-hand corner. This will take you back to the Search page and allow you to click Add new...again and add additional recipients. To add another recipient repeat steps 6 - 10.