How to Set Up Alarm.com Access Control: Users, Access Plans, and Notifications

How To
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Once your Surety Business account is active and your installer has finished setting up your Access Control hardware, the rest of the setup is done by you in the Alarm.com app or website. This guide walks you through creating Access Plans, adding users and credentials, and setting up holidays and notifications.

Before You Begin

  • Hardware installed: Your Access Control hardware must be installed and programmed, and your doors added to your Alarm.com account, by your access control installer. Cards, fobs, and PINs can’t be added until this is done. Surety does not install Access Control hardware.
  • Business Alarm account with Access Control: Access Control must be included on your Surety Business Alarm account. See plans and pricing: Business Security Alarm System | Surety Business
  • Plan ahead: Before adding users, make a list of your doors (Access Points) and the credential each person will use: badge/fob, PIN, or mobile credential.

Where to Find Access Control in Alarm.com

  • Home page: Lock, unlock, or temporarily buzz open doors from the Access Points (or Doors) card.
  • User Access tab: This is where setup happens. It has sub-tabs for Access Plans, Users, Access Points, and Manage Logins.

Note: Changes in User Access are sent to the system after about 2 minutes of inactivity on the page. Revoking a user’s access takes effect immediately after saving.

Step 1: Create an Access Plan

Access Plans control which users can open which doors, and when. Each plan includes:

  • Users: the people in the plan
  • Access Points: the doors in the plan. Panel partitions and Z-Wave locks can also be added.
  • Schedule: the days and times the plan allows entry, with up to 12 time blocks

Note: Panel and Z-Wave lock access do not follow the schedule. Users added to those will have access 24/7.

Note: If you haven’t added users yet, you can create the plan with just the doors and schedule, then add users to it in Step 2.

Using the Alarm.com app:

  1. Tap the Menu, then User Access.
  2. Tap Actions, then Add New Plan.
  3. Choose an icon and enter a name for the plan, then tap Next.
  4. Tap Add Users, select the users, then tap Save.
  5. Tap Add Access Points, select the doors, then tap Save.
  6. Tap Add Schedule, choose a schedule, then tap Save.
  7. Review the plan and tap Save.

Using the Alarm.com website:

  1. Click User Access, then Add New Plan.
  2. Choose an icon and enter a name, then click Next.
  3. Add users, Access Points, and a schedule, clicking Save after each.
  4. Review the plan and click Save.

Best practices:

  • Build each plan around a common theme, such as employee type, a specific door, or a work schedule.
  • Make sure each user has the right credential type for every door in their plans.
  • Keep each time block within the same day, even though schedules can extend past 24 hours.

Step 2: Add Users and Assign Credentials

Using the Alarm.com app:

  1. Log in to the Alarm.com app and tap the Menu.
  2. Tap User Access, then tap Users.
  3. Tap Add to create a new user, or select an existing user to edit.
  4. Tap Add Credential, then choose Access Badge or PIN.
    • Badge or fob: Enter the badge number, or scan it at a card reader.
    • PIN: Enter the code you want the user to have.
  5. Under Access Plans, tap Manage Access to add the user to the Access Plan you created in Step 1.
  6. Save the user.

Using the Alarm.com website:

  1. Log in to the Alarm.com website and click User Access.
  2. Click Users, then click Add User, or select an existing user to edit.
  3. Click Add Credential, then choose Access Badge or PIN and enter the badge number or PIN.
  4. Under Access Plans, click Manage Access to add the user to the Access Plan you created in Step 1.
  5. Save the user.

Tip: Scanning badges at a card reader with the Alarm.com app is the quickest way to add new badges.

Step 3: Set Up Holidays (Optional)

You can pause Access Plans on days your business is closed.

  1. Go to User Access, then Actions > Manage Holidays.
  2. Tap or click Add.
  3. Enter a name for the holiday and select its date, then Save.
  4. For each Access Plan, choose Active (access still allowed) or Paused (no access that day), then Save.

Note: Holidays don’t pause panel or Z-Wave lock access, or rules that involve other devices, such as Swipe to Disarm.

Step 4: Set Up Access Control Notifications (Optional)

Notifications are created on the Alarm.com website:

  1. Click Notifications, then New Notification.
  2. Choose the type of notification:
    • System Event: alerts if the access controller loses communication (malfunction) or is tampered with
    • Business > Access: alerts when specific users open specific doors during a time frame you choose
    • Business > Unauthorized Access Attempt: alerts when someone uses an inactive badge
    • Business > Door Forced Open: alerts when a door opens without a badge or request-to-exit*
    • Business > Door Held Open: alerts when a door is propped open*
    • Business > Door Left Unlocked: alerts if doors aren’t locked by a set time*
    • Business > Door Activity: alerts when doors lock or unlock*
    • Business > User Access Start/Expire: alerts 1 to 3 days before a user’s access starts or expires
  3. Enter a name, select the doors, users, and time frame as needed.
  4. Under Recipients, click Add, select who should receive it, then click Save.

*These notifications only appear if the door was set up with a door sensor.

Adding Users in Bulk (Optional)

If you have a lot of users, you can upload them with a CSV file on the Alarm.com website:

  1. Click User Access > Users.
  2. Click More, then Bulk User Management.
  3. Download the CSV template at the top of the page and fill it in.
  4. Click Browse, select your completed CSV file, and click Submit.

Supported columns: First Name, Last Name, Email, PIN Code, Access Card 1, Access Card 2, User Group, Access Start Date, Access End Date, Mobile Credential, and Action (Create, Edit, or Delete). Only First Name and Last Name are required. Action defaults to Create.

Common reasons an upload fails:

  • The user already exists, or you’re editing or deleting a user that doesn’t exist
  • Duplicate names, PINs, or badge numbers in the file
  • A PIN or badge number already belongs to another user
  • Column headers are misspelled or changed

Tip: Excel removes leading zeros from PINs and badge numbers. Format those columns as Text before entering them.

Note: Bulk upload requires the Access Plan User Management feature on your account. If you don’t see Bulk User Management, contact Surety Support.

If you have any questions or need help with your Access Control setup, reply below or send us a message. We’re happy to help!