Visitor Management Setup

Visitor Registration Settings

Should Regular Users Be Allowed to Register Visitors?

• Check this box if you would like Regular Users to be allowed to register visitors.
• If left unchecked, Regular Users will not be allowed to register visitors.

Should Tenant Admins/Hosts Be Able to Register Visitors?

• Check this box if you would like Tenant Admins/Hosts to be allowed to register visitors via their app.
• If left unchecked, Tenant Admins/Hosts will not be allowed to register visitors.

Maximum Consecutive Visitor Days

In the field configure the maximum number of days a visitor can be scheduled from start date to end date. This number cannot exceed 365 (the default max)

Maximum time into the future that a visitor can be scheduled

The maximum time in advance that a visitor can be scheduled. Defaults to 1 year if not set.

Arrival Settings

Default Arrival Instructions: Visitors will see these arrival instructions within their visitor email.

• Add text here to describe how visitors should arrive at the building.
• These will be external and included in the emails sent to them.
• Tenant-specific directions (eg- After checking in at the security desk in the lobby, proceed to floor 10, suite 200) can be added in the individual tenant profile.

Notify Visitor Check-In Emails:

• When a visitor checks into this site, these emails will receive a notification.
• Separate each with a comma.

Visitor Watch List Matching Method

When registering a new visitor, specifies the matching method used to check against the Watch List.
Please note that changing this value will only affect visitors created after the change is made. Existing visitors will not have their match status changed.

Sensitive
Watch list matches will be flagged if the visitor name is similar to a watch list member’s name, based on nicknames (e.g. Jon, Jonathan, Johnny) and small name variations.

Strict
Watch list matches will be exact matches on first and last name (case-insensitive).

Notification Recipients: Watch List Matches

• When a newly registered visitor matches someone on the watch list, these emails will receive a notification.
• Separate each with a comma.

Notification Recipients: Watch List Additions

• When a watch list member is added, these emails will receive a notification. 
• Separate each with a comma.

SMS Setup

Check the boxes below to enable SMS (text) messages for visitors and hosts:

• Send SMS invitation to visitor
  Enable SMS invitations to send visitors important details about their visit directly to their phone.
  • Sends texts for registration, updates, cancellations, and day-of reminders
  • Includes the same visit instructions as the email invitation
  • Can include a Guest Pass link (for Openpath buildings) and QR codes when enabled

  • Messages are sent to the phone number entered during visitor registration|

    

• Send SMS to host on visitor check-in
  Enable SMS notifications to alert hosts as soon as their visitor arrives and checks in.
  • Sends a real-time text notification when a visitor checks in
  • Delivered to the phone number saved in the host’s Cove user profile
  • Helps hosts quickly meet or prepare for their visitor
  • Works alongside email notifications for arrival alerts

Do you want to include the QR Code /barcode in the Visitor Invitation (Email/SMS?

• Choose whether or not you would like to include the visitor QR code/barcodes in the visitor's emails/sms.

• If you would like visitors to check in using the Cove Check-In Tablet, choose yes.

  

Do you want to disable sending day-of reminder emails/SMS to visitors?

• Choose whether or not you would like to send day-of reminder emails/SMS texts to visitors.
• If you would like visitors to receive a day-of reminder emails/SMS texts, in addition to the email they received at the time of registration, choose yes. 

Should email field be required when adding a visitor?

Controls whether an email address must be entered when registering a visitor.

• When enabled, an email is required to complete visitor registration
• Ensures visitors can receive email communications such as invitations and instructions

• When disabled, visitors can be registered without an email address and they will not receive instructions via email.

  

Host can select a floor when registering a guest
This configuration allows the host to select a floor during visitor registration, adding location detail to the visitor record.

• Adds a floor field to the visitor registration process
• Stores the selected floor as part of the visitor’s information
• Useful when properties want to capture more specific destination details for each visitor
• When a floor is selected at the time of registration, it will be displayed under the Organization Suite section in the visitor email so guests receive accurate arrival information. 
• If floor selection is enabled but no floor is chosen during registration, floor details will not be included in the visitor email.

Visitor Access Settings 

Allow host to set visit access start and end time?

Controls whether hosts can set a custom access window for an individual visit, or whether all visits use the site's default access window.

• When enabled (Yes), hosts can override the default access start and end times for an individual visit during registration.
• When disabled (No), hosts cannot set custom access hours; every visit uses the default access window configured below.
• If the host does not select a custom access time, the default settings below apply.

Default Access Start

Determines when a visitor's access window begins when no custom access time is set.

• Type: Choose how the access start is calculated. Buffer sets a fixed duration before the visit's scheduled time.
• Access Start: Set the buffer duration (for example, 1 Hour) prior to the visit time.
• This is the earliest time a visitor's pass becomes valid, relative to the scheduled visit time.

Default Access End

Determines when a visitor's access window ends when no custom access time is set.

• Type: Choose how the access end is calculated. Buffer sets a fixed duration after the visit's scheduled time.
• Access End: Set the buffer duration (for example, 2 Hours) after the visit time.
• This is the latest time a visitor's pass remains valid, relative to the scheduled visit time, unless capped by Latest Access End below.

Latest Access End

Caps the latest time a visitor's access window can extend to at a configurable time of day, so visitors aren't inadvertently authorized to arrive after building hours when the after-arrival duration would otherwise run later.

• Cut off access at a set time: Check this box to enable a cap on the access window's end time. When checked, a cutoff time field becomes available (defaults to 11:59 PM).
• Set the cutoff time, including whether it falls the same day or the next day. If the calculated access end — from the Default Access End buffer above, or from a host's custom hours — would fall after this cutoff, including rolling into the next day, the access window is capped at this time instead.
• With the checkbox unchecked (default), access windows always extend their full configured duration and no cap is applied.
• When enabled, the capped end time is reflected everywhere the visitor's access window is shown or enforced (visitor registration, visitor emails, check-in, and access control), and is saved with the same scope as the other Visitor Access Settings.

Check-in, Badge, and Photo Settings

Treat a multi-day visit as a single pass?
Determines how check-ins are handled for visitors scheduled across multiple days.

• When enabled, the visitor is checked in across all scheduled days as a single visit
• When disabled, the visitor is checked in separately for each scheduled day

Take visitor photo on check in?
Controls whether a photo can be captured during the visitor check-in process.

• When enabled, the option to take a visitor photo (with a connected webcam) appears during check-in.
• The photo can be taken or skipped before proceeding with check-in This photo is included in the visitor record, badge, and email notification.
• During the visitor check in:
  • a pop-up with window that says “Add visitor photo” will appear
  • Visitors can choose:
    • Take Photo: If clicked, takes a photo
    • Skip photo: if clicked, skips to a badge print screen without a photo
    • If the visitor takes a photo, the Save Photo button is enabled.
    • If Save Photo is clicked, the photo is saved to the visitor record and the user is directed to the next screen

Use Check Out Feature?

Determines whether visitors are only checked in or also required to check out when leaving.

• Check-In only for visitors: Visitors are checked in upon arrival with no check-out step
• Check-In and Check-Out for visitors: Visitors are checked in on arrival and can be checked out when they leave

Enable visitor badge printing at this site?
Controls whether visitors can print a badge during the check-in process. When enabled, several additional fields will populate.

Parking Integration

This section is optional and applies only if you have a parking integration. Please reach out to your Customer Success Manager for support with parking integration.

Concierge Tablet Settings

This section manages the Cove Concierge Check-In Tablet. For more information on setting up a tablet in Concierge Mode click here.

Show QR code button on Concierge Tablet?

Controls whether visitors can use a QR code to check in on the Concierge Tablet.

• When enabled, a “Scan QR Code” button appears on the tablet and QR code instructions are included in visitor emails
• When disabled, QR code check-in is not available on the tablet and QR instructions are not shown in emails

Allow manual registration on Concierge Tablet?

Controls whether visitors can manually check in using the Concierge Tablet.

• When enabled, visitors can check in manually using the “Check In manually” option on the tablet
• When disabled, manual check-in is not available on the tablet

Concierge Visitor Directions

• If checked, visitors will always see the directions added in the Default Concierge Directions field below.

• If unchecked, visitors will be directed to the tenant's suite.

  

Default Concierge Directions

• Add default visitor directions in this field.
• If you would like to add text here, be sure to check the Use Default Visitor Directions field above.