Getting Started with Watchful

This guide helps you set up your organisation, add customers and sites, and prepare cameras for monitoring.

For definitions of key terms used throughout the Watchful platform, see the glossary.

Make sure you have:

• An active Watchful Admin Portal login

• Permission to create customers, sites, and devices

• Access to the site address and camera details you plan to add

Customers are companies that have engaged your organisation to monitor their sites.

Create a customer to group all their sites and devices in one place.

1. From the Home screen or the left-hand toolbar, select Customers.

2. Click Add Customer in the top-right corner.

3. Enter the customer’s name and required details.

4. Select Create Customer to save.

5. A confirmation message appears at the top: Customer created successfully.

Related Article: Add a new customer

A site is the customer’s physical location where devices are installed.

1. On the current page, click Add Site on the left, or open Actions on the right and select Add Site.

2. On the “Add a new site” page, enter site details and set up Quill Automation and other options. For a full walkthrough, see Steps 2–5 in Add a new site.

3. Click Save Changes on the top right.

4. A confirmation message appears: Site settings have been updated successfully.

The site is now linked to the customer

After creating a site, complete the required configurations.

Make sure you’re in the Site Details tab.

The basic details and Quill Automation settings you entered earlier will already be filled in.

Set up the following:

• Arm options

• Event detection

• Site contacts (if needed)

• Monitoring companies

• Event schedule

• Stages (if used)

For detailed instructions, see Step 2-6 in Set up site details.

For more details on site configuration, see the Site details configurations article.

Integrations connect Watchful to external cloud-based VMS systems.

Once set up, Watchful can see all sites and cameras that the VMS allows.

You may not need an integration:

• If you add devices directly using an IP address and credentials

• If you only have a few devices not managed by a VMS

You should use an integration when:

• Your VMS manages many cameras or sites

• You want one connection instead of adding each NVR one-by-one

If needed, follow the steps in Add a new integration.

For help deciding, see About Integrations in Watchful.

Devices are cameras, NVRs, or VMS systems connected to a customer’s site for monitoring.

Once you confirm whether an integration is required, you can add a device.

1. On the page where Site Details are set up, go to the Devices tab.

2. Click Add New Device, then select Add Device.

3. Enter the Device Name. Add optional details if needed.

4. In Connection Settings, choose either Cloud VMS or direct device connection.

   • For Cloud VMS, select the Device Model and enter the required fields (for example, Customer ID, Role ID, Site ID).

   • For NVR/Camera, Speaker/Horn, Relay, select the Device Model first, and enter details required in the settings.

5. Click Connect. A list of available feeds will appear.

6. In Confirm Device, select Save Device. A message will appear: Connected to device successfully.

7. The device page opens and shows all connected cameras and hardware.

For detailed instructions, see the Add a new device article.

Now prepare cameras for monitoring.

1. Stay on the Cameras and Hardware tab.

2. Enable each camera you want to monitor.

3. Follow Steps 3–6 in Enable cameras and add grids to complete detection grid setup.

Check that:

• The customer appears in Customers

• The site is linked to the customer

• Arming options are set

• Cameras are enabled

• Detection grids are added

Your site is now ready for live monitoring in the Watchful Monitoring Portal.

screenshot of example: fully-set-up site

• Add a new customer

• Add a new site

• Set up site details

• Site details configurations

• Add a new integration

• Add a new device

• Enable cameras and add grids