Purpose: This procedure explains how to create a new badge credential for a new employee in Verkada Command.
Who can do this: HR, Facilities Manager, System Administrator
📋 Steps
Log in to Verkada Command
Go to command.verkada.com
Sign in with your admin credentials
Navigate to Access Control
Click Access in the left sidebar
Click People tab
Add New Person
Click the + Add Person button (top right)
Fill in required information:
First Name: Employee's first name
Last Name: Employee's last name
Email: Employee's work email (optional but recommended)
Employee ID: Company employee ID number (optional)
Assign Access Groups
Under Access Groups, select appropriate groups:
All Employees: Standard interior doors
Production Staff: Production floor access
Management: Office and sensitive areas
24/7 Access: For employees with after-hours access
Add Credential (Badge)
Under Credentials, click + Add Credential
Choose credential type:
Card: Physical badge (most common)
Mobile Pass: Smartphone credential
PIN: Keypad code
Program the Badge
For new badge:
Click Program New Card
Have employee tap badge on any Verkada reader
Badge will be automatically enrolled
For existing badge:
Enter the card number manually
Or tap badge on reader to scan it
Set Active Dates (Optional)
Under Active Period, set start/end dates if temporary access is needed
Leave blank for permanent access
Save and Test
Click Save
Have employee test badge on a door they should have access to
Reader should flash green and unlock
💡 Best Practices
Always use employee's work email — this enables mobile credentials and notifications
Assign the minimum access groups needed for their role (principle of least privilege)
For contractors/temps, set end dates so access automatically expires
Test the badge immediately after programming
⚠️ Security Note
Never assign Master/Admin access groups unless absolutely necessary. Most employees only need standard employee access.
➖ How to Remove a Badge (Terminated Employee)
Purpose: This procedure explains how to immediately deactivate a badge when an employee is terminated or leaves the company.
Who can do this: HR, Facilities Manager, System Administrator
When to do this: IMMEDIATELY upon employee termination. Do this before the employee leaves the building.
📋 Steps
Log in to Verkada Command
Go to command.verkada.com
Sign in with your admin credentials
Find the Employee
Click Access → People
Search for employee by name or email
Click on their name to open their profile
Deactivate the Badge
Option 1: Remove Credentials (Recommended)
Scroll to Credentials section
Click the ⋮ (three dots) next to their badge
Click Remove
Confirm removal
Option 2: Deactivate Person (Full Removal)
Click ⋮ at top right of profile
Click Deactivate Person
This removes ALL access and credentials
Confirm deactivation
Verify Deactivation
Badge should no longer appear in active credentials
If possible, test the badge — it should be rejected (red light/beep)
Collect Physical Badge
Retrieve physical badge from employee if possible
If badge is not returned, make note in deactivation records
Document
Note deactivation date/time in HR records
Note who performed the deactivation
Note whether physical badge was returned
⚠️ CRITICAL TIMING
Deactivate badges IMMEDIATELY upon termination. Do NOT wait until end of day. Access should be removed within 5 minutes of termination notification.
💡 Audit Trail
Verkada automatically logs all badge activations/deactivations with timestamp and admin user. This creates an audit trail for compliance purposes.
🔄 How to Replace a Lost/Damaged Badge
Purpose: This procedure explains how to issue a replacement badge when an employee loses or damages their badge.
Who can do this: HR, Facilities Manager, System Administrator
📋 Steps
Report Lost Badge
Employee reports lost badge to supervisor or HR
Verify employee identity before issuing replacement
Deactivate Old Badge (Security)
Log in to Verkada Command
Navigate to Access → People
Find employee profile
Under Credentials, remove the old badge credential
Issue New Physical Badge
Obtain a new blank badge from inventory
Print employee name on badge (if applicable)
Program New Badge
In Verkada Command, go to employee profile
Under Credentials, click + Add Credential
Select Card
Click Program New Card
Have employee tap new badge on any reader
Badge will be enrolled and active immediately
Test New Badge
Have employee test on a door they should have access to
Verify green light and unlock
Document
Note badge replacement in employee file
If charging for lost badges, process charge per company policy
⚠️ Security First
Always deactivate the old badge BEFORE issuing the replacement. This prevents someone who finds the old badge from using it.
💡 Badge Inventory
Keep 10-20 blank badges on hand for quick replacements. Order more when inventory drops below 5.
🔓 How to Grant Door Access
Purpose: This procedure explains how to grant an existing employee access to a specific door or area.
Who can do this: Facilities Manager, System Administrator
Approval required: Yes — all access changes require manager approval
📋 Steps
Verify Authorization
Confirm request is approved by employee's direct manager or department head
Verify business justification for access
Log in to Verkada Command
Go to command.verkada.com
Navigate to Access → People
Find the Employee
Search for employee by name
Click on their profile
Grant Access
Option 1: Add to Access Group (Recommended)
Scroll to Access Groups
Click + Add to Access Group
Select appropriate group (e.g., "Lab Access", "Server Room")
Click Save
Option 2: Grant Individual Door Access
Scroll to Door Access
Click + Add Door
Select the specific door
Set schedule (24/7, business hours, etc.)
Click Save
Set Schedule (If Needed)
If access should be time-limited:
Set Active Period with start/end dates
Or set schedule (e.g., "Monday-Friday 7AM-6PM")
Test Access
Have employee test badge at the newly granted door
Verify green light and unlock
Document
Note who approved the access grant
Note date/time access was granted
Note business justification
💡 Access Groups vs Individual Doors
Use Access Groups when: Multiple people need the same set of doors (easier to manage)
Use Individual Door access when: One person needs temporary or unique access to a single door
🔒 How to Revoke Door Access
Purpose: This procedure explains how to remove an employee's access to a specific door or area without fully deactivating their badge.
Who can do this: Facilities Manager, System Administrator
📋 Steps
Log in to Verkada Command
Go to command.verkada.com
Navigate to Access → People
Find the Employee
Search for employee by name
Click on their profile
Revoke Access
Option 1: Remove from Access Group
Scroll to Access Groups
Click ⋮ next to the group to remove
Click Remove
This removes access to ALL doors in that group
Option 2: Remove Individual Door
Scroll to Door Access
Find the door to revoke
Click ⋮ next to the door
Click Remove
Verify
Access is removed immediately (within seconds)
Employee's badge will be rejected at that door
Other doors they have access to remain active
Document
Note date/time of revocation
Note reason for revocation
Note who authorized the change
💡 When to Revoke vs Deactivate
Revoke access: Employee changes roles, no longer needs access to sensitive area
Deactivate badge: Employee is terminated/leaving company (removes ALL access)
🗝️ How to Remotely Unlock a Door
Purpose: This procedure explains how to remotely unlock a door from Verkada Command (for visitors, emergencies, or employee assistance).
Who can do this: System Administrator, Authorized Staff
📋 Steps
Log in to Verkada Command
Go to command.verkada.com
Or use the Verkada mobile app
Navigate to Access Control
Click Access in sidebar
Click Doors tab
Find the Door
Search for door by name or location
Or browse the door list
Unlock the Door
Click on the door name
Click the 🔓 Unlock button
Door will unlock for 5-10 seconds (default)
Door automatically re-locks after timeout
Monitor
Watch live camera feed (if available) to verify person entered
Ensure door re-locked after person enters
🚨 Emergency Mass Unlock/Lock
For building-wide emergency lockdown or unlock:
Go to Access → Doors
Click Select All or select multiple doors
Click 🔓 Unlock All or 🔒 Lock All
Confirm action
⚠️ Security Warning
Always verify who is requesting entry before remotely unlocking. Remote unlocks are logged with your username and timestamp.
💡 Mobile App
Download the Verkada Pass app for remote unlock on the go. Available for iOS and Android.
👁️ How to View Camera Footage
Purpose: This procedure explains how to view live and recorded camera footage in Verkada Command.
Who can do this: Anyone with camera view permissions
📋 Steps
Log in to Verkada Command
Go to command.verkada.com
Sign in with your credentials
Navigate to Cameras
Click Cameras in the left sidebar
You'll see a grid of all cameras
Select a Camera
Click on any camera tile to open live view
Or search for camera by name/location
View Live Footage
Camera opens in live view by default
Use controls at bottom:
🔊 Unmute audio (if camera has microphone)
📸 Take snapshot
⚙️ Quality settings
View Recorded Footage
Use the timeline at the bottom of the screen
Click and drag to different time/date
Or click the date/time to jump to specific moment
Use playback controls:
▶️ Play
⏸️ Pause
⏩ Fast forward (2x, 4x, 8x, 16x)
⏮️ Skip backward 10 seconds
Multi-Camera View
Click Grid View to see multiple cameras
Select 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4 layout
Timeline syncs across all cameras
💡 Timeline Tips
Zoom in: Scroll up on timeline for more precise time selection
Zoom out: Scroll down to see larger time span
Motion events: Blue bars on timeline indicate detected motion
No footage: Gray areas = camera was offline/not recording
💾 How to Export/Download Footage
Purpose: This procedure explains how to export video clips for investigations, incidents, or external sharing.
Who can do this: System Administrator, Security Team
📋 Steps
Open the Camera
Log in to Verkada Command
Navigate to Cameras
Click on the camera with the footage you need
Navigate to the Time Period
Use the timeline to find the exact time you need
Note the start and end time
Create a Clip
Click the 📹 Clip button (bottom toolbar)
Set start time: Click where clip should begin
Set end time: Click where clip should end
Or manually enter exact start/end timestamps
Configure Export Settings
Duration: Max 5 minutes per clip (Verkada limitation)
Quality: Select Standard or High Quality
Timestamp: Choose to include on-screen timestamp overlay
Watermark: Verkada watermark (cannot be removed)
Generate Clip
Click Create Clip
Wait for processing (30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on length)
Clip will appear in My Clips library
Download or Share
Download: Click ⬇️ Download to save MP4 file to your computer
Share link: Click 🔗 Share to generate shareable link (expires in 30 days)
Email: Enter recipient email to send link directly
📂 Manage Saved Clips
Click Cameras → Clips to see all saved clips
Clips are saved for 30 days
Download important clips locally for permanent storage
⚠️ Legal & Privacy Notice
Only export footage for legitimate business purposes. Camera footage may contain sensitive information. Handle exported files securely and do not share publicly without authorization.
💡 Long Incidents
For incidents longer than 5 minutes, create multiple clips and combine them later using video editing software.
🔍 How to Search for Specific Events
Purpose: This procedure explains how to use Verkada's intelligent search to find specific people, vehicles, or events in camera footage.
Who can do this: Anyone with camera view permissions
📋 Steps
🚶 Search for a Person
Open Camera View
Go to Cameras
Select the camera where event occurred
Use People Search
Click 🔍 Search button (top toolbar)
Select People tab
Set time range (last hour, last day, custom range)
Filter by Attributes
Clothing color: Shirt (red, blue, black, etc.)
Gender: Male/Female/Unknown
Facial hair: Yes/No
Glasses: Yes/No
Hat: Yes/No
Review Results
Verkada displays thumbnail images of all people matching filters
Click any thumbnail to jump to that moment in footage
Find All Appearances (Person of Interest)
Click on a person thumbnail
Click Find Similar
Verkada searches ALL cameras for that person
Shows every appearance with timestamps
🚗 Search for a Vehicle
Use License Plate Search
Click 🔍 Search → Vehicles
Enter partial or full license plate number
Set date/time range
Select cameras to search
Filter by Vehicle Attributes
Type: Car, truck, van, motorcycle
Color: Red, blue, white, black, etc.
Make: Ford, Toyota, etc. (if LPR enabled)
Review Matches
Click thumbnail to view footage
License plate is highlighted in frame
📍 Search by Motion Detection
Use Motion Timeline
Blue bars on timeline = motion detected
Click blue bar to jump to motion event
Filter Motion by Zone
Click 🔍 Search → Motion
Draw zone on camera view (only search specific area)
Set sensitivity (low/medium/high)
Results show only motion in that zone
💡 Search Tips
Start broad: Use loose filters first, then narrow down
Time matters: Narrow time range = faster results
Multiple cameras: Search across all cameras for better coverage
Person of Interest: Best for tracking someone's movements throughout facility
⚠️ Search Accuracy
AI search is not 100% accurate. Low lighting, camera angle, and distance affect results. Always verify matches visually.