Watchtower combines innovation and convenience to protect your community’s gates and residents. This article introduces the core features you’ll use as a new user, from logging in to managing guests and vendors through Mission Control.

Log In to Watchtower

Your Dashboard at a Glance

After logging in, you’ll see your personalized Watchtower Dashboard. This central hub summarizes activity across your community:

• Total Entries (Last 7 Days or 30 days) – A chart showing entry traffic trends at all gates.

• Latest Property Requests – Pending access requests from residents or vendors.

• Latest Entry Activity – Recent gate scans with date and time stamps.

• Mission Control Center – A button to enter Mission Control for more detailed management.

• Entity Statistics – A breakdown of registered users, guests, vehicles, vendors and properties.

Scroll down to explore these panels and click Enter Mission Control when you’re ready to manage entries.

Mission Control – The Command Center

Mission Control provides the tools you need to search properties, verify visitors and record entries. The interface is divided into several panels:

Property Search

Use the Property Search bar to look up any address in your community. As you type, matching properties appear. Select the correct property to see associated residents, guests and vendors.

Visitor Search

After selecting a property, use Visitor Search to find the person or company visiting. Status tags indicate whether they are a Resident, Guest, Vendor or Restricted. If the visitor is not listed, click New Visitor and follow the prompts to create a guest or vendor record. Watchtower defaults to a one‑day pass; adjust the end date or mark the entry as Permanent if necessary.

Scan Drivers License

Click Scan Drivers License to use the scanner to extract basic information from the visitor’s ID. Watchtower will attempt to match the scanned information with existing records and populate the visitor details automatically. If no match is found, you can create a new visitor, but before you do it is wise to double check spelling and look for cleared vendors.  The identification scan is a name search and it cannot include vendor names. 

Priority Contacts and Entry Management

For each property, Watchtower displays Priority Contacts—the people who should be called for entry approval when there is an unregistered visitor. Use the phone icon to contact them directly. Once a property and visitor are selected, the Entry Management panel lets you record the visit (approve or deny) and add notes. Always document the interaction for your community’s records.

Working With Guests and Vendors

When a guest or vendor arrives who is not already in Watchtower:

1. Search the Property in Mission Control.

2. Open the Property Profile using the View Property button.

3. Create the Visitor by selecting Add Guest or Add Vendor, entering their full legal name, visit dates and any relevant notes. Remember that guest passes default to one day; adjust the end date or set the visitor as permanent if they need longer access.

4. Contact the Resident for approval. Call a priority contact to verify the visitor before granting access.

5. Record the Entry or denial in the Entry Management panel.

Final Thoughts

Watchtower’s dashboard and Mission Control give you all the tools you need to manage access for residents, guests and vendors. Take advantage of the powerful search features, ID scanning and entry logging to keep your community secure. For in‑depth instructions on specific tasks, explore our other knowledge base articles or contact JEKA support for assistance.