Geofencing checks an operative's distance from a site when they clock in and clock out. Set organisation-wide defaults for the site radius, clock in mode and clock out mode from Settings > Timesheets, and every site follows them unless you give it its own setting.
Clock in and clock out are set separately, and both are off until you turn them on. Only admins and owners can change these settings.
Set it once: one default radius and mode covers every site, so there's no site-by-site setup.
Separate clock in and clock out: block clock in off site, but let operatives clock out with a warning so nobody gets stuck.
See every exception: check which sites use a custom setting and reset them to the default in bulk.
⚠️ To use Geofencing, operatives must run version 12.11 or higher of the mobile app. They can check the current version by tapping their initials in the top left—hand corner of the home screen, scrolling to the bottom, and viewing the version number. Older versions treat Off as Warn, so operatives on them may still see a warning.
Set your organisation defaults
Start with the site radius, then choose a mode for clock in and clock out. The radius has no effect until at least one mode is set to Warn or Block.
How to open geofencing settings
Select Settings in the left-hand menu.
Select Timesheets.
Scroll to Geofencing. You'll see three cards: Site boundary, Clock in and Clock out.
Site radius—how far from the site address an operative can be
On the Site radius card, select the edit icon.
Enter a radius in metres. The minimum is 10 metres.
Select Confirm.
If clock in and clock out are both set to Off, you'll see an Enforcement is off note. The radius is saved, but it won't affect operatives until you set clock in or clock out to Warn or Block.
Default clock in mode
What happens when an operative clocks in outside the site boundary?
On the Clock in card, open the Default clock in mode dropdown.
Choose a mode:
Off: operatives can clock in from anywhere.
Warn: operatives are warned that they're outside the site boundary, but can still clock in.
Block: operatives can't clock in when they're outside the site boundary.
Check the summary and select Confirm changes. The new rule applies from each operative's next clock in, so anyone already clocked in isn't affected.
Default clock out mode
What happens when an operative clocks out outside the site boundary
On the Clock out card, open the Default clock out mode dropdown.
Choose Off, Warn or Block. The options work the same way as clock in.
Select Confirm changes. The new rule applies from each operative's next clock out.
If you choose Block, operatives whose location isn't available—poor signal or location turned off—are asked to turn it on before they can clock in or out.
Setting | Options | Default |
Site radius | 10 metres or more |
|
Default clock in mode | Off, Warn, Block | Off |
Default clock out mode | Off, Warn, Block | Off |
Customise geofencing for a single site
Give a site its own setting when it doesn't fit the default, like a large site that needs a wider radius. A site address is required.
How to edit a site's geofencing
Open the project and go to Site Manager.
Select the site to open Site Details.
Scroll to Geofencing. Each setting shows whether it's using the (Default) or a (Custom) value.
Select the edit icon next to Site boundary, Clock in mode or Clock out mode.
Choose Custom. This only affects this site.
Enter the radius or choose a mode, then select Save.
To put a site back on the organisation default, open the same setting, choose Use organisation default and select Save. The site then follows any future change to the default automatically.
Review and reset custom sites
Each card in Settings > Timesheets shows how many sites are using a custom setting. Changes to the default don't apply to these sites.
On the Site radius, Clock in or Clock out card, select the line showing how many sites are using a custom setting.
Search for or select the sites you want to reset, or choose Select all. Each site shows its current value and the default it'll change to.
Select Reset to default.
Check the summary and select Confirm.
If every site already uses the organisation default, you'll see All sites using organisation default instead.
What operatives see
When an operative opens the clock in or clock out screen, the map shows where they are against the site boundary.
Off: no geofence banner. They can clock in or out as normal.
Warn: a warning banner if they're outside the site boundary. They can still clock in or out, and the timesheet records their distance for you to review.
Block: a block banner if they're outside the site boundary. They can't clock in or out until they're inside it.
Clock in and clock out follow their own modes, so an operative can be blocked from clocking in off site but still clock out with a warning. Geofencing fields are included in the timesheets report for every organisation with access to geofencing.
FAQs
How do I resolve a "hard block" if an operative cannot clock in?
You have two options for resolving a hard block if an operative cannot clock out because they are outside the site radius:
💡Recommended: Manually clock the operative out from the timesheets screen on the web. This overrides the geofence by adding a custom time and updates the timesheets Excel report automatically. Operatives must sync their device afterwards to see that they've been clocked out manually.
Disable the restriction temporarily. Go to Project setup—then either Site manager and Details for projects with drawings, or Site details for projects without drawings. Turn off the hard block toggle and ask the operative to try again once they have a mobile data signal. This will impact all operatives on your site, and could mean others can clock in or out outside of the site radius.
What is the difference between a soft warning and a hard block?
The system operates with two distinct geofence modes:
Soft warning: allows operatives to clock in or out anywhere. If they are outside the site radius, the app logs a flag on their timesheet record for you to review.
Hard block: prevents operatives from clocking in, clocking out, or switching sites entirely unless they are within the designated radius.
Why is an operative receiving a geofence error when they are on site?
This is usually caused by disabled location services on the mobile device. Ask the operative to open their phone settings, verify that location access is enabled for the Onetrace app, and restart the app.
Why can my operative not see the geofence?
If you recently enabled geofencing for your organisation in Settings, operatives must close and reopen the Onetrace app twice. If you updated the geofence radius or hard block settings, the operative needs to sync their device using a stable mobile data signal.
💡 Learn more: How Operatives will clock in and out with a geofence
💡 Learn more: Geofencing in timesheet reporting