Connecting Cobot to Dormakaba Exivo

Learn how to integrate the Dormakaba door access system with Cobot.

Amanda avatar
Written by Amanda
Updated over a week ago

Dormakaba Exivo is the access control solution for spaces that want to securely grant the right room authorisations to their members - using their mobile phone or SwissPass. The integration is designed for both data security and ease of use.

Our guide explains how to connect your Cobot account to your Dormakaba account. The following topics are covered:


1. Setting up your Dormakaba account

Before connecting Cobot and Dormakaba, you need to set up the following parts in your Dormakaba account:

  • Doors (e.g. "Main Entrance")

  • At least one access group (e.g. "Employees", "Management", etc.).

    • Your access groups determine the access rights of your members in your space. Members are automatically linked to access groups based on their membership plans and resource bookings in Cobot.

If you are unsure how to perform any of the above actions, please contact Dormakaba support directly for assistance.


2. Connecting Cobot and Dormakaba

Once you have set up your access groups in your Dormakaba account, you can connect the whole thing to Cobot:

1. Log in to the admin page of your Cobot account .

2. Click on Add-ons » Available add-ons » Dormakaba Exivo » Set up Spaces integration » Set up. You will see this screen asking you to add your API key.

3. Copy the API information from your Dormakaba account under "API settings" and paste it into Cobot on the "Create integration with Dormakaba facility" page.

  • You will need to generate new API credentials to get a secret ID key. The "API Secret" field will disappear as soon as you close the dialogue box or reload the page in Dormakaba, so you should save it in a safe place.


4. After clicking on 'Save', you will be redirected to your Cobot account. You will now find the integration under Set up » Dormakaba Exivo. Finalise the setup by completing the following:

  • Resources: Assign your Cobot resources to the access groups ("Access Zones"). This will give your members access to your resources if they have a valid booking in the cobot calendar.

  • Plans: This will link your Cobot membership plans to the corresponding Access Groups in Dormakaba. This defines whether or not members have access to certain doors in your space. This is NOT linked to booked time in the resource calendar, but to active memberships or time passes.

Important notes on time passes:

  • Access to time passes is not restricted by the setting "valid for the period".

    • Example: If a time pass has a 'valid for period' setting of 10am - 5pm and the member enters your space at 9am, they can still gain access but will NOT be checked in. Only if the member enters your space within the 'valid for' time frame will they be checked in.

    • Members with time passes will only lose access if there are no more time passes on their accounts. So make sure your members are aware that they need to buy time passes BEFORE entering your space. (Learn more about buying time passes from a member's perspective here )

  • Mobile Access: Members can access your space using their mobile phones.

  • Webhooks: These ensure that Cobot is informed about events and changes on the Dormakaba site and are required for the integration to work. Without them, members will not be checked in when they open a door and time passes will not be deducted accordingly. Full instructions can be found under the 'Dormakaba Webhooks' tab in Cobot.


3. Granting members access to your space

There are two ways to grant your members access to your space:

  • Mobile access

  • SwissPass access

Mobile access

  1. Activate the feature 'Show phone on member signup' and 'Phone required on member signup' in Cobot, under Customize » Features » Signup.

As soon as mobile access is activated, new members can enter their mobile phone numbers in Cobot and use their mobile phones to open the doors to your space.

These are the steps members need to follow in order to get access:

  1. Signing up on a Cobot plan and adding their mobile number when signing up.

  2. After an admin has confirmed the membership, the member will receive an SMS with instructions to download the Dormakaba Exivo app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store:

3. After downloading the app, the member is asked to register their mobile phone number and enter a code sent by text message:

4. The member then receives a short intro about the app:

5. They can then see all available locks in the app and hold the mobile phone in front of doors to open them.

SwissPass access

After setting up the integration, your members will see an additional page for "SwissPass & Access" within their member portal. They will need to enter their SwissPassID and postcode once to register so that Cobot knows who they are, and then hold their pass in front of the lock to open the doors associated with their membership.

3a. Time Pass access

If Time Passes are set up in your membership plans, members only have access to your space if they have Time Passes left on their account. If no Time Passes are available, access will be blocked. This means that the member must first purchase new passes before they can access your space again, and a Time Pass will be deducted the first time the member enters your space. After that, they can use the space as usual and no further Time Passes will be deducted that day, regardless of how many doors they open

Important notes on Time Passes:

  • Access to Time Passes is not restricted by the "valid for period" setting.

  • Example: If the Time Pass has a "valid for period" setting of 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and the member enters your space at 9:00 am, they can still gain access but will NOT be checked in. Only if the member enters yoursSpace within the "valid for" time frame will they be checked in.

  • Members with Time Passes will only lose access if there are no Time Passes left on their accounts, so make sure they make it clear that they need to purchase Time Passes BEFORE they enter your space.


4. Blocking and revoking access

Only active/current Cobot members can access your space. In other words, access is automatically denied to any member who does not have an active membership in Cobot.

To read more about how to cancel or delete a member in Cobot, click here.


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