Connecting Cobot to SALTO KS

Optimize access to your space using Cobot's Salto smart lock integration.

Amanda avatar
Written by Amanda
Updated over a week ago

SALTO KS is a smart lock solution for your space. They offer cloud-based access control for any company type or size, perfect for coworking and flexible workspaces.

Give your members access to certain areas of your space, and configure your meeting rooms to only be accessible when a booking is created by your members.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This integration does not work with other SALTO products, such as SALTO SPACE. It only works with SALTO KS.

Let's get started!


STEP 1: Set Up Your Plans and Add Members in Cobot

You will connect your members to SALTO KS from Cobot, so create your membership plans and add your members to Cobot first. Think about which plans in Cobot should be associated with locks in SALTO KS.

💡PRO TIP: Make a list of all plans and their access rights before setting up your SALTO KS account to make the process easier.

  • For example, You may wish to give members on your 'Basic Plan' access to the front door, Monday to Friday, but 'Full Time' members access to all doors in your space 24/7. These are defined as ACCESS GROUPS in SALTO KS.


STEP 2: Set Up Your SALTO KS Account

Before connecting your accounts, you need to have the following set up in your SALTO KS account:

  • At least one "Site": This is the name you give your property in SALTO KS

  • Physical Locks: Installed on your doors. They are set up by the SALTO KS team

  • Access Groups: They allow you to set up restrictions based on doors, times, or days of the week. These should match your Cobot plan names where applicable

  • "Tags" (optional) to assign to your members: These are physical key-fobs with unique ID numbers. Members can use them to enter your space. (Standard: mobile access via smartphone)

If you are unsure how to do any of the above, please reach out to SALTO KS support or check out their help center.


STEP 3: Connect Cobot to SALTO KS

Once you have done the above, you can now connect your two accounts:

1. Log in to the Admin side of your Cobot account.

2. Click on Add-ons » Available Add-ons » SALTO KS » Get Started » Connect to SALTO KS.

3. You will be redirected to the SALTO KS page; log in using your SALTO KS credentials

4. You will be redirected to a permission request screen. Check all boxes and click on 'Yes, Allow.'

5. Click on 'Connect to Salto' and choose your SALTO KS Site from the dropdown.

6. Click on 'Configure Site.' You will be redirected back to the new section in your Cobot navigation menu (under Manage » Salto), where you can:

  • Map Resources

  • Connect Members

  • Assign Tags

Mapping Resources:

in order to give members access to booked resources, you need to map your resources. This only applies if you have locks installed on the resources that appear in your Cobot booking calendar under Bookings » Resources.

To keep things clear, name your locks in SALTO KS the same as the Resource it is mounted to in Cobot.

Check the resources you would like to connect to the booking calendar and click 'Save.'

Any member who makes bookings in Cobot will only be able to access that resource on the date and time of their booking. Locks open up to 5 minutes before and after a booking to leave buffer time for setup/cleaning up.

You can see Cobot bookings in your SALTO KS account under ‘ACCESS’. They are defined by 'Cobot' followed by a string of numbers. These are temporary access groups defined by the booking the member made in Cobot.

When you click on the access group, it will show you the name of the member who has made a booking, the lock they have access to, and the time frame associated with the booking in Cobot.

IMPORTANT NOTES

  • If you DELETE the booking in Cobot, the member's access will also be removed in SALTO KS. Changing bookings will also subsequently change the access date and time in SALTO KS.

  • Editing booking Time Frames in SALTO KS will NOT change the booking in Cobot. Therefore, it is best to make any edits from the Cobot side.


STEP 4: Member Interaction

When you have completed the setup you will see an option to connect all new members automatically from now on. This only applies to new members who sign up after you activate the setting. You will need to manually connect existing members.

Manually Connecting Members With Tags:

To allow your members access to locks, you need to connect them via your Cobot account. Go to Manage » Salto:

  1. Click on Connect Members

  2. Next to the member, you wish to give access, click on 'Connect to Salto'

  3. Assign that member a tag

Your member will now be present in your SALTO KS dashboard under 'PEOPLE' and automatically gain the access rights you have set up. The name of the Cobot plan they are on will be the name of the Access Group they are added to.

💡Pro tip: Add instructions on how the member can access your doors in the Membership Confirmation Email template in Cobot under Customize » Emails.

Connecting Members With Mobile Access

Members sent from Cobot to SALTO KS automatically get an additional invite-email from SALTO KS, prompting them to download and install the Salto KS app on their phone. Once they do, the member can use the app to access your space instead of physical Tags or fobs.

⚠️ It is not currently possible to turn off the mobile invitation, so be sure to include extra information for your members if you wish to also issue them physical tags or fobs.

In SALTO KS you can see if your member has installed that app or not. If not, you can resend the invitation.

💡Pro tip: Add instructions on how the member can download your app and access your doors in the Membership Confirmation Email template in Cobot under Customize » Emails.

Check-in report:

As SALTO KS locks recognize when your member enters a room, check-ins are tracked. These can be seen in both SALTO KS and Cobot.

  • You can see these reflected in Cobot in your admin dashboard under Analyze > Attendance, as well as the individual member profile under 'Past check-ins.'

  • You can see a report via your SALTO KS dashboard under 'EVENTS.'

  • It is not possible to track check-out data at this time. This is due to the fact that SALTO KS locks do not track people when leaving a room. Therefore Cobot is unable to accurately track a member leaving.

Time Pass Usage

When a member is checked in, Cobot will see if they have any time passes on their account. If they do, a time pass will be automatically deducted.

  • By default, Cobot looks for the least expensive pass, like a half-day or hourly pass, and will deduct that one first. If the member check-out time is longer, the shorter pass will be returned to the member account. The longer, more expensive one will be deducted instead.

  • The member will only be able to check-in on one pass at a time and will remain checked-in for the duration of the pass, even if they enter and exit your space multiple times.

  • To restrict access to members who run out of Time Passes, click on 'Settings' in the SALTO KS add-on and check the 'Restrict time pass access' box.

    When this checkbox is enabled, members who run out of Time Passes lose access to any locks assigned to them via their membership plan. Once a member has bought or been assigned new Time Passes, access is immediately restored. This does not include locks specifically assigned to a member via the "assign locks" feature.

Changing Access or Tokens:

  • When your member's plan is changed in Cobot, they will be moved to the corresponding Access Group in SALTO KS, meaning their access rights might change. It is a good idea to let your members know ahead of time so they are not confused when they can't access a lock they may have had rights to in the past.

  • If you add a member in Cobot to a membership plan NOT present in SALTO KS as an Access Group, then a new access group with no restrictions will be created. You will need to edit their access rights in SALTO KS manually.

  • Cobot pushes information to SALTO KS, but NOT vice-versa. This means it is best to manage your member's access from Cobot wherever possible. Removing access from members via your SALTO KS dashboard will NOT update the pairing in Cobot.

Revoking Access:

Your member's access will be automatically canceled in SALTO KS when you cancel their membership in Cobot. This way, you never have to worry about someone gaining access to your space when they shouldn't.


STEP 5: Disconnecting Your Account or Adding a New Site

Suppose you need to disconnect an existing site or connect a new site to your Cobot account. In that case, you can do so by going to Add-ons » SALTO KS and walking through the setup steps once more. You will then see this screen:


📍

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