[ Geofencing ]
Confirm where the crew actually is
Site Sign-In already ties a check-in to a phone number verified by SMS and a real-time compliance check, but it never confirms where that phone actually is. Anyone with the QR code image could tap it in from anywhere. Geofencing closes that gap: the moment someone signs in, Novato checks their phone's location against the site's boundary, and holds the sign-in if they're not actually there.
Continuous mode is available by request, on Armor or a custom plan — get in touch to turn it on for a project.
How it works
Turn it on for a project, from the Site Sign-In settings
Novato geocodes the project's own address to a starting point on the map. Confirm or drag the pin, then set a radius that fits the site.
Choose Check-in or Continuous
Check-in confirms location once, at the moment someone signs in. Continuous keeps confirming for the whole shift, through the Novato Vault app — see the note above on availability.
A Tradie signs in exactly as they already do
Same QR scan or NFC tap, same phone number verification. Nothing new to learn, whichever mode is on.
Check-in: their phone's location is checked at that moment
Within the radius, sign-in proceeds normally. Outside it, the sign-in is held with a clear "too far to sign in" message instead of quietly recording an inaccurate check-in. Signing out is never checked, regardless of location.
Continuous: their phone confirms location through the shift
A Tradie logs into the Novato Vault app once, and it keeps confirming they're near the site while their shift is active, visible on the project's own sign-in log. They see tracking is on the whole time, and can end it themselves from the app.
How this fits Australian WHS compliance
Check-in is a single location snapshot at the moment of sign-in, nothing recorded afterward. Continuous is the deliberately bigger version of the same idea, for projects that want it: ongoing confirmation through a shift, via a dedicated app a Tradie logs into themselves, always visible to them, never silent. Neither mode records anything if a phone's GPS is denied or unavailable, a missing reading is never treated as a failure. Both build on Site Sign-In's existing phone verification and live compliance check, not a surveillance layer bolted on top.
Common questions
Does this track a worker for the whole shift?
Only if you turn on Continuous mode for a project. Check-in mode stays a one-off check at sign-in, with nothing recorded afterward. Both are opt-in per project, and a Tradie always sees when tracking is active.
What if someone's GPS is denied or not working?
Their sign-in still goes through. A missing location reading never blocks a legitimate worker over a phone permission or a signal issue, only an actual out-of-range reading holds the sign-in.
Can it stop someone from leaving site?
No. Check-in is only ever checked on the way in, signing out always works. Continuous tracking stops the moment a Tradie ends their shift in the Novato Vault app.
Which plan includes Geofencing?
Check-in mode is included on Armor. Continuous mode is currently limited-availability, not something every Armor account gets automatically — contact us if you want it for a project.
How is the site boundary set?
Novato starts from the project's own address, geocoded automatically, and the radius is set per project. A Principal Contractor can adjust both to fit the actual site, whichever mode is on.