The Self-Deployment Guide walks you through setting up your EarthRanger site, one step at a time. We've curated these steps to cover everything a basic site needs to be fully functional — and a little more — so you can work through them in order, or go straight to the parts that matter for your setup.
Where would you like to begin? Pick a step below to open its guides — explore them, then return here to choose your next step. If you're just getting started, select Start here first.
Start here
Get into the EarthRanger Admin interface — where every step of self-deployment happens.
(VIDEO)
What you’ll set up: your password and access to the Admin interface.
New to EarthRanger?
- (NEW) First login: create your password and reach the Admin interface [Self-Deployment copy — confirm/create] — Receiving the ER email, setting a password, EULA, OPS vs Admin
Already have your password?
- How to Log In to the Admin Site
← Done with this step? Return to the menu to pick your next one.
Set Up The Map
Give your site its geographic context — the features, hierarchy, and quicklinks your team navigates by.
What you’ll set up: the map features, hierarchy, and quicklinks that give your site its geographic context.
Prefer to learn by watching? Start with the guided demo:
- Map Features – Guided Demo — covers importing and organizing features end to end
Prefer to learn by reading? Follow these guides:
- (NEW) Map features hierarchy: Display Categories & Feature Types [Self-Deployment copy — confirm/create] — concept overview before you import
- Configure and Import Map Features in Admin
- Configure Feature Types for Map Layer Styling
- Validate and Troubleshoot Map Imports
- Want to personalize your map zoom views?
- Add Map Quicklinks
← Done with this step? Return to the menu to pick your next one.
Create Event Types
Build the categories and types your team uses to record data in the field, using the Event Form Editor.
(VIDEO)
What you’ll set up: the event categories and types your team uses to record data in the field, built with the Event Form Editor (EFE).
Plan some time for this section — designing event types well usually takes more than one sitting.
Follow these guides
- Understanding Event Categories — includes the intro video
- Custom Event Categories & Types with the Event Form Editor — includes adding choice fields
- Validate Event Types in EarthRanger
← Done with this step? Return to the menu to pick your next one.
Add Your Subjects
Set up the subjects and subject groups that represent everyone and everything you track.
(VIDEO)
What you’ll set up: the subjects and subject groups that represent the people and assets you track — including everyone using the EarthRanger Mobile app.
Follow these guides:
- Understand and create Subjects and Subject Groups
Connecting tracking hardware or external data feeds? See the Integrations section.
← Done with this step? Return to the menu to pick your next one.
Configure Patrols
Set up patrol types and configuration so field teams can record patrols.
(VIDEO)
What you’ll set up: patrol types and configuration so field teams can record patrols.
Follow these guides
- Create and assign Patrol Types
- (NEW) Patrol configuration [Self-Deployment copy — confirm/create]
← Done with this step? Return to the menu to pick your next one.
Set User Access
Give the right people the right level of access to your site.
(VIDEO)
What you’ll set up: the right level of access for each person on your team.
Start here:
- Permissions & Access in Self-Deployment
- Managing Users in EarthRanger Admin
Need operator users with restricted access?
- Configure and assign Permission Sets
- Set permissions for Event Types
Need users who can access EarthRanger only on your organization’s devices?
- (NEW) Configure profile users [Self-Deployment copy — confirm/create] — no-password logins that reduce account sharing
Setting up field users on the EarthRanger Mobile app?
- Set up Mobile User Permissions
← Done with this step? Return to the menu to pick your next one.
Connect Data Sources
Connect external data sources to your site. For most basic setups, that’s a simple Gundi connection.
(VIDEO)
What you’ll set up: connections to external data sources. For most basic deployments this is a simple Gundi connection.
Follow these guides
- What is Gundi?
- (NEW) Basic Gundi access: create your connection [Self-Deployment copy — confirm/create] — Gundi user & permissions, first access, create connection
← Done with this step? Return to the menu to pick your next one.
Advanced Path
Advanced configuration covers options not every organization needs: basemaps and ArcGIS, schema-based event types, sources and source providers, device integrations, and analyzers (geofence, proximity, immobility, and FIRMS). Head to the Advanced section when you’re ready.
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