Watchlist
Screen visitors at check-in against your own list of people who need attention, and alert security quietly when there's a match.
Agoo is in early access. This page describes the feature as it ships to early-access organisations; screens are illustrative.
The watchlist is your organisation's own list of people who need attention at the door: someone banned after an incident, a former contractor whose pass was withdrawn, or a person a court order keeps away. Agoo checks every check-in against it and, on a match, holds the check-in and tells security without a scene at the desk.
The watchlist is included on Growth, Pro and Enterprise.
How matching works
When a visit is created (an invitation, a pre-registration or a booking) and again at check-in, Agoo compares the visitor with every active watchlist entry for that site on:
- Name, with fuzzy matching, so "Kofi Boateng", "K. Boateng" and a misspelling are all caught;
- Phone number;
- ID number, when you capture IDs. ID numbers are compared using a secure hash, so the full number doesn't need to be stored or shown.
When the kiosk is offline
Kiosks and guard devices keep screening during a network or power cut. They hold a protected copy of the watchlist for their site, never the names or numbers themselves. An offline match is handled exactly like an online one, and security is alerted the moment the device reconnects.
Because an exact copy can't catch a misspelt name, Agoo screens every offline check-in again when the device syncs, with fuzzy name matching. If that finds a match the device missed, the visitor is already inside: security is alerted at once, and the alert and the watchlist.matched webhook say the visitor entered while offline.
A match holds the visit: no pass is sent and the host isn't asked. If the person arrives, the check-in is recorded and security is told again. The visitor sees a neutral message, such as "Please wait, someone will be with you shortly", and the kiosk carries on as normal for everyone else. Nothing on screen tells the visitor or other people in the queue that they've been flagged.
Alerts
Security gets a silent alert straight away by push in the Workspace app, and by SMS, WhatsApp or email if you choose. Messages only say that a security review is needed at the site, with a link to the console: never the person's name, the entry or why it matched, because a message can be read over someone's shoulder. The Console shows the entry, why it matched and where the person is, on the visit and under Security → Watchlist → Waiting for review. From there, security can:
- Refuse entry, which declines the visit (a visitor let in while a device was offline is checked out instead);
- Let them in, with a written reason, when it isn't them or they may come in: the visit carries on as it would have, so the host is asked or told;
- call security to the desk as you normally would.
Reception sees only that the check-in is on hold, and can't approve or cancel it until security has decided.
Every alert, decision and override is written to the audit trail with the person, time and device.
Add someone to the watchlist
Open Console → Security → Watchlist
Choose Add entry. You can also add someone from a past visit, which copies their details across.
Enter what you know
A name and at least one of phone number or ID number. The ID number is kept only as a secure fingerprint for matching. Adding a photo comes later.
Give a reason and an expiry date
Every entry needs a reason, such as "Banned after damage to the lobby, 12 May". Set an expiry date unless there's a reason it should last indefinitely. Expired entries stop matching.
Choose the scope
Apply the entry to one site, such as a site ban, or to every site in your organisation.
Fairness and data rules
A watchlist holds personal data about people who may not know they're on it, so treat it with care.
- A person decides. A match alerts a human; Agoo doesn't deny anyone automatically, and Agoo AI never adds or removes people.
- Keep entries specific and lawful. List people for something they did or a legal order, never for who they are. Don't use the watchlist to discriminate on ethnicity, religion, gender, disability or any other protected ground.
- Expire what's no longer needed. Review entries regularly, and delete entries you no longer need. Deleting erases the entry's personal data; the audit trail keeps that it existed and matched, without who it was.
- Every look is recorded. Each time someone opens or searches the watchlist, and each entry added or removed, is written to the audit trail with who did it.
- Limit who can see it. By default, only Owners, Admins and Security leads can view or edit the watchlist. Reception sees only that a check-in is on hold.
- Your watchlist is yours. It's never shared with or matched against other organisations.
False matches happen
Fuzzy name matching will sometimes flag the wrong person, especially with common names. Train security to confirm with a photo, phone or ID before acting, and to override politely with a reason when it isn't them.