Geolocation tracking in eCourtDate captures precise location and device data when clients visit portal links, enabling your agency to verify client locations for supervision, event check-ins, and compliance purposes.

### Overview

- **What:** Configure and monitor geolocation tracking on your web portals to collect location, IP address, network, and device data from portal visitors
- **Why:** Geolocation data helps your agency verify that clients are in authorized locations, validate message delivery, and support supervision workflows
- **Who:** Administrators with portal management permissions
- **Expected outcomes:** Real-time geolocation data collection when clients access portal links, with configurable tracking levels per portal or per flow

### Prerequisites

- You must have at least one [Portal](https://app.ecourtdate.com/portals) already created in your agency
- You need Admin access to configure portal settings
- To track geolocations by flow, you need at least one flow configured in your agency

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Configure Geolocation Tracking on a Portal

1. Go to **Admin** > **Portals** from the main navigation bar.

![eCourtDate Portals link under the Gear icon](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/admin-portals.png)

2. Click the **Portal Name** you want to configure geolocation settings for.

![Portal link table](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/ecourtdate-portal-name-in-table.png)

3. Scroll to the **Visitor Tracking** section.
4. Select the desired **Geolocation Tracking** option:
   - **Disabled:** Geolocation tracking is completely off. No geolocation data is created or stored.
   - **Optional:** Visitors are prompted to enable geolocation permissions but can ignore or block permissions without being restricted from the portal.
   - **Required:** Visitors must enable geolocation permissions. If they decline or their device does not support geolocation, they are blocked and redirected to an error page.
   - **Continuous:** Works like **Required**, but also creates a new geolocation record in real time if the device location changes.
5. Click **Save** to apply your changes.

![Portal Geolocation Tracking Setting](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/portal-geolocation-tracking.png)

#### Step 2: Configure Geolocation Tracking by Flow (Optional)

You can override the portal-level geolocation setting for a specific flow.

1. Go to **Admin** > **Flows**.
2. Click the flow you want to customize.
3. Select the **Geolocation** option you want to use for that flow.
4. Click **Save** to apply your changes.

![Flow Geolocation Tracking Setting](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/flow-geolocation-tracking.png)

Leave the setting blank to use the geolocation configuration from the portal.

Note: This setting only applies to portal links generated by the given flow. It does not apply to auto messages, bulk messages, or one-off messages with a portal link.

#### Step 3: View Geolocation Data

1. From the **Dashboard**, click the **Geolocations** tab.
2. Review the map and table displaying geolocation records.
3. Geolocations are grouped by relation (related client, similar coordinates, same IP address).

#### Step 4: View Geolocation by Client

1. Open a client record where the client has visited a portal.
2. Look for the **Online Status** indicator, which shows in real time when a client is active on a portal.

![Real-time Client Online Status](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/client-online-now.png)

3. Click the status to view the most recent geolocation details.
4. Any related addresses associated with the client are displayed on the geolocation map.
5. The geolocation marker updates in real time as coordinates change.

![Real-time geolocation marker](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/geolocation-satellite-marker.png)

### What to Expect

Once geolocation tracking is enabled, portal visitors are prompted for location permissions based on your selected tracking level. Geolocation records appear in real time in the **Geolocations** tab as visitors access the portal.

**Optional mode:** Visitors see a permissions prompt but can dismiss it and still use the portal.

![Geolocation Permissions Prompt](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/geolocation-permission.png)

**Required mode:** Visitors must grant permissions. If they decline, they are blocked and redirected to an error page.

![Geolocation Required Alert](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/geolocation-permission-enable.png)

**Continuous mode:** From a visitor's perspective, there is no noticeable difference from Required mode. However, the system continues to track location changes in real time.

### Best Practices

- Use **Required** or **Continuous** mode for supervision workflows where verified location data is critical.
- Use **Optional** mode for general portals where location data is helpful but not mandatory.
- Review geolocation data regularly to identify patterns or anomalies in client portal visits.
- Configure geolocation at the flow level when different message types require different tracking levels.
- Inform clients that location tracking is in use to maintain transparency and trust.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What data is collected when geolocation tracking is enabled?**
A: When permissions are granted, the system collects latitude and longitude, physical address, accuracy, altitude, heading, and speed. Regardless of permissions, IP address data, browser type, operating system, device type, and network information may also be collected.

**Q: What happens if a visitor denies geolocation permissions?**
A: In **Optional** mode, the visitor can still access the portal. In **Required** or **Continuous** mode, the visitor is blocked and redirected to an error page. The system records the denial reason (permissions denied, position unavailable, or request timed out).

**Q: Does the flow-level geolocation setting override the portal setting?**
A: Yes. When a geolocation option is set on a flow, it overrides the portal-level setting for portal links generated by that flow. Leave the flow setting blank to inherit the portal configuration.

**Q: Can I track geolocation on bulk messages or auto messages?**
A: Flow-level geolocation settings only apply to portal links generated by that specific flow. They do not apply to auto messages, bulk messages, or one-off messages with a portal link. Those messages use the portal-level geolocation setting.

**Q: How accurate is the geolocation data?**
A: GPS-based geolocation (when permissions are granted) provides high-precision coordinates. IP address-based location is 99%+ accurate at the country level, 70-90% at the state level, and approximately 70% at the city level.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Geolocation data is not being collected for portal visits.
**Symptoms:** The **Geolocations** tab shows no records for recent portal visits.
**Solution:**

1. Verify the portal's **Geolocation Tracking** setting is not set to **Disabled**.
2. Confirm visitors are granting location permissions when prompted.
3. Check that the portal link being used is associated with the correct portal.

**Issue:** Visitor is blocked from accessing the portal.
**Symptoms:** The visitor sees an error page when trying to access a portal link.
**Solution:**

1. Check if the portal's geolocation setting is **Required** or **Continuous**.
2. Ask the visitor to enable location services on their device and grant permissions to their browser.
3. If the visitor's device does not support geolocation, consider changing the portal setting to **Optional**.

**Issue:** Geolocation shows "User denied geolocation permissions" error.
**Symptoms:** The geolocation record contains an error reason instead of coordinates.

![User denied geolocation](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/user-denied-geolocation.png)

**Solution:**

1. The visitor explicitly denied the geolocation prompt.
2. Ask the visitor to clear their browser's site permissions and try again.
3. If using **Required** mode, the visitor must grant permissions to proceed.

### Available Geolocation Data Reference

When viewing a specific geolocation record, the following data may be available based on the visitor's device and permissions.

#### Geolocation Data (requires permissions)

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| Latitude and Longitude | Geographic coordinates in decimal degrees |
| Physical Address | Approximate address based on coordinates |
| Accuracy | Accuracy level of coordinates in feet |
| Altitude | Height above the WGS84 ellipsoid in feet |
| Altitude Accuracy | Altitude accuracy in feet |
| Heading | Direction of travel in degrees (0 to 360, clockwise from true north) |
| Speed | Horizontal velocity in feet per second |

![Geolocation Example Coordinates and Physical Address Information](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/geolocation-address-info.png)

#### IP Address Data (available regardless of permissions)

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| IP Address | Visitor's IP address with country, state, and city-level accuracy |
| IP Address Location | Approximate geographic coordinates and physical address of the IP |
| IP Address ISP | Internet service provider associated with the IP address |
| Browser | Browser type and version number |
| Operating System | OS type and version number |
| Device Type | Mobile, desktop, tablet, or watch |
| Referrer | The link the visitor came from |

![Geolocation Example IP Address Information](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/geolocation-ip-address-info.png)

#### Network Data (based on device support)

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| Type | Network type (bluetooth, cellular, ethernet, wifi) |
| Downlink | Estimated network bandwidth in megabits per second |
| RTT Speed | Estimated round-trip time of the connection |
| Low Data Mode | Whether the device has reduced data mode enabled |

![Geolocation Example Network Information](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/geolocation-network-info.png)

#### Device Data (based on device support)

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| Language | Device's preferred language |
| Timezone | Device's preferred timezone |
| Battery | Whether the battery is currently charging |
| Charging Time | Seconds remaining until fully charged |
| Discharging Time | Seconds remaining until fully discharged |
| Level | Battery charge level as a percentage |
| Screen width/height | Screen dimensions in pixels |

![Geolocation Example Device Info](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/geolocation-device-info.png)

#### Step 5: Export Geolocation Data

Export geolocation records for reporting, compliance, or analysis.

1. From the **Dashboard**, click the **Geolocations** tab.
2. Use the search filters to narrow results by date range, client, or location.
3. Click the **Export** button and select your preferred format (CSV or PDF).
4. Download the exported file for offline review or sharing.

You can also visualize geolocation data on time-series maps to identify patterns, such as peak visit times or frequently accessed portal locations.

#### Step 6: Configure Location-Based Notifications

Set up notifications that trigger based on geolocation data from portal visits.

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings**.
2. Configure notification rules based on geolocation events (for example, notify staff when a client checks in at a specific location).
3. Use the **Notify** fields on portals and check-in forms to route location-based alerts to specific staff members or email addresses.
4. Click **Save** to apply your changes.

Location-based notifications are useful for supervision workflows where staff need real-time awareness of client arrivals or location compliance.

#### Step 7: Restrict Portal Access Based on Location

Configure geographic boundaries to limit portal access to specific locations.

1. Go to **Admin** > **Portals** and click the portal you want to configure.
2. Scroll to the **Access Restrictions** section.
3. Enable **Location-Based Access Restrictions**.
4. Define the allowed geographic area using one of these methods:
   - **Radius**: Enter a center address and radius (in miles or kilometers). Only visitors within the radius can access the portal.
   - **Geofence**: Draw a custom boundary on the map to define the allowed area.
   - **State/County**: Select specific states or counties where access is permitted.
5. Configure the **Denied Access** behavior:
   - Display a custom error message explaining the restriction.
   - Redirect to an alternative URL.
6. Click **Save** to apply the location restrictions.

Location-based restrictions require geolocation tracking to be set to **Required** or **Continuous** on the portal. Visitors who deny geolocation permissions or are outside the allowed area are blocked from accessing the portal.

### Related Articles

- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to Manage Users](/how-to-manage-users)
- [How to Check the Audit Logs](/how-to-check-the-audit-logs)
- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)