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Geofences2 min read

Creating and editing zones

How to draw polygons and circles in the Sentinel geofence studio, set variant, name with operational criteria, and save without breaking existing rules.

Published on April 18, 2026

Operational summary

Open the geofence studio from the fleet menu (path /fleet/geofences). There you can draw new shapes on the map, set name and variant, and save.

Circle and polygon shapes are supported as provided by the editor—adjust vertices or radius until the zone matches the real perimeter.

Deep dive

The geofence studio lives at /fleet/geofences and is where you draw, edit, and manage all your organization's zones. It combines a full-screen map with side panels to name, set variant, and save. If you've never used it, give yourself 15 minutes before needing it in production: the learning curve is short, but worth doing calmly.

For zones with regular borders (a rectangular plot, a roundabout) the polygon tool lets you click each vertex and close the shape with a double click. For point-centered zones (a radius around a base, a coverage zone for an antenna) the circle is faster: tap the center and drag to the desired radius. Then you can adjust individual vertices or the radius with a drag.

The zone name matters more than it seems: it shows up in the tactical log, in mobile app notifications, and in exports. A name like 'Zone 1' forces memorizing correspondences; 'South perimeter warehouse' is self-explanatory in any message. Think of it as variable naming: optimize for operational readability, not brevity.

After each meaningful change, save. If saving fails with a database error, most likely Supabase migrations aren't applied in your environment (this happens locally when fresh containers come up without running migrations). In cloud the case is rare, but contact support with Org ID and the attempted geometry so the team can diagnose.

Key takeaways

  • Save after meaningful edits; if you see database errors, confirm Supabase migrations are applied for the environment you use (local or cloud).
  • Name zones for operations clarity (e.g., north perimeter, authorized personnel only) so log lines and mobile copy stay readable.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import geofences from GeoJSON?
The visual editor is the official way; bulk import is on the roadmap. For specific cases with many zones, contact support for assisted migration.
How do I delete a zone?
From the studio's side panel. The action requires confirmation via a modern modal (not the native confirm) and the log records the change for audit.
Do zones sync immediately?
The dashboard uses the change as soon as you save. The mobile app refreshes when the operator opens the session or after a configured polling interval.
Can I archive zones without deleting them?
Yes. Archiving keeps historical geometry for audit without showing on active maps or triggering evaluations.
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