Brivo Extension
Overview
Brivo is a cloud-based physical access control system that manages building entry, including door locks, credentials, access groups, and cardholder records. The Portal 2.0 extension integrates with Brivo to connect visitor management with physical access control.
The Brivo extension is a native extension available in Portal 2.0. It connects visitor management with physical access by automatically pushing digital credentials to visitors through Brivo when a visitor signs in at the kiosk. This removes the need for reception or security staff to manually provision access in the Brivo system.
Credentials are delivered digitally through the Brivo app. No physical badge or card is required.
Important: This extension supports Brivo's cloud-based platform only.
Key Benefits
✅ Automatic digital credential distribution: No need to touch the Brivo system to extend physical access to visitors.
✅ No physical badge required: Visitors unlock doors via the Brivo app on their phone.
✅ Remote reception: Enables visitor management at unstaffed sites where no one is physically present to provision cards.
Prerequisites
Brivo cloud account with API access enabled. API access may need to be switched on or purchased through Brivo, so confirm this is in place before you begin.
Super Admin permissions on the Brivo account. Sign In App cannot grant these permissions, so if you do not have them, involve your IT team or your Brivo account manager first.
Admin access to the Sign In App Portal 2.0.
Your Brivo Marketplace Client ID and Client Secret, used to generate your Auth Token (see Step 1).
Your Brivo API Key (see "Finding your Brivo configuration values" below for where to get it).
Visitor email addresses in Sign In App must match those in Brivo.
Set up your Extension
The install modal asks for four Brivo values: API username, password, Auth Token, and API Key. These come from different parts of your Brivo setup, so gather them first using the reference below, then work through the steps in order.
Finding your Brivo configuration values
Client ID and Client Secret (used to build your Auth Token)
Your Client ID and Client Secret come from an application you register in Brivo:
Log in to Brivo and open the Marketplace from the left side menu.
Create a new application, or open your existing one, then view its Client ID and Client Secret.
When creating the application, set the authorization grant type to the type the extension expects, then save. The application will then appear in your list, and you can click into it to view the Client ID and Secret.
If your account uses the older OnAir Classic interface, you will find the equivalent screen under Setup > Account > Account Settings > Application Management.
If Brivo only displays the Client Secret once at creation, store it somewhere secure before leaving the page.
API Key
The API Key is separate from the Client ID and Secret, and this is the part that most often causes confusion. Once Brivo has enabled API access on your account, you can retrieve the key from your Brivo developer portal at developer.brivo.com/apps/mykeys. If you cannot see a key there, API access has not been enabled yet, and you will need to contact Brivo to enable it. An additional purchase from Brivo may be required.
Username and Password
These are the login credentials for a Brivo Super Admin account with API permissions. Use the Admin ID rather than an email address for the username. You can find your Admin ID by clicking your name in the bottom-left corner of Brivo and copying the Admin ID shown there. We recommend using a dedicated service account rather than a personal login, so access does not break when an individual leaves.
Quick reference
Install modal field | What it is | Where to find it |
API username | Your Brivo Admin ID | Click your name in the bottom-left of Brivo and copy the Admin ID. This is the Admin ID, not your email. |
Password | Password for that Super Admin account | The password for the account above. |
Auth Token | Base64 encoding of | Built in Step 1 from your application's Client ID and Secret. |
API Key | Brivo-issued API key |
|
Step 1: Generate your Brivo Auth Token
Before installing the extension, you need to create the Auth Token that Sign In App uses to authenticate with Brivo. This token is your Brivo client credentials combined into a single string and Base64 encoded.
Using the Client ID and Client Secret you located above, combine the two values into one string in the format
clientId:clientSecret, with a colon between them and no spaces.Base64 encode that string. The encoded result is your Auth Token.
Paste the encoded value into the Auth Token field in the install modal (Step 2).
Encoding options
macOS or Linux terminal:
echo -n 'clientId:clientSecret' | base64
The -n flag matters here. Without it, a trailing newline gets included in the encoding and the token will fail authentication.
Windows PowerShell:
[Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetBytes('clientId:clientSecret'))Security note: avoid pasting your Client Secret into public online Base64 encoders. Use a local method like the commands above so your credentials never leave your machine.
Step 2: Enable the Brivo Extension
To get started, head to Manage > Extensions where you will see a list of providers available to you:
Click into a provider to see a list of extensions associated with those providers. An admin can choose to install a specific integration to the account by clicking Install (there can be more than one extension for a provider) where you will be presented with the following screen:
Give your event a name, and then under the event drop down, choose when you would like the extension to run (for example, when a visit is created). You can then choose which site or sites you would like this configuration for.
The remaining fields require your Brivo API username, password, the Auth Token you generated in Step 1, and your API Key. Use the "Finding your Brivo configuration values" reference above if you need help locating any of these. Once these have been filled out, click Install Integration.
Step 3: Test the Integration
Create a test visitor to verify the full flow:
Create a test pre-registration in Sign In App.
Sign the visitor in at the kiosk and confirm the trigger fires.
Confirm the visitor receives their Brivo app credential.
Test unlocking a door using the delivered credential.
You can also confirm the trigger fired by checking the Activity Log (see below), where a successful run will be listed with its trigger name, event, and status.
That's it! You're now set up with the Brivo extension.
How It Works (Visitor Flow)
When a visitor signs in at the Sign In App kiosk, or is signed in via the Sign In App portal, the following flow occurs automatically:
Sign In App sends visitor details to Brivo via the API.
Brivo creates or updates the visitor record and generates a digital credential.
Brivo sends the visitor a notification to download and configure the Brivo app.
The visitor opens the app to unlock doors assigned to their access level.
When the visitor signs out, Sign In App notifies Brivo and the credential is automatically revoked.
Limitations and Known Constraints
One-directional: Data flows from Sign In App to Brivo. Bidirectional sync is on the future roadmap.
Mobile app credentials only: The extension provisions Brivo app credentials. Physical card provisioning still requires manual management in the Brivo system.
Brivo licensing: You may need to confirm API access is included in your Brivo plan.
View & Edit Installed Extensions
You can view and edit your installed extensions via Manage > Extensions > Installed. Here, you will see a list of installed extensions which you can filter by provider if required:
Click on the name of an extension to see the full extension details, and make any edits:
Activity Log
From Manage > Extensions > Activity Log you can see a full list of your extension activity, including the time and date, trigger name, event, and status:
We hope you've found this guide useful but if you have any questions around this or any Sign In App feature, please contact our support team at [email protected]