Access Control Overview
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MakerVera can connect to your makerspace’s physical access control system—electronic door locks, equipment activators, area access gates—so that approved members and event attendees automatically gain (and lose) access without any manual intervention.
This page explains how the feature works and helps you choose the right setup for your makerspace.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”When a member holds an authorization that covers a physical zone, MakerVera notifies your access control provider to grant that person entry. When the authorization expires or is revoked, MakerVera sends the revoke signal automatically.
MakerVera is the policy source of truth. It decides who should and shouldn’t have access based on authorizations, event policies, and your settings.
Your access control provider is the enforcement source of truth. It actually opens (or denies) the door when someone presents their credential.
This separation means you can change your access control provider or hardware without rewriting your MakerVera membership rules—and vice versa.
Available providers
Section titled “Available providers”MakerVera currently supports two provider types:
| Provider type | Best for |
|---|---|
| OpenPath / Avigilon Alta | Makerspaces already using the OpenPath or Avigilon Alta cloud platform |
| Webhook | Custom or DIY door controllers, or builders integrating their own systems |
You can connect more than one provider at the same time. MakerVera routes each grant and revoke to the correct provider based on which zones it manages.
Choosing a provider
Section titled “Choosing a provider”OpenPath / Avigilon Alta is a commercial cloud-based access control platform. If your makerspace already has OpenPath hardware and an Avigilon Alta account, this is the most straightforward path. MakerVera connects with an API service account you set up in the Alta portal and mirrors your Alta access groups as zones in MakerVera.
Webhook is for custom or self-hosted setups. MakerVera sends a signed HTTP request to a URL you control whenever it needs to grant or revoke access. This works with any hardware or software that can receive webhooks—Raspberry Pi builds, ESP32 controllers, or third-party platforms not yet natively supported. The receiving endpoint requires technical implementation; see the Webhook Integration Guide for the builder walkthrough.
Each provider exposes one or more zones—individual physical locations or pieces of equipment that can be granted or denied independently. Zones from different providers are all visible in MakerVera and can each be linked to authorizations or event access policies. MakerVera routes every grant and revoke to the correct provider based on which provider owns that zone.
For OpenPath, zones come from your Alta access groups and are imported via a sync. For webhook providers, zones are created and managed directly in MakerVera.
Provider management
Section titled “Provider management”Providers are managed under Settings → Integrations. You’ll need the Manage Access Control permission to add, edit, or delete providers.