How to Find Properties and Residents in Mission Control
As a gate attendant, your first step when a visitor arrives is to verify whom they are visiting. Mission Control's search tools make it easy to locate properties and identify residents, guests, or vendors.
Step 1 – Open Mission Control
- Step 1: Sign in to MyWatchtower. Gate staff who can operate gates land in Mission Control automatically when they select Dashboard in the left navigation.
- Step 2: From any staff view, use the Dashboard / Mission Control / Analytics mode selector to switch into Mission Control, or select the Mission Control call-to-action ("Manage live gate operations") on the staff dashboard.
Mission Control is a four-panel workspace: Property Search, Visitor Search, Priority Contacts, and Entry Management.
Step 2 – Search for a property
- Step 1: In the Property Search panel, begin typing the house number, street name, or full address the visitor gives you.
- Step 2: Select the correct address from the matches. The Visitor Search and Priority Contacts panels populate for that property.
- Step 3: If the property is not found, confirm the spelling and that the visitor is at the correct gate.
- Step 4: To start over, clear the search and select a different property.
Searching across a community group: if your community belongs to a group and you can view more than one member community, property and visitor searches automatically span the whole group. Each result is labeled with the community it belongs to, so double-check the label before selecting.
Step 3 – Search for a person
- Step 1: In the Visitor Search panel, type the first or last name of the person the visitor is asking for. Matches tied to the selected property appear as you type.
- Step 2: Check each result's tag: Resident (occupant), Guest (visitor registered for the property), Vendor (service provider), or Restricted (denied entry — verify with management before allowing access).
- Step 3: Guests and vendors can carry entry schedules (allowed days and time windows). Anyone outside their schedule appears grayed out in the results, and Mission Control warns you before you record their entry — treat an out-of-schedule arrival as unexpected and use the Priority Contacts list to confirm.
- Step 4: Select the person; their details flow into the Entry Management panel when you record the entry. If the person has a photo on file, the panel shows it — select the photo to enlarge it and confirm the person in front of you matches. If your account has photo permission, you can upload a photo for a visitor who has none, right from the panel.
- Step 5: If the person isn't listed, confirm the property is correct, or create them on the spot with the Create Visitor option. If your account has photo permission, you can attach a photo while creating them.
Tips for efficient searches
- Use the full legal name when possible; nicknames and misspellings prevent matches.
- For condos or multi-unit dwellings, double-check the unit number — each unit is a separate property.
- Use Scan License to capture a visitor's name from their driver's license and seed the search automatically.
- Review any notes shown on a guest or vendor record — residents often leave handling instructions there.