Documentation

Set up notifications and operator access

Use with AI

In standard v0.39, start in Settings → API & integrations. Let a receiving system use the read-only API, or expand Advanced event delivery to configure a webhook. Verify a test delivery first, then a critical event from actual monitoring.

Set up event delivery

Obtain the receiver address and signing setup from its administrator. Enter the receiver name and address under API event delivery (Webhook). In the secret field, enter the setting name supplied by the administrator. The secret value stays on the host.
Select severities and event sources. The test buttons produce sdk.test, so the test connector must include that source and the severity you will test.
Create in dry-run is selected by default. To test delivery to the receiver, clear it and select Create connector. Check that the connector appears in the list, then press the matching severity test button.
Check the delivery record and the receiving system. After the test, confirm the production connector includes the required sources and severities, then verify a real monitoring event at the receiver.

Ask the receiver’s administrator to verify the desktop connector’s payload and signature. Desktop connectors use a different payload from developer API webhooks, so they need the matching validation rules.

Read-only API quick start · Delivery and signature guide

Compatibility reference: separately enabled chat and email channels

Standard v0.39 has no Agent → Channels menu. Use the following instructions only if support has provided a build with that menu enabled. Otherwise, use the API or event delivery settings above. Enter credentials in Watch; saved secrets are shown only as configured or missing.

These optional channels receive notifications. Some also support operator queries and commands.

Optional channels

Channel	Use	What to enter	Two-way?
Telegram	Receive snapshots, query status, and send commands.	Bot Token, Chat ID	Yes
Slack Commands	Queries and commands inside company Slack.	Bot Token, App Token, allowed User IDs	Yes
Slack Alerts / Google Chat	Send alerts to a channel or space.	Incoming Webhook URL	No
LINE / Email / Discord / Teams	Receive alerts in chat or email.	Channel-specific values below	No
Webhook	n8n, Make, Zapier, WhatsApp, SMS, PagerDuty, or your backend.	Receiver URL and optional HMAC secret	Handled by your receiver

Set up Telegram

Find @BotFather in Telegram, send /newbot, then copy the Bot Token.
Find the new bot and send one ordinary message such as hi.
Open https://api.telegram.org/bot<yourToken>/getUpdates in a browser and find the numeric chat.id in the response.
Enter Bot Token and Chat ID in the Telegram card, then save.
Send /status to the bot. A camera summary confirms the two-way connection.

Useful commands: /status, /recent 10, /snapshot 1, and /watch 1 Watch the rear door for loitering. The first Chat ID receives alerts. Additional comma-separated Chat IDs can use commands according to their role. To notify a group, use its Chat ID as the first entry.

Set up Slack alerts or commands

Slack Alerts: create an Incoming Webhook in a Slack app, choose the destination channel, and paste the URL into the Slack alerts card. It delivers alerts only.

Slack Commands uses Socket Mode and does not require a publicly accessible Watch computer. Create a Slack App, enable Socket Mode, create an App-Level Token with connections:write (xapp-…), install the App for a Bot Token (xoxb-…), and enter allowed Slack User IDs. Test by DMing /status to the bot. Users in the allowlist or role configuration can operate it according to their role.

Set up other alert-only channels

Google Chat: create an Incoming Webhook in the Workspace space and paste its URL.
LINE: create a Messaging API channel in LINE Developers and enter its Channel Access Token plus destination user/group ID. This version sends text alerts; use Telegram, email, Discord, or a webhook for photos.
Email: enter SMTP Host, Port (usually 587), account, App Password, From, and one or more To addresses. Use an App Password for Gmail/Microsoft where available. A successful alert contains text and a JPEG attachment.
Discord: create a Webhook in the target channel’s Integrations settings and paste its URL; critical snapshots are attached.
Microsoft Teams: create a Workflows/Power Automate flow that posts when a webhook request arrives, then paste the Workflow Webhook URL. This version sends a text card.

Optional Alert Webhook channel

Enter the receiver URL and an HMAC secret. Watch posts signed JSON to that URL; the receiver must verify X-Sentinel-Signature against the raw request body before parsing it. This optional channel uses a sha256=signature and a different payload from desktop event delivery above. Your receiver can connect it to WhatsApp, SMS, PagerDuty, Trainge, or your backend. Keep your RTSP URL and Watch token out of third-party workflows.

Watch sends events to your webhook receiver. The receiver URL cannot send commands back to Watch. The desktop LAN API supports reads only; change monitoring settings in Watch. For other automated operations, first confirm the integration and permissions supported by that version.

Set operator permissions

viewer can query status and snapshots; operator can use /watch; admin can manage long-term notes. A single trusted operator can begin without roles; multi-person venues should define roles and make the default viewer.

SENTINEL_CLAW_ROLES={"8765432":"admin","U0456WXYZ":"operator"}
SENTINEL_CLAW_DEFAULT_ROLE=viewer

Verify delivery. The card shows “Configured · delivery unverified” after credentials are present. Confirm a test reply or alert arrives through that channel. Never place Bot Tokens, Slack tokens, SMTP passwords, or webhook URLs in camera JSON, screenshots, group chat, or public documentation.

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