Context:

As a property admin, you have access to ButterflyMX Access Groups, which allows you to create access groups within the ButterflyMX OS. These access groups let you grant certain tenants and building staff access to different parts of your property at different times.

Important note: Access management will only function in areas of the property where you have ButterflyMX-controlled doors.

Use cases for Access Management might include:

• Managing access for pay-to-use spaces, such as the on-site gym
• Closing off common spaces with limited hours to residents, such as a roof deck, but keeping access for building staff
• Creating customized access for certain delivery services

How ButterflyMX Access Management Works

All ButterflyMX-equipped buildings start with a default access group. This means if no custom groups are set up, all users in your ButterflyMX system will have access to every ButterflyMX-controlled door.

Additionally, any new users who are added to the ButterflyMX system will automatically be added to the default access group.

How to create access groups:

1. Log in to the ButterflyMX OS
   • Log into the ButterflyMX OS on a computer or mobile device (not the ButterflyMX App).
2. Select ‘Access Management’ from the left-hand navigation menu
   • Select ‘Access Management’ from the left-hand navigation menu. Here, you will see an overview of your current access groups. If this is your first time here, you will only see the default group.
   • The overview of your existing groups contains the following information:
     • Name of the access group (i.e., gym)
     • Number of doors controlled by access group
     • Number of tenants currently in the access group
     • When the access group was created
     • When the access group was last updated

   • From here, you can also delete and duplicate groups.

     

3. Select ‘Add Access Group’
   • Select ‘Add Access Group’.

4. Choose a name for the Access Group
   
   

   Choose a name that clearly represents the space or the set of people in the group. For example:

   • If creating a group for the gym, call it "Gym"
   • If granting all-door access to staff, call it "Staff"
   • The default check box gives you an option to change the newly created Access Group to be set as the default  

5. Select the Devices or Access Points this Access Group will control (e.g., front door, gym, etc.)

   

   • Under drop down option, select the Device or Access Point that this access group will control (e.g., gym, package room etc.). 
   • The "Allow access at all times" checkbox, found within an Access Group next to each Device or Access Point, determines when users in that group are permitted to use their credentials (e.g., Swipe to Open, Door PIN, key fob) to access that access point. When checked, users can access the access point 24/7 using any enabled entry method. When unchecked, you can set specific days and time windows during which access is permitted — outside of those hours, no entry method will work for that access point for users in that group.
     Important distinction: This setting is not the same as Open Hours (which automatically unlocks the door for everyone). The "Allow access at all times" checkbox only controls when credentialed access is permitted for users in that specific Access Group — the door remains locked and still requires a credential to open.
   • "+Add schedule" under Device or Access Point, you are setting specific days and time windows during which users in that group are permitted to use their credentials (e.g., Swipe to Open, Door PIN, key fob) to open that access point.
     Example: Gym Monday–Friday (8 AM–7 PM), Saturday–Sunday (9 AM–5 PM)
     
      
   • Under "Entry Methods" at the bottom of an Access Group controls which access features are available to all users within that group, across all the access points assigned to the group. These are group-level toggles — enabling or disabling them here affects every user in that access group.
     
6. Hit ‘Save’
   • After clicking 'Save' at the bottom of the page, you will see the options to select Details, People, Units, and Floors at the top.
     
   • Details: This is the main configuration tab of the Access Group — it's where everything is initially set up and can be edited at any time.
   • People: This tab is where property managers manage which individual users are members of this Access Group. From here, they can, view all current members of the group (shown by name)
     + Add People — Click this button to add individual users to the Access Group. A dropdown list will appear where you can search for and select residents or users by name. To remove a user from the group, click + Add People again and uncheck the checkbox next to the profile name you wish to remove, then save.
     
     
     Import CSV — This button allows property managers to bulk add multiple users to an Access Group at once by uploading a CSV file, instead of searching for and adding people one by one.
   • This is particularly useful for properties with large numbers of residents that need to be assigned to a specific Access Group quickly and efficiently.
     How it works: Click Import CSV within the People tab of the Access Group
     Prepare a .csv file (not .xlsx or other formats) with the list of users you want to add to the group
     Upload the file — the system will map the data and add the matching users to the Access Group
     Things to keep in mind: The file must be saved in .csv format — other formats will not be accepted
     Users must already exist in the ButterflyMX OS in order to be added to an Access Group via CSV import — this feature adds existing users to a group, it does not create new tenant profiles
     Unit numbers in the CSV must exactly match the units already created in the ButterflyMX OS
     If any rows contain errors, the system will skip those entries and import the valid ones
     
   • Units: This tab allows property managers to add entire units to the Access Group, rather than adding individual tenants one by one. From here, they can:
     View all units currently assigned to this group
     To add a unit, click the + Add Unit button and select the desired unit from the dropdown list of all units in the building, then click Save. To remove a unit, click the X next to the unit you wish to remove, then click Save.
     
     Floors: This tab is used for elevator control scenarios, specifically for buildings that use ButterflyMX's Elevator Control System (ECS). It allows the property manager or ButterflyMX Support to: View which floors are associated with this Access Group
     Assign floor access to the group — Select which floors the members of this group can access. Once you are done, click Save.
     

Remember: You can add, disable, or edit access groups at any time.