Granting Access

Access Grants are the default and recommended way to grant access to any physical space, across smart locks and access control systems.

Use Access Grants to grant a person access to a physical space. Access Grants are the default and recommended way to grant access on Seam—for any kind of space (a home, a building, a locker, a parking structure) and irrespective of the locking hardware (standalone smart locks, access control systems, and more).

With one API call, you tell Seam who should have access, where, when, and how. Seam creates the credential, attaches it to a user identity, encodes the time window, propagates it to every relevant device, and re-materializes it as devices come online, get added to spaces, or change ownership. PIN codes, mobile keys, and plastic cards—all through the same request.

JavaScript

await seam.accessGrants.create({
  user_identity: {
    full_name: 'Jane Doe',
    email_address: '[e-mail]',
  },
  device_ids: ['6ba7b811-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8'],
  requested_access_methods: [{ mode: 'code' }],
  starts_at: '2025-07-13T15:00:00.000Z',
  ends_at: '2025-07-16T11:00:00.000Z',
})

cURL

curl --include --request POST "https://connect.getseam.com/access_grants/create" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $SEAM_API_KEY" \
  --json @- <<EOF
{
  "user_identity": {
    "full_name": "Jane Doe",
    "email_address": "[e-mail]"
  },
  "device_ids": ["6ba7b811-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8"],
  "requested_access_methods": [
    {
      "mode": "code"
    }
  ],
  "starts_at": "2025-07-13T15:00:00.000Z",
  "ends_at": "2025-07-16T11:00:00.000Z"
}
EOF

Python

seam.access_grants.create(
    user_identity={
        "full_name": "Jane Doe",
        "email_address": "[e-mail]",
    },
    device_ids=["6ba7b811-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8"],
    requested_access_methods=[{"mode": "code"}],
    starts_at="2025-07-13T15:00:00.000Z",
    ends_at="2025-07-16T11:00:00.000Z",
)

Ruby

seam.access_grants.create(
  user_identity: {
    full_name: "Jane Doe",
    email_address: "[e-mail]",
  },
  device_ids: %w[6ba7b811-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8],
  requested_access_methods: [{ mode: "code" }],
  starts_at: "2025-07-13T15:00:00.000Z",
  ends_at: "2025-07-16T11:00:00.000Z",
)

PHP

$seam->access_grants->create(
    user_identity: [
        "full_name" => "Jane Doe",
        "email_address" => "[e-mail]",
    ],
    device_ids: ["6ba7b811-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8"],
    requested_access_methods: [
        ["mode" => "code"],
    ],
    starts_at: "2025-07-13T15:00:00.000Z",
    ends_at: "2025-07-16T11:00:00.000Z",
);

C#

// Coming Soon!

Seam CLI

seam access-grants create --user_identity {"full_name":"Jane Doe","email_address":"[e-mail]"} --device_ids ["6ba7b811-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8"] --requested_access_methods [{"mode":"code"}] --starts_at "2025-07-13T15:00:00.000Z" --ends_at "2025-07-16T11:00:00.000Z"

Access Grants work across the entire Seam provider lineup:

• Standalone smart locks, such as August, Yale, Schlage, Lockly, TTLock, Tedee, and igloohome devices. Specify the locks directly with device_ids.
• Access control systems (ACS), such as Salto KS, Salto Space, ASSA ABLOY Visionline and Vostio, dormakaba, Brivo, and Avigilon Alta. Specify entrances with acs_entrance_ids.
• Mixed estates. Combine device_ids and acs_entrance_ids in the same Access Grant, or group access points into spaces and grant access to the whole group with space_ids.

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Start Simple, Then Scale Up

We recommend learning Access Grants in three steps, from the simplest setup to the most advanced:

1. One device. Connect a smart lock and create an Access Grant with a single device_id and a code access method. See Creating an Access Grant Using Devices.
2. Multiple devices and spaces. Pass several device_ids in one call to grant access to a set of locks at once. To manage groups of access points by name—for example, everything a guest in Unit 101 needs—organize them into spaces and grant access by space_id.
3. Access control systems. Connect an ACS, such as Salto, Visionline, or Brivo, and grant access to entrances with acs_entrance_ids. This path can involve additional setup, such as licenses, on-premises connections through Seam Bridge, mobile key configuration, and reservations for offline-override systems. See Creating an Access Grant Using Entrances.

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Access Grant Characteristics

An Access Grant includes the following characteristics:

Characteristic	Creation Parameter	Description
Who	user_identity_id or user_identity	The user to whom to grant access. You can either create a user identity separately and specify the ID to the Access Grant or create a new user identity as part of the Access Grant creation action.
Where	device_ids, space_ids, or acs_entrance_ids	The access points to which to grant access. Specify one or more devices (such as standalone smart locks) by ID, one or more access system entrances by ID, or both. Alternately, you can define spaces that contain groups of related devices and entrances and then specify one or more spaces by ID.
When	starts_at and ends_at	The access schedule.
How	requested_access_methods and mode	The access methods that you want to grant for the user. In each requested_access_method, specify the desired mode of access, such as a PIN code, key card, or mobile key (with an Instant Key ).

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Access Grant Process

The Access Grant process consists of the following steps:

Step	Description
Connect your devices or access system to Seam.	To connect your devices or access system to Seam, we recommend embedding a Connect Webview in your application. The Connect Webview flow guides the property manager through each step of the connection process. For standalone smart locks, this is all the setup you need. For on-premises access systems, use Seam Bridge to connect the access system securely to Seam. For details, see Connect an Access System to Seam .
(Access systems only) Set up your site.	If you are granting access to access system entrances, confirm hardware capabilities and make sure that you have the required licenses. For example, if you plan to use mobile keys or Instant Keys, your lock hardware must support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) keys. Also, to use mobile keys with your access system, you may need to purchase licenses or subscriptions to activate certain software features. These requirements vary by access system. For details, see Setting Up Your Site for Instant Keys and the system integration guide for your access system.
(Optional) Set up spaces to organize access points into logical groups.	You can use spaces to create groups of devices and entrances for efficiency. For example, a user staying in Room 101 may need access to the Room 101 door, the main entrance door, and the nearest elevator. You could create a space that includes these access points and then use this space when creating an Access Grant. For details, see spaces.
Create a user identity.	User identities represent your users—the people to whom you want to grant access. You can create a user identity before creating an Access Grant, or you can create a user identity as part of creating the Access Grant. See Managing Mobile App User Accounts with User Identities .
Create an Access Grant.	When you create an Access Grant, you specify the user identity to whom you want to grant access, the access schedule, the set of devices, entrances, or spaces, and one or more access methods that you want to request. See Creating an Access Grant Using Devices , Creating an Access Grant Using Spaces , and Creating an Access Grant Using Entrances . You can poll for access method status changes or watch for Access Grant and access method lifecycle events that alert you to next steps, such as how and when to deliver each created access method to your user.
Deliver the access method to the user.	Once Seam alerts you that your access methods are ready, deliver them to your user. Delivery steps depend on the mode of access, such as PIN code, plastic key card, or mobile key. If you have created an Access Grant that includes a code access method, retrieve the access method to get the PIN code and share it with your user. If you have created an Access Grant that includes a card access method, you may need to encode the card using the Seam encoders API. If you have created an Access Grant that includes a mobile key, you can use the Seam mobile SDKs to develop your mobile app that delivers these mobile keys to your users. Each mobile key also includes an Instant Key URL. To share this Instant Key with your user, send it through text or email or embed it in your own app. See Delivering Access Methods.

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Which API Should I Use to Grant Access?

Use Access Grants. The lower-level APIs remain available for a small set of specific scenarios:

Scenario	API to use
Grant a person access to one or more smart locks	Access Grants (device_ids)
Grant a person access to ACS entrances	Access Grants (acs_entrance_ids)
Grant a person access to a group of access points	Access Grants + spaces (space_ids)
Issue a mobile key or Instant Key	Access Grants (mode: "mobile_key")
Set a PIN with a specific custom code value on a single lock	Access Codes API (low-level)
Manage offline or backup PIN code pools on a single lock	Access Codes API (low-level)
Directly manage ACS users, credentials, and access groups	ACS API (low-level)
Lock or unlock a door remotely	Smart Locks API (not a granting workflow)

The low-level Access Codes and ACS granting workflows are no longer recommended for granting access. For new development, use Access Grants—they cover the same providers through one consistent, future-proof interface.

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Using Reservations

Some access control systems (such as Dormakaba Ambiance, Dormakaba Community, Visionline, Salto Space, and Vostio) rely on offline override behavior for guest and resident credentials.

When issuing Access Grants for these systems, you’ll need to use reservations to ensure credentials override and join correctly.

👉 Learn how to use reservations with Access Grants →

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Get Started

To create your first Access Grant, see the Access Grant Quick Start. Then, learn more in the following topics:

• Creating an Access Grant Using Devices
• Creating an Access Grant Using Spaces
• Creating an Access Grant Using Entrances
• Delivering Access Methods
• Access Grants API Reference
• Access Methods API Reference