Setup your first site

After you complete the first two steps of the onboarding wizard (Welcome → Your Profile), GC Surge opens the Site & Device step automatically. This is where you connect your first camera location to the platform.

The onboarding wizard

The wizard guides new Super Admins through three steps before the platform is ready for operations:

You can click Skip for now on the First Site step and add your first site later from Configuration. Your account and profile settings are saved regardless.

Step 1 of 3 — What would you like to do?

GC Surge asks how you want to add your first site. Two options are available:

Option A — Add a site and device

1. Select Add a site and device. Enter a name for the site in the What should we call this site? field and click Continue.

1. What device do you want to add? — three options appear:A brand from our list — GC Surge sets the device up automatically. Supported brands: AXIS, Dahua, Hikvision, NX Witness. (Hanwha and SpykeBox cameras — select NX Witness.)My device can send alarms (API, FTP or SMTP) — for devices not on the list that can push alarms. GC Surge gives you the details to enter into the device settings.Use GC Edge — works with any device — GC Edge runs on site and reads the video stream directly. Ideal when the device only streams video.Select A brand from our list for supported brands.

1. Can GC Surge reach your devices directly? — two options:Yes — public IPs or port forwarding — devices are reachable from the internet (public IP, DDNS, or forwarded ports). GC Surge connects directly and configures everything automatically.No — private network only — devices are on a LAN or VPN with no public access. A Local Agent is required on-site.Select Yes for the public IP path.

1. Fill in the device details:Device name — a label to identify this device within the site.Device IP or hostname — the public or local IP address of your device.Device brand — select your brand from the dropdown (e.g. AXIS, Dahua, Hikvision, NX Witness).HTTP/S port — typically 80. Enable the HTTPS (secure) toggle if your device uses a secure connection.Username and Password — your device’s login credentials.

1. Click Add site & device. GC Surge connects directly and configures your device automatically. A confirmation appears: “Your device is connected and GC Surge is configuring it. Head to the Alarm Center — your first alarm appears there automatically once it’s triggered.” Click Go to Alarm center or Add another site.

For the full step-by-step per network mode and all field definitions, see Setting Up Sites.

Option B — Add multiple sites and devices

Select Add multiple sites and devices to open the spreadsheet import flow. You prepare a template file with all your sites and cameras, upload it, and GC Surge creates them all at once.

1. Click Download file (the “Need a starter template?” link) to get the correct column layout.
2. Fill in one row per camera: Site Name, Camera Name, IP Address, HTTP Port, RTSP Port, User Name, Password, Camera Brand, Site Owner Email, Contact Phone, Contact Name, and HTTPS.
3. Upload the completed file (.xlsx or .xls). GC Surge validates each row before creating any site.
4. Review the results. Fix any failed rows and re-upload until the import is complete.

For the full column reference, validation rules, and bulk Private/VPN configuration, see Bulk Spreadsheet Import.

After your first site is added

Once the wizard finishes, GC Surge takes you to the Home Dashboard. Your site appears in Configuration and will start showing data as cameras send their first events.

Confirm everything is working:

1. In Configuration, confirm the site appears and the status shows Configured, Pending, or Reassigned.
2. In Video Search, confirm events from the new site begin appearing within a few minutes of camera activity.
3. In the Home Dashboard, confirm KPI metrics start updating for the new site.

For Private/VPN and Edge sites, a field activation step is required before alarms can flow. See Local Agent — Field Activation.