GC SurgeDocsSetup your first site
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Setup your first site

After you complete the onboarding wizard (Welcome → Your Profile → Expected Tier), GC Surge opens the First Site step automatically. This is where you connect your first camera location to the platform.

The onboarding wizard

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

StepWhat happens
1 — WelcomeIntroduction to GC Surge and what the wizard covers.
2 — Your ProfileSet your display name and account preferences.
3 — Expected TierSelect the camera volume tier that matches your deployment.
4 — First SiteConnect your first site and cameras. This is covered below.

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:

OptionBest for
Add a new siteSet up a new location with its first camera.Setting up one site at a time. GC Surge walks you through the connection details step by step.
Add multiple new sites and camerasSeveral sites or many cameras at once using flash bulk import.Large deployments where you have camera details ready in a spreadsheet.

Option A — Add a new site

Select Add a new site to open the Guided Setup wizard. GC Surge asks a few questions about your camera type and network, then routes you to the correct setup automatically.

  1. Enter a name for the site in the What should we call this site? field and click Continue.
  2. Select your camera type: A brand from our list (Axis, Dahua, HikVision, NxWitness), My camera can send alarms (API, FTP or SMTP), or Use GC Edge.
  3. Follow the remaining steps — GC Surge detects your network type (Public IP, Private/VPN, or Edge) and collects the correct details.
  4. Click Add Site. GC Surge configures your camera and confirms when alarms are flowing.

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

Option B — Add multiple new sites and cameras

Select Add multiple new sites and cameras 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 Current As Template to get the correct column layout.
  2. Fill in your cameras: site name, camera IP, brand, port, credentials, and contact info.
  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 .

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 Active or Pending.
  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 .

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