How to Mass Edit Alarm Devices - Backend

🚨 Overview

The Mass Edit option allows you to quickly add or update multiple alarm devices associated with an alarm system. Instead of opening and editing each device individually, you can review device information in a table and make changes across multiple records at once.

For particularly large alarm systems, you can also export the existing device list, make your changes in a CSV file, and re-import the updated list.

🔀 Which Method Should I Use?

The best method depends on the number of devices you need to manage:

• Fewer than 500 devices: Use the Mass Edit screen to add or update devices directly in Inspect Point.
• More than 500 devices: We recommend exporting the device list, making your changes in the CSV file, and re-importing it. This is more efficient when working with a large number of devices.

💡 Tip: The total number of devices associated with each alarm system is displayed next to Alarm Devices on the Alarm Systems tab.

✏️ Mass Editing Alarm Devices

For alarm systems with fewer than 500 devices, use the Mass Edit screen to quickly add or update multiple devices at once. This allows you to manage device information directly in Inspect Point without editing each device individually.

Step 1: Open the Alarm Systems Tab

From the Building Detail Screen, select the Alarm Systems tab.

This tab displays all active alarm systems associated with the building, along with a summary of any alarm devices, control panels, and additional power supplies associated with each system.

Step 2: Select Mass Edit

From the Actions column, select Mass Edit, then click Alarm Devices.

You will be brought to the Alarm Devices Mass Edit screen for the selected alarm system.

Step 3: Edit Alarm Devices

The Mass Edit screen displays the alarm devices currently associated with the selected system in a table. Click into the applicable fields to update device information as needed.

To add additional alarm devices, enter the device information into an available blank row. If you need more space, click Add 10 Rows at the bottom of the screen to add additional blank rows to the table.

Step 4: Save Your Changes

Once you have finished adding or updating devices, click Save Changes.

Your updates will be saved to the alarm system and reflected in the building's alarm device records.

📊 Editing Large Alarm Device Lists

For alarm systems with more than 500 devices, we recommend exporting the existing device list, making your changes in the exported CSV file, and then re-importing the file. This is more efficient than making a large number of changes through the Mass Edit screen.

Step 1: Open the Alarm Device List

From the Building Detail Screen, select the Alarm Systems tab. From here, click Alarm Devices to open its device list.

Step 2: Export the Device List

From the Alarm Devices screen, click Export. 

Step 3: Open the Exported File 

Once the export has been generated, you will receive an email containing a CSV file of the alarm system's current device list. 

Click the link to download the file. 

Step 4: Review the File

Once downloaded, open the file to begin. 

Before making changes, locate the Device ID column in the exported file. Each existing alarm device has a unique Device ID that Inspect Point uses to identify the device when the file is re-imported.

Do Not Modify Existing Device IDs - Device IDs for existing devices must not be changed, deleted, or reassigned. Modifying these IDs can cause duplicate devices to be created or information to be assigned to the wrong device during import.

If you are adding a new device, leave the Device ID blank. Inspect Point will automatically assign an ID when the new device is created.

Step 5: Make Your Changes

Update the applicable device information within the CSV. You can edit existing devices or add new devices to the file as needed.

If you need to sort or reorder the spreadsheet, always select the entire data set before sorting. This keeps all information for each device together on the same row.

Filtering the spreadsheet is fine and does not require you to reorder the entire data set. However, be careful not to delete rows or modify Device IDs unintentionally while working with a filtered view.

When you have finished making your changes, save the updated file.

Step 6: Re-Import the Device List

Once the file is complete and saved, re-import the updated device list into Inspect Point.

During import, Inspect Point will use the existing Device IDs to match your changes to the appropriate alarm devices. New rows without a Device ID will be created as new devices.

For complete instructions on uploading and mapping your file, see Importing Alarm Devices.