Geofence Setup Made Simple: A 2025 Guide for Managers

Why a Geofence Matters in 2025

A Geofence is a virtual border you draw on a map so the system only accepts clock‑ins inside that line. The result? Fewer time‑theft headaches, better labor‑law compliance, and instant visibility of who’s on site.

What You’ll Learn

1. How a Geofence actually works in plain language.
2. The tools Shifton gives you to build one in under five minutes.
3. A step‑by‑step wizard to launch your first Geofence—with screenshots.
4. Troubleshooting tips when staff can’t clock in.
5. Pro tricks to link multiple jobs to the same Geofence.

1 The Nuts and Bolts of a Geofence

Think of a Geofence as a digital dog‑fence. You pick a central point—say, 1600 Main St.—then drag a radius slider. Phones inside the circle can clock in; phones outside can’t. Shifton uses GPS, Wi‑Fi, and cell towers to ping a device every 30–90 seconds, balancing accuracy with battery life.

Key takeaway: without a Geofence, staff could clock in from bed; with one, they need to be on site.

2 Prep Checklist Before You Build

• Confirm address accuracy. If Google Maps shows the pin in the wrong spot, your Geofence will fail.
• Choose radius wisely. 250 ft for cafes, 1 000 ft for construction zones.
• Update the mobile app. Old builds may ignore the new Geofence logic.
• Notify staff. A two‑line SMS—“New Geofence live tomorrow; enable GPS.”
• Decide auto clock‑out? Shifton can automatically clock workers out once they exit the Geofence; choose yes or no now.

3 Five‑Minute Geofence Wizard

Step 1 — Open Jobs ▶ Sites ▶ Add Site

Click Geofence tab, hit Add site, and name it “Warehouse A.”

Step 2 — Pin the Address

Type street, pick the correct Google suggestion. Shifton drops a blue pin—move it if needed.

Step 3 — Drag Radius Slider

Set your Geofence size: 250 ft to 5 000 ft. The map shades the circle so you know exactly what’s covered.

Step 4 — Attach Jobs

Tick which jobs or projects belong to this Geofence. Users will only see those jobs when inside the circle.

Step 5 — Pick Clock‑Out Behavior

Option A: Do nothing. Option B: Auto clock‑out + require manager approval to edit. We recommend Option B.

Step 6 — Save ▶ Publish

Hit Save site, then Save changes. Your Geofence is live. Staff will see a pop‑up prompt to enable location services at next login.

4 What Employees See

On the mobile Time Clock, the map displays a green circle (the Geofence) and a blue dot (the user). If the dot is outside the circle, the Clock In button is greyed out. Once inside, the button turns green. Simple.

If a user exits the Geofence during a shift, Shifton sends a push alert: “You left the job zone—return or clock out.” If auto clock‑out is on, the system logs them out after 3 minutes and opens a Request edit form.

5 Typical Geofence Errors & Fixes

6 Advanced Geofence Moves

• Layered Fences: Create overlapping circles for multi‑tenant worksites; each job respects its own Geofence.
• Breadcrumbs Live‑Track: Enable breadcrumb trail to watch a user move from one Geofence to another in real time.

• Schedule‑Based Activation: Turn a Geofence on or off automatically based on shift start/end times to reduce battery drain and avoid off‑hours alerts.

7 FAQs About Geofence in Shifton

Does Geofence work offline? Yes. The app stores pings locally and syncs when back online.

Can I cap the number of Geofences? Basic plan includes 5 Geofences; Pro is unlimited.

Will a Geofence clock users in automatically? Not by default—manual tap avoids accidental time theft. Auto‑clock‑in is an admin toggle.

How to delete a Geofence? Sites ▶ trash icon ▶ Confirm. Users lose access immediately.

8 Key Metrics to Track Post‑Launch

1. Clock‑in exceptions: How many attempts outside the Geofence per week.
2. Average late time: Compare before vs. after Geofence launch.
3. Manual shift edits: High numbers suggest the radius is too strict.
4. Overtime accuracy: Ensure exits are logged when users leave—all driven by the Geofence.

Conclusion

A well‑tuned Geofence turns messy punch‑cards into reliable, location‑verified hours. In 2025, with hybrid crews and tighter labor audits, it’s the fastest win for payroll accuracy. Build one today in Shifton; the whole process takes less time than a coffee run.

Daria Oleshko

Customer Success Manager at Shifton with extensive experience in workforce management and field service management.