unifi-access

name	unifi-access
description	How to manage UniFi Access door control — locks, credentials, visitors, access policies, and events. Use this skill when the user mentions UniFi Access, door locks, door access, building access, NFC cards, PIN codes, visitor passes, access policies, access schedules, door readers, or any UniFi Access task.

UniFi Access MCP Server

You have access to a UniFi Access MCP server that lets you query and manage a UniFi Access controller. It provides 36 tools covering doors, locks, credentials, visitors, access policies, events, devices, and system health.

Tool Discovery

The server uses lazy loading by default — only meta-tools are registered initially:

Meta-Tool	Purpose
access_tool_index	Discover tools by name/description; use category, search, or include_schemas to filter
access_execute	Call any tool by name (essential in lazy mode)
access_batch	Run multiple tools in parallel
access_batch_status	Check async batch job status

Workflow: Call access_tool_index to find the right tool, then access_execute to call it. Use access_batch for multiple independent queries.

Safety Model

All mutations are disabled by default because Access controls physical door locks and building entry.

Read operations — always available. Listing doors, events, users, credentials — all work without permissions.

Mutations require explicit opt-in via env vars:

• UNIFI_POLICY_ACCESS_DOORS_UPDATE=true — lock/unlock doors
• UNIFI_POLICY_ACCESS_CREDENTIALS_CREATE=true — create NFC/PIN/mobile credentials
• UNIFI_POLICY_ACCESS_CREDENTIALS_DELETE=true — revoke credentials
• UNIFI_POLICY_ACCESS_VISITORS_CREATE=true — create visitor passes
• UNIFI_POLICY_ACCESS_VISITORS_DELETE=true — delete visitor passes
• UNIFI_POLICY_ACCESS_POLICIES_UPDATE=true — update access policies
• UNIFI_POLICY_ACCESS_DEVICES_UPDATE=true — reboot devices

Confirmation flow — every mutation uses preview-then-confirm:

1. Default call → returns preview of what would change
2. Call with confirm=true → executes the mutation

Door lock/unlock operations are physical real-world actions — always preview first.

Response Format

All tools return: {"success": true, "data": ...}, {"success": false, "error": "..."}, or {"success": true, "requires_confirmation": true, "preview": ...}. Always check success first.

Redacted secrets: Credential token and pin_code values come back as ***REDACTED*** by default in reads, lists, and create previews. Raw values are controlled by process policy (UNIFI_ACCESS_REDACT_SENSITIVE_FIELDS=false or global UNIFI_REDACT_SENSITIVE_FIELDS=false), not by tool arguments. Never echo ***REDACTED*** back into a create/update — it is rejected so the placeholder can't be stored as a real credential.

Key Capabilities

• Door control: access_lock_door / access_unlock_door — unlock relocks automatically after duration (default 2 seconds)
• Real-time events: access_recent_events reads from websocket buffer instantly. Event types: door_open, door_close, access_granted, access_denied, door_alarm
• Historical events: access_list_events with time/door/user filters. Topics: admin or admin_activity
• Activity summary: access_get_activity_summary aggregates events over a time period — useful for security audits
• Credentials: Create NFC ({user_id, token}), PIN ({user_id, pin_code}), or mobile ({user_id}) credentials
• Visitor passes: Time-bounded with ISO 8601 start/end times, optional email/phone for notifications

Dual Authentication

Access has two independent auth paths:

• API key (port 12445) — for read-only operations (listing doors, events, devices)
• Username + password (port 443) — required for mutations (lock/unlock, credentials, visitors)

Either can work independently. For full functionality, configure both. If mutations fail with auth errors, the user needs username+password (API key alone is not enough for write operations).

To configure, run /unifi-access:unifi-access-setup or set env vars manually:

UNIFI_ACCESS_HOST=192.168.1.1
UNIFI_ACCESS_API_KEY=your-api-key
UNIFI_ACCESS_USERNAME=admin
UNIFI_ACCESS_PASSWORD=your-password

Other UniFi Servers

If the user also has networking or cameras, other UniFi MCP plugins are available:

• unifi-network — network devices, clients, firewall, VPN, routing
• unifi-protect — security cameras, NVR, recordings, smart detections

Access readers are network clients — if a reader appears offline, the Network server can help check connectivity via unifi_lookup_by_ip.

Tool Reference

For the complete list of all 36 tools organized by category with descriptions, tips, and common scenarios, read references/access-tools.md.