The staff tracking page provides a real-time map view of your team's locations during their shifts. It combines live GPS data from the TideOps mobile app with schedule data to give you a complete picture of who is where.
Map view
The page displays a full-screen Mapbox satellite map with markers for each tracked staff member. Each marker shows the staff member's initials and is color-coded by status:
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Indigo | On shift and inside the location geofence |
| Red | On shift but outside the location geofence |
| Gray | Scheduled but not actively tracked (last known position) |
| Blue (highlighted) | Currently selected staff member |
Click any marker to select a staff member and view their details in the sidebar panel.
Header indicators
The header bar displays real-time counts:
| Indicator | Description |
|---|---|
| On Shift | Number of staff members actively reporting their location |
| On-Site | Number of staff members currently inside a location geofence |
| Scheduled | Number of staff who are scheduled but not yet tracked (no active location data) |
How tracking works
- Location updates -- the TideOps mobile app sends GPS coordinates to the server every 60 seconds while a staff member is clocked in.
- Geofence evaluation -- each location update is checked against the geofence boundary configured for that location (see Schedule > Geofence tab).
- WebSocket broadcast -- the server pushes location updates to all connected manager dashboards in real time via WebSocket, so the map refreshes without polling.
- Schedule correlation -- the page fetches today's schedule and cross-references it with active location data to identify who is tracked, who is scheduled but not tracked, and who is unscheduled.
Staff categories
The tracking page groups staff into three categories:
Actively tracked
Staff who have the TideOps app running and are sending location updates. Their markers on the map update in real time and show exact position, geofence status, and last report timestamp.
Scheduled with last known location
Staff who are on today's schedule but are not currently sending location updates. If a last known position exists (from a previous session), it is displayed with a gray marker. This helps you see where someone was last seen.
Scheduled without location
Staff who are on today's schedule but have never sent location data (TideOps not installed, location permissions denied, or first-time setup). These appear in a sidebar list rather than on the map.
Staff sidebar
Click a marker or a name in the scheduled-without-location list to open the staff detail panel. The sidebar shows:
- Staff member name and initials
- Geofence status (inside or outside)
- Last reported timestamp (e.g., "3m ago" or "Just now")
- Assigned location
Schedule filtering
The page only shows staff with shifts within a one-hour window of the current time. This means:
- Staff whose shift started up to 1 hour in the future appear as "scheduled."
- Staff whose shift ended up to 1 hour ago still appear until they are fully off the clock.
This window prevents the map from being cluttered with shifts that are not relevant to the current moment.
Staff identity resolution
The tracking system handles two types of staff identities:
- Auth0 users -- staff who log in with email and password.
- Kiosk staff -- staff who clock in with a PIN and may have a separate UUID.
The system cross-references these identities so that a kiosk staff member's location data is correctly matched to their schedule, even if the IDs differ. The name displayed always comes from the most specific profile available.
Refresh
Click the refresh button in the map controls to force a reload of all staff locations. Location data also auto-refreshes via WebSocket connections for connected browsers.
Requirements
Staff tracking requires:
- The TideOps mobile app installed on the staff member's device.
- Location permissions granted in the app.
- An active shift -- tracking only runs during clocked-in hours.
- The
matrix_accesspermission for managers viewing the tracking page.
Privacy
- Tracking is active only during scheduled and clocked-in work hours.
- Location data is not collected when a staff member is off the clock.
- GPS coordinates are stored with timestamps for audit purposes but are only retained for the operational period.
Pair staff tracking with geofences to get automatic alerts when staff clock in from outside your site boundary. The "Scheduled" indicator helps identify staff who may need help setting up the TideOps app. Use the refresh button if the map seems stale -- WebSocket reconnections may occasionally delay updates.
Staff member is on shift but not appearing on the map -- Confirm they have the TideOps app installed with location permissions enabled. Check that they have clocked in for their current shift.
Marker shows red (outside geofence) -- The staff member's GPS position is outside the geofence polygon drawn on the Schedule page. This may indicate they are off-site, or the geofence boundary may need to be expanded.
"Scheduled" count is high but "On Shift" is low -- Many staff are on the schedule but have not clocked in or do not have the TideOps app. Follow up to ensure app installation.
Map is blank -- Verify that you have the matrix_access permission. Also check that there are staff scheduled for the current time window.