Overview Portal automatically manages key access based on reservation changes made in the PMS. You can also manually update or revoke key access directly from the Keys tab when needed. This article explains how keys behave when a reservation is cancelled, a room is changed, a guest checks out, checks in early or late, and how to manage keys manually.
Key Concepts
Current Key: A key that is active and currently in use.
Upcoming Key: A key whose arrival date and time are in the future. Once the arrival time passes or the guest checks in, the key automatically moves to the Current status.
Past Key: A key that has expired or whose end time has passed.
Revoked Key: A key that has been cancelled and access immediately removed.
Default End Time: A pre-configured check-out time set on a door or key template.
Default Start Time: A pre-configured check-in time set on a door or key template.
Key Status Flow
A key moves through the following statuses automatically:
Upcoming → Current → Past
Upcoming: The reservation exists but the arrival date and time is still in the future.
Current: The arrival time has passed, or the guest has checked in — whichever comes first.
Past: The guest has checked out and the key's end time has been updated or reached.
Revoked: The reservation was cancelled or access was manually removed.
Automatic Key Updates (PMS-Triggered)
Scenario 1 — Reservation Cancellation
When a reservation is cancelled in the PMS, all associated keys are automatically revoked in Portal. The guest loses access immediately.
What happens:
Reservation is cancelled in the PMS.
All keys linked to that reservation are revoked.
Access is removed immediately.
Scenario 2 — Room Change
When a guest's room is changed in the PMS, Portal automatically updates key access to reflect the new assignment.
What happens:
Access to the previous room is revoked immediately.
The key is updated with the new room.
The new room appears as the current active reservation with updated access.
Scenario 3 — Guest Check-Out
Upon check-out in the PMS, Portal updates the end time of all associated current keys instead of revoking them. This allows guests with doors linked to a default end time to retain access after check-out.
What happens:
Guest checks out in the PMS.
The end time of all associated current keys is updated to match the reservation's check-out time.
The key status changes to Past, and the updated check-out time is displayed. However, if a common area door is assigned a different Endtime, it remains active until the linked door's Endtime.
Guests with doors using a default end time retain access until that default time is reached.
Keys are not revoked on check-out — only the end time is updated.
Note: Key revocation still occurs upon reservation cancellation. Manual revocation remains available at any time for specific situations.
Scenario 4 — Early Check-In
When a guest checks in earlier than the default start time configured in the PMS or Portal, the key start time is set to the actual current time of check-in.
What happens:
Guest checks in before the default arrival time.
The key start time is set to the current time of check-in.
The key status moves from Upcoming to Current immediately.
Access begins immediately.
Scenario 5 — Standard or Late Check-In (After Default Arrival Time)
When a guest checks in at or after the default arrival time, the key start time is set to the default start time, not the actual check-in time.
What happens:
Guest checks in at or after the default arrival time.
The key start time displays the default check-in time, regardless of the actual time of check-in.
The key status is already Current since the default arrival time has passed.
Access is valid from the default start time.
Manual Key Management (Portal)
Scenario 6 — Updating Key Access
If you need to update key access for a guest, staff member, or visitor directly in Portal:
Click on the Keys tab.
Find the key owner and click their name in the Owner column.
You will be redirected to their details page, showing all authorized accesses and devices.
In the Doors table, click the three-dot menu on the right side of the relevant door.
Select Edit Doors.
The system will display the following options:
Permissions: Allow Provisioning, Allow Linked Doors Access, Protect Configuration.
Access Period: Set the entrance and exit dates for the key to be active.
Arrival Time and Departure Time: Specify the times for user access.
Day and Hour Limitations: Restrict access to certain days of the week or specific hours of the day.
Make your changes and save.
Scenario 7 — Manually Revoking Key Access
Use manual revocation when you need to immediately remove a guest's, staff member's, or visitor's access outside of an automatic PMS trigger.
Click on the Keys tab.
Find the key owner and click their name in the Owner column.
In the Doors table, click the three-dot menu on the right side of the relevant door.
Select Revoke Device.
Click Revoke Door to save.
Access is removed immediately after confirmation.
Tips / Best Practices
Use manual revocation for special cases such as early departures or disputes
Review key statuses after any room change to confirm access is correct
Always confirm the owner's details before editing or revoking a key
Troubleshooting / FAQs
Portal: Why is the key showing as Upcoming and not Current? The arrival date and time is still in the future. The key will automatically move to Current once the arrival time passes or the guest checks in.
Portal: Why wasn't the key revoked after check-out? Check-out updates the key's end time instead of revoking it. Revocation only happens on cancellation or manual action.
Portal: Why does the start time show the default time instead of when the guest checked in? If the guest checked in after the default arrival time, the system uses the default start time. The actual check-in time is only used when the guest checks in early.
What are the normal reasons a key gets revoked in Portal?
Portal revokes a key automatically when access is no longer valid. Common causes:
Reservation cancelled in PMS — Portal detects the cancellation and revokes the key immediately
Reservation deleted in PMS — same result, key is revoked
Guest removed from the reservation — their individual key is revoked
Reservation updated (e.g. room change) — Portal may revoke the old key and create a new one for the updated room
Check-out date passed — key expires automatically at the end of the access period
Staff manually revoked the key — from Keys → key holder → revoke action
Team member removed from the property — their staff key is revoked immediately
Portal: How do I restore a revoked key?
A revoked key can be re-enabled if the underlying reservation is still active.
Go to Keys → open the reservation → find the revoked key → re-enable it. You can restore access to all doors or specific doors only.
If the reservation was cancelled or deleted in the PMS, the key cannot be restored — create a new manual key instead.
Portal: Keys are being revoked automatically even though reservations are still active. What's happening?
This is not normal behavior. If keys are being revoked on active reservations without any staff action or PMS changes, it indicates a platform-level issue — not a configuration problem you can fix yourself.
What to do:
As an immediate workaround, manually create PINs for affected guests (Keys → Add Key → Manual)
If needed, temporarily share your Admin PIN with guests to maintain access
Contact support immediately with examples of affected reservation IDs — this requires investigation by the tech team
This type of issue has occurred before and was resolved by the Portal engineering team. Do not attempt to re-enable keys repeatedly if the system keeps revoking them — contact support instead.
Portal: Portal is not generating keys at all for new reservations.
This is a separate issue from key revocation. Check:
PMS connection — Settings → Integrations → confirm not broken
Allow Provisioning — enabled on affected reservations
Lock online — check gateway and lock connection
If all of the above are fine and keys are still not generating, contact support — this may be a platform issue.
Related Articles
Portal: How to manage manual keys
Portal Troubleshooting Keys
Portal Key status