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Create Geofence

Last updated: April 1, 2026 | 6 minutes read

Learn how to create different types of geofences (circular, rectangular, and polygon) for monitoring asset movements.

Overview​

Geofences are virtual boundaries that trigger events when assets enter or exit them. This example demonstrates creating three common geofence types.

Use Case​

A logistics company needs to monitor:

  • A circular zone around a warehouse (200m radius)
  • A rectangular parking area for fleet vehicles
  • A polygon delivery zone covering downtown streets

Example Request​

Create Multiple Geofences​

curl -X POST https://api.magiclane.net/api/v1/add_geofence_area \
  -H "Authorization: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "geofences": [
      {
        "p_id": "warehouse_zone",
        "p_type": "circle",
        "p_name": "Main Warehouse Safety Zone",
        "p_keywords": ["warehouse", "safety", "restricted"],
        "p_properties": {
          "facility_name": "Main Distribution Center",
          "alert_on_exit": true
        },
        "p_geojson": {
          "type": "Circle",
          "coordinates": [[[25.611922, 45.646986], [200, 200]]]
        }
      },
      {
        "p_id": "parking_area",
        "p_type": "rectangle",
        "p_name": "Fleet Parking Lot",
        "p_keywords": ["parking", "fleet"],
        "p_properties": {
          "capacity": 50,
          "access": "authorized_only"
        },
        "p_geojson": {
          "type": "Rectangle",
          "coordinates": [[[25.609518, 45.641346], [25.615669, 45.644040]]]
        }
      },
      {
        "p_id": "delivery_zone",
        "p_type": "polygon",
        "p_name": "Downtown Delivery Zone",
        "p_keywords": ["delivery", "downtown"],
        "p_properties": {
          "zone_type": "commercial",
          "priority": "high"
        },
        "p_geojson": {
          "type": "Polygon",
          "coordinates": [[
            [25.612887, 45.647265],
            [25.620123, 45.645678],
            [25.618456, 45.642123],
            [25.610234, 45.643890],
            [25.612887, 45.647265]
          ]]
        }
      }
    ]
  }'

Response (code 200 OK)

{
  "geofence_ids": [
    {
      "id": "warehouse_zone",
      "error": ""
    },
    {
      "id": "parking_area",
      "error": ""
    },
    {
      "id": "delivery_zone",
      "error": ""
    }
  ]
}

Key Concepts​

Geofence Types​

  1. Circle

    • Defined by center point and radius
    • Format: [[[longitude, latitude], [radius_m, radius_m]]]
    • Best for: Point-based areas (warehouses, stores)

  2. Rectangle

    • Defined by min/max coordinates
    • Format: [[[min_lon, min_lat], [max_lon, max_lat]]]
    • Best for: Buildings, parking lots

  3. Polygon

    • Defined by coordinate array
    • First and last points must match (closed polygon)
    • Best for: Irregular shapes, delivery zones

Keywords for Monitoring​

Use p_keywords to:

  • Group related geofences for monitoring rules
  • Enable filtered searches

Understanding Coordinate Formats​

Circle Geofence​

// Format: [[[longitude, latitude], [radius_meters, radius_meters]]]
p_geojson: {
  type: "Circle",
  coordinates: [
    [
      [25.611922, 45.646986],  // Center point [lon, lat]
      [200, 200]                // Radius [meters, meters]
    ]
  ]
}

Rectangle Geofence​

// Format: [[[min_lon, min_lat], [max_lon, max_lat]]]
p_geojson: {
  type: "Rectangle",
  coordinates: [
    [
      [25.609518, 45.641346],  // Southwest corner [lon, lat]
      [25.615669, 45.644040]   // Northeast corner [lon, lat]
    ]
  ]
}

Polygon Geofence​

// Format: [[lon, lat], [lon, lat], ..., [lon, lat]]
// ⚠️ First and last coordinates must be identical (closed polygon)
p_geojson: {
  type: "Polygon",
  coordinates: [
    [25.612887, 45.647265],  // Point 1
    [25.620123, 45.645678],  // Point 2
    [25.618456, 45.642123],  // Point 3
    [25.610234, 45.643890],  // Point 4
    [25.612887, 45.647265]   // Point 5 (same as Point 1 - closes polygon)
  ]
}

Properties & Keywords Strategy​

Properties for Metadata​

Use properties to store additional information about geofences:

// Metadata for display and reporting
p_properties: {
  facility_name: "Main Distribution Center",
  zone_type: "commercial",
  priority: "high",
  operating_hours: "24/7",
  capacity: 50,
  alert_on_exit: true
}

:::info Properties vs Keywords

  • Properties store metadata (displayed in UI)
  • Keywords enable searching and monitor grouping :::

Keywords for Searching and Monitor Assignment​

Keywords serve two critical purposes: searching and areas monitor grouping.

1. Searching Geofences​

Use keywords to find geofences quickly:

// Multiple related keywords for flexible searching
p_keywords: [
  "warehouse",      // Type
  "distribution",   // Function
  "restricted",     // Access level
  "24/7"           // Operating hours
]

// Later, search by any keyword
await getGeofencesByKeywords(["warehouse"]);
await getGeofencesByKeywords(["restricted"]);
await getGeofencesByKeywords(["24/7"]);

2. Monitor Grouping​

Keywords enable monitors to watch groups of geofences without specifying individual IDs:

// Step 1: Create geofences with shared keywords
const warehouseGeofences = [
  {
    p_id: "warehouse_north",
    p_keywords: ["warehouse", "loading_dock"],
    // ... other params
  },
  {
    p_id: "warehouse_south",
    p_keywords: ["warehouse", "loading_dock"],
    // ... other params
  },
  {
    p_id: "warehouse_east",
    p_keywords: ["warehouse", "storage"],
    // ... other params
  }
];

// Step 2: Create monitor using keywords (watches ALL matching geofences)
const monitor = {
  p_type: "enter_and_exit_area",
  p_geofence_config: {
    geofence_keywords: ["warehouse"]  // Monitors ALL warehouse zones
  }
};

// This single monitor now tracks entry/exit for:
// - warehouse_north
// - warehouse_south  
// - warehouse_east

Benefits of Keyword-Based Monitoring:

  • ✅ Monitor entire categories without listing individual IDs
  • ✅ Simplify configuration for large geofence sets

Testing Your Geofences​

Verify Creation​

// After creating, verify the geofence exists
const verify = await fetch(
  'https://api.magiclane.net/api/v1/get_geofence_areas',
  {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Accept': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      p_ids: ["warehouse_zone"]
    })
  }
);

const geofence = await verify.json();
console.log('Created geofence:', geofence);

Test Point Containment​

// Check if a test location is inside your geofence
const testLocation = [25.612, 45.647];  // Should be inside warehouse_zone

const containsCheck = await fetch(
  'https://api.magiclane.net/api/v1/geofences_contain_locations',
  {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Accept': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      p_geofence_ids: ["warehouse_zone"],
      p_locations: [testLocation]
    })
  }
);

const result = await containsCheck.json();
console.log('Point inside geofence?', result.checked_geofences[0].locations[0].inside);

Notes​

  • Use descriptive p_id values for easier management
  • Add relevant keywords for searching
  • Keep polygon areas under 1000 km²
  • Close polygon coordinates (first = last point)
  • Assign keywords for filtering
  • You can create/update a maximum of 1000 geofences per batch request
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