Create a New IPAWS User

  • Updated on Aug 8, 2025
  • 6 minute(s) read
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This article will show you how to create a new IPAWS user and set their alerting permissions.

Important Note

For best practices, each individual who can send an IPAWS alert must have their own login credentials.

Instructions

  1. Log in to the IPAWS website if you have not already

    Note: You can navigate to the IPAWS website using the website URL, or you can sign in to the Mass Notification system and click the Public Communication and Send IPAWS Alert options on the left-hand menu of the dashboard. If you do not see the Send IPAWS Alert option, you may not have permission to send alerts.The Mass Notification system dashboard and left menu with the Public Communication and Send IPAWS Alert options highlighted.

  2. Navigate to the Admin tab, then select the Users option from the dropdown menu The Admin tab and dropdown menu within the Dashboard header with the Users option highlighted.

  3. Click the Create New User link An underlined Create New User link below the Users heading.

  4. Fill in the Login fields The Login section with Email and Password fields.

    • Email Address: Enter the email address of the user

    • Password: Enter a password for the user

      Note: The following Password Requirements must be met to create the user:

      • At least 8 characters in length

      • At least 2 upper case and 2 lower case letters

      • At least 2 numbers

      • At least 1 special character (such as !, @, #, $, %, &, and *)

    • Confirm Password: Re-enter the password entered into the Password field

    • Failed Login Attempts: This field will default to 0

    • Reset Count: Reset the number of failed login attempts for this user (does not apply when creating new users)

  5. Fill in the User fields The User section with First and Last Name fields.

    • First Name: Enter the first name of the user

    • Last Name: Enter the last name of the user

  6. Fill in the Contact fields The Contact section with Email, Phone Number, and two notification fields.

    • Email Address: Enter the email address of the user

    • Phone Number: Enter the phone number of the user

    • IPAWS-OPEN: Polling Notifications

      • Send Email Notifications: Check this checkbox to have the system automatically send the user email notifications for IPAWS-OPEN polls

    • Certificate Expiration Notifications

      • Send Email Notifications: Check this checkbox to have the system automatically send the user email notifications ahead of the expiration of the COG certificate

  7. Click the Demo field within the Alerting Permissions section and select the desired demo site permissions for the user The Demo dropdown option within the Alerting Permissions section.

    • Full Access: Provides access to all available Channels, Event Types, and FIPS codes The Full Access radio button within the Alerting Permissions section.

    • Limited Access: Provides limited access to available Channel, Event Types, and FIPS codes The Limited Access radio button and various Access checkboxes within the Alerting Permissions section.

      • Granted Channel Access

        • EAS: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the EAS channel

        • WEA: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the WEA channel

        • NWEM: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the NWEM channel

      • Granted Event Type Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all event types allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more Event Types to restrict the user to only those selected

      • Granted FIPS Code Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all FIPS codes allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more FIPS codes to restrict the user to only those selected

    • Template Author: Provides access to create and edit templates; users cannot send messages with this option selected The Template Author radio button and various Access checkboxes within the Alerting Permissions section.

      • Granted Channel Access

        • EAS: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the EAS channel

        • WEA: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the WEA channel

        • NWEM: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the NWEM channel

      • Granted Event Type Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all event types allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more Event Types to restrict the user to only those selected

      • Granted FIPS Code Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all FIPS codes allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more FIPS codes to restrict the user to only those selected

  8. Click the Live field within the Alerting Permissions section and select the desired Live site permissions for the user The Live dropdown option within the Alerting Permissions section.

    • Full Access: Provides access to all available Channels, Event Types, and FIPS codes The Full Access radio button within the Alerting Permissions section.

    • Limited Access: Provides limited access to available Channels, Event Types, and FIPS codes The Limited Access radio button and various Access checkboxes within the Alerting Permissions section.

      • Granted Channel Access

        • EAS: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the EAS channel

        • WEA: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the WEA channel

        • NWEM: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the NWEM channel

      • Granted Event Type Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all event types allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more Event Types to restrict the user to only those selected

      • Granted FIPS Code Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all FIPS codes allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more FIPS codes to restrict the user to only those selected

    • Template Author: Provides access to create and edit templates; users cannot send messages with this option selected The Template Author radio button and various Access checkboxes within the Alerting Permissions section.

      • Granted Channel Access

        • EAS: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the EAS channel

        • WEA: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the WEA channel

        • NWEM: Check or uncheck this checkbox to allow or disallow the user to send messages to the NWEM channel

      • Granted Event Type Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all event types allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more Event Types to restrict the user to only those selected

      • Granted FIPS Code Access: Leave this field empty to give the user access to all FIPS codes allowed for this COG, or click into the box and select one or more FIPS codes to restrict the user to only those selected

  9. Click the Agency Admin field within the Roles section and select the desired agency administrator roles for the user The Agency Admin dropdown and multiple checkboxes within the Roles section.

    • Agency Administrator: Grants permission to edit both the User and Certificate configuration functions in the system

    • Users: Allows the user to see and modify the accounts of all users in your agency

    • Update Cert Config: Allows the user to see and modify Certificate configuration details

  10. Click the User field within the Roles section and select the desired user roles for the user The User dropdown and multiple checkboxes within the Roles section.

    • EAS: Enables the user to send EAS messages

    • WEA: Enables the user to send WEA messages

    • NWEM: Enables the user to send NWEM messages

    • Cog to Cog: Grants access to the separate form for public non-EAS messages with other COGs included as recipients

    • Report: Sent History: Grants access to view alerts sent by any user in your agency

    • Report: Feed History: Grants access to view alerts polled from the IPAWS feed for your agency

    • Multilingual CAP: Grants access to the Multilingual CAP form

  11. Click the Create User button to add the user to the system A gray, rectangular Create User button at the bottom of the Create User page, just above the User List link.

    Note: You can also click the User List link below the Create User button to view a list of all system users.

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