The Outpost console
The Outpost console is the web application your team signs in to at your Outpost address to manage endpoints, people, and settings. Every technician has their own account, with their own password and their own permissions. This page explains how sign-in works, what is in the header, and how the navigation is arranged, so you can find your way around before you start a task.
The console is served by Depot, the server behind your Outpost. You reach it in a browser. There is nothing to install for the console itself.
Sign in
Section titled “Sign in”You sign in with your email address and your password. The sign-in page asks for the email address first, then the password.
Use the eye button, Show password or Hide password, to check what you entered in the password field.
| Step | What you see | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in, with an Email field and Continue | The page always moves on to the next step, whether or not the address has an account. | |
| Password | Password and Sign in | Email me a sign-in code instead and Forgot your password? both send a six digit code to your email address. |
| Sign-in code | Check your email, with a Sign-in code field | The code expires in 10 minutes. Send another code sends a new one. |
| Two-factor | Two-factor, with an Authentication code field | Shown when your account has two-factor authentication turned on. Use a recovery code instead switches to a Recovery code field. |
There is no separate password reset link. An emailed sign-in code signs you in, and you then set a new password on the Account page. See Manage your console account.
When a sign-in fails, the console says Incorrect email address or password. whatever the reason. It does not say whether the address exists, whether the account is disabled, or whether it is locked. This stops anyone from using the sign-in page to find out who works at your organization.
If your organization has access rules and you sign in from a network or at a time they do not allow, the console says Your organization does not allow sign-in from here right now. Contact your administrator.
Two-factor authentication and recovery codes
Section titled “Two-factor authentication and recovery codes”Each person turns on two-factor authentication for their own account, using any authenticator app that supports time-based one-time passwords (TOTP). When it is on, the console asks for a six digit code from the app after the password.
Turning it on issues 10 recovery codes. Each one signs you in once if you lose your authenticator. The console shows them once only, because it stores only their hashes. See Manage your console account.
The header
Section titled “The header”The header runs across the top of every page.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Search | Searches records across the console, and the console’s own pages. Press Ctrl+K or / to jump to it. |
| Client switcher | On the MSP plan, picks which client you are working in. Labeled Client. |
| Notifications | A bell with the number of open critical alerts and open incidents. Its menu links to alerts, incidents, and tickets. |
| Feedback | Sends feedback to Outpost. See Send feedback to Outpost. |
| Dark mode | Switches between light and dark mode. |
| Full screen | Puts the browser window into full screen. |
| Console settings | Opens the Console settings drawer. See Console preferences. |
| Pioneer AI | Opens the Pioneer AI assistant in a drawer. See Pioneer AI. |
| Profile menu | Your name and email address, Account, Switch to dark mode or Switch to light mode, Console settings, and Sign out. |
Some controls appear only for people who can use them. The chat availability
switch appears only for technicians who can take live chats, and the feedback
button only for people who hold feedback:submit.
The header also shows a status chip when your Outpost license needs attention: License expired, running on grace or Not licensed.
Scope the Home dashboard
Section titled “Scope the Home dashboard”On Home, the Dashboard scope picker starts at Global and remembers your selection in your user profile. In a single organization, choose a site. At MSP practice level, choose a client or a site nested under that client. The picker is searchable when it contains more than 5 entries.
| Dashboard figures | Scope |
|---|---|
| Fleet, alerts, patch compliance, and tickets | Narrow to the selected client and site. |
| Incidents and discovery | Narrow by client only, even when a site is selected. |
| Project widgets and documentation reminders | Narrow by client only, even when a site is selected. |
Each section still requires its own permissions and plan availability.
The navigation
Section titled “The navigation”The navigation rail runs down the left side. A section with pages under it is a link to its own main page, and the pages under it show while you are inside that section. Most entries depend on your permissions. An entry you cannot use is not shown, rather than shown and refused.
Your plan decides which of the three layouts below you see. An entry for a feature your plan does not include is either hidden or shown with a lock. See Plan-locked features.
Single organization
Section titled “Single organization”On Home Lab, Essentials, and Enterprise, the console manages one organization, and the navigation is one list.
| Section | Pages under it | Shown when |
|---|---|---|
| Home | None | Always |
| Alerts | Rules, Notification channels | Always |
| Incidents | Components, Maintenance, Templates, Subscribers, Status page, Metrics | Your plan includes the service desk |
| Tickets | Queues, Automation, Canned responses, Satisfaction | Your plan includes the service desk. Queues needs ticket:manage and Automation needs automation:manage. |
| Endpoints | Device groups, Tags, Sites, Discovery | Always. Discovery needs discovery:read. |
| Users | User groups, Merge suggestions | Always |
| Chat | Queue, Transcripts | Your plan includes the service desk, and you hold chat:read or chat:agent. Queue needs chat:agent. |
| Documentation | Articles, Assets, Asset layouts, Process templates, Import, Export, Credentials, Domains and certificates, Vendors, Licenses, Processes, Expirations, Settings | You hold docs:read. Credentials needs vault:read. Asset layouts, Process templates, Import, Export, and Settings need docs:manage. |
| Software | Requests, Deployments, Inventory, Vulnerabilities, Patching | Always |
| Backup | Restores, Connectors, Settings | You hold backup:read |
| Scripts | Batches, Schedules, Custom fields | Always |
| Profiles | Effective config | Always |
| Compliance | Exceptions, Evidence packs | You hold compliance:read |
| Reports | Schedules, Report builder | Always |
| Settings | Details, Support contact, Team, Billing, Email, Mailboxes, SLA, Storage, AI, Access rules, Security policy, Authentication, Audit logs | Always. Each page checks its own permission. Mailboxes and SLA need a plan that includes the service desk. |
Settings > Security policy and Settings > Authentication are previews. Their settings are not yet applied.
Users lists the people who sign in to your endpoints. The people who sign in to the console are on Settings > Team.
MSP, practice level
Section titled “MSP, practice level”On the MSP plan, one console manages many clients. With no client selected, the navigation shows the sections that belong to your practice as a whole.
| Section | Pages under it | Shown when |
|---|---|---|
| Home | None | Always |
| Clients | None | Always |
| Inbox | All tickets, Alerts | Always. All tickets is part of the service desk. |
| Chat queue | None | You hold chat:agent and your plan includes the service desk |
| Estate status | None | Your plan includes the service desk |
| Sales | Prospects, Quotes, Follow-ups, Approvals, Settings | You hold crm:read. Approvals and Settings need crm:approve. |
| Projects | My work, Dispatch, Templates, Settings | You hold project:read. Templates and Settings need project:manage. |
| Documentation | Articles, Asset layouts, Credentials, My vault, Processes, Expirations, Import, Export, Settings | You hold docs:read. Credentials and My vault need vault:read. Asset layouts, Processes, Import, Export, and Settings need docs:manage. |
| Client billing | Invoices, Ready to invoice, Unbilled time, Agreements, Catalog, Settings | You hold psa:read. Settings needs psa:admin. |
| Reports | Schedules, Report builder | Always |
| Storage report | None | Always |
| Backup coverage | None | You hold backup:read |
| Settings | As in the single organization layout | Always |
Settings at practice level holds your practice’s own settings, not a client’s. Client billing is what your clients pay you. Settings > Billing is your own Outpost subscription.
MSP, with a client selected
Section titled “MSP, with a client selected”When you select a client, from Clients or the client switcher, the navigation becomes that client’s. It starts with Return home, which takes you back to the practice level, followed by a Client group with the same sections as the single organization layout, without Settings. Documentation there leaves out Asset layouts, Process templates, Import, and Export, which are at practice level. Two sections are added after Tickets:
| Section | Pages under it | Shown when |
|---|---|---|
| Client billing | Billing profile, Invoices, Quotes | You hold psa:read. Quotes needs crm:read. |
| Projects | None | You hold project:read |
Invoices and Quotes open the practice-wide lists, narrowed to the selected client. The foot of the navigation rail also offers Back to all clients.
Related
Section titled “Related”Content is licensed CC BY 4.0. Code samples are MIT. Outpost and the Outpost mark are trademarks of Outpost Business Solutions, PBC and are not covered by either license.