Proactive video monitoring requires an Alarm.com account with both video and intrusion service plans. Because monitoring rules are tied to your security panel's arming status, both components need to be active and properly configured by your service provider. It also requires an Alarm.com video camera with Video Analytics to trigger the alerts to the monitoring station.

Your local service provider handles all rule configuration. They'll assess your property, identify the right cameras and coverage zones, and set up rules that are tailored to your specific situation. This ensures your system is configured correctly from day one, and that your monitoring station isn't responding to activity that doesn't warrant it. Reach out to your service provider to get started.

Rule configuration, including the hours during which monitoring is active, is managed by your service provider to ensure correct setup and prevent false alarms. Note that video monitoring cannot be armed outside the hours specified in your rule. That said, you have full control over individual cameras. You can temporarily disarm and rearm any camera.

When a camera detects a person in a monitored zone while your security system is armed, a monitoring operator is alerted and begins reviewing live and saved video. Site directions, configured by your service provider, give the operator context about what they're looking at and what's normal for that location, so they can assess the situation accurately before taking any action.

Operators can engage anyone on-site directly using two-way audio, letting them know they're being monitored and asking them to identify themselves. If the situation warrants it, operators can request emergency dispatch supported by video evidence, which can help facilitate a faster police response.

Every action taken by an operator is automatically logged in your activity feed. You'll have a full record of what happened, when it happened, and what steps were taken, giving you complete visibility into every interaction.

Placement matters. Monitoring rules work best when they target defined areas that are unlikely to generate false triggers — a fenced backyard or a secured side entrance, for example, rather than an open front yard where neighbors or delivery drivers might pass through. Your local service provider knows your property and your neighborhood, and can recommend the camera placement and zone configuration that will work best for your specific situation.