Connecting a charging station to Chargekeeper enables its supervision, the control of charging sessions, and the enforcement of access and pricing rules.
This operation relies on the OCPP protocol, via a WebSocket connection between the charging station and the platform.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure the charging station meets the following conditions:

Active network connection
- SIM card (mobile network) or
- wired connection (Ethernet)
Ability to configure a WebSocket URL
(via the firmware, a manufacturer app, software, or a web portal)
OCPP compatibility
- OCPP 1.6 JSON (recommended)
- OCPP 1.5 XML (compatible)

Connecting a charging station relies on a connection token. This token is used to generate an OCPP WebSocket URL to be entered into the charging station.

On its first connection (Boot Notification), the charging station is automatically registered in Chargekeeper.

Connecting a charging station

Access the charging station connection page

Open the Charging stations module
Click the Connect a charging station tab (Chargekeeper then displays the list of available connection tokens)

Understand the available URL types

Chargekeeper offers three types of URL, to be used depending on the context.

URL type	Description
Cloud	Used for charging stations that do not allow manual entry of a URL. The charging station selects Chargekeeper from a list of CPMS. The Charge Box ID must be defined in Chargekeeper. 👉 Rare case, heavily dependent on the manufacturer.
Organization (recommended)	A single URL for all the organization's charging stations. Charging stations are automatically attached to the organization. Option to set a default site on first connection. 👉 Recommended method for new installations.
Backward-compatible	Legacy Chargekeeper format with a specific URL per site. The charging station is automatically attached to the defined zone. ⚠️ More complex and more prone to entry errors.

Create a connection token

Open the Charging stations module
Click the Connect a charging station tab (Chargekeeper then displays the list of available connection tokens)
Click Create
Fill in:
- Description (to identify the token's purpose)
- URL type: Cloud / Organization / Backward-compatible
- Format: JSON (recommended) or XML
- OCPP version: 1.6 recommended
- TLS encryption:
  - enabled: secure connection (recommended)
  - disabled: only for older charging stations

Additional options

Default associated site
(automatic attachment on the first Boot)

Expiration date
(URL becomes invalid if the charging station has never connected)

Copy and enter the URL in the charging station

Save the token
Copy the generated WebSocket URL
Enter it in the charging station's OCPP configuration
Restart the charging station if necessary

On the first connection, the charging station automatically appears in the supervision view.

Best practices

Prefer secure OCPP 1.6 JSON
Use one token per context (installation, test, production)
Set an expiration date for temporary tokens
Verify the first connection via the OCPP logs

Manufacturer-specific requirements

Some brands require a specific way of entering the URL:

Manufacturer Specifics

KEBA

Secure: ON
Address: ocpp-j.service-evse.com
Port: 443
Path: your organization name

Autel

URL: wss://ocpp-j.service.com:80/

Add a / at the end of the URL

The port must be included explicitly

👉 For more details on connecting a charging station by brand, you can consult the dedicated articles:

Connect a charging station