Connect Through Your UniFi Account (No Public IP Needed)

Connect your UniFi network to MyPlace without port forwarding — through your UniFi account instead of your controller’s address. There is no IP address to give us, no firewall rule to open, and no controller login to share; MyPlace reaches your console through the same UniFi account you already use at unifi.ui.com.

Supported Hardware

The cloud connection works with UniFi OS consoles:

• UniFi Dream Machine consoles (UDM, UDM Pro, UDM SE, UDR, etc.)
• Cloud Key (Gen2, Gen2 Plus)
• Cloud Gateway (Cloud Gateway Ultra, Cloud Gateway Max, etc.)

Important: Requires a UniFi OS console (UDM, Cloud Key, Cloud Gateway) on firmware 5.0.3 or newer. Self-hosted UniFi Network Server installations are not supported.

A self-hosted UniFi Network Server cannot work with this connection method, and it is not a matter of us adding support later. The cloud connection reaches your controller entirely through UniFi’s own cloud — the cloud that a UniFi OS console is built to check in with. A self-hosted Network Server does not check in with that cloud the way a console does, so there is nothing for the connection to reach. If you run a self-hosted Network Server, follow the Self Hosted UniFi Controllers guide instead.

When to Connect Without Port Forwarding

Normally, MyPlace connects straight to your controller at its address on the internet. That works well when the controller has a fixed public IP and your firewall allows the connection in. Not every site can do that. Choose the cloud connection if any of the following is true:

• Your controller has no public IP address.
• Your internet provider uses CGNAT (one public address shared across many customers).
• Your IP address changes from time to time (a dynamic IP).
• Your firewall cannot be opened for a direct connection, or you would rather not open it.

Note: The cloud connection is an alternative to the direct connection, not a replacement for it. If your controller already has a reachable address and none of the problems above apply, the direct connection remains a good choice. Not sure? If you normally manage your WiFi at unifi.ui.com, choose UniFi Cloud.

Create Your UniFi API Key

MyPlace uses an API key from your UniFi account to reach your console. Create it first, before opening MyPlace.

1. Sign In at unifi.ui.com Sign in with the UniFi account that owns the console. A key created by any other account — even an admin on the same console — will not be able to connect it.
2. Open API Keys In your account area, open the API Keys page and click Create New API Key.
   
   
3. Name the Key Give it a name you will recognise later, for example “MyPlace”.
4. Set Expiration to Never Expires Set the Expiration option to Never Expires.
5. Tick Both Scopes Tick both scopes: Site Manager and Network. MyPlace needs both — with only one, the connection will fail.
   
   
6. Copy the Key Right Away UniFi shows the key only once. Copy it immediately and keep it until you have finished the setup. If you lose it, there is no way to view it again — go back to API Keys and create a new one.

Important: Do not skip the “Never Expires” setting. A key with an expiry date stops working on that date, and your guests will lose WiFi access at your venue until someone adds a new key. Nothing on the controller itself will look wrong — from your side, it will simply look like the controller suddenly went offline with no other explanation.

Important: Make sure it is the right key. UniFi consoles have their own, separate place to create API keys, inside the console’s settings (Control Plane → Integrations). A key created there looks similar, but it will not work here — MyPlace will reject it. The key you need comes from unifi.ui.com → API Keys, created by the account that owns the console. If MyPlace rejects your key right after you enter it, check this first.

Connect Your Network Controller to MyPlace

1. Open the MyPlace Admin Panel
   Go to the MyPlace Admin Panel → open the Networks section, then go to the Network Controller tab.
2. Add a New Controller
   Click the “Add New Controller” button.
3. Select Controller Type
   In the list, choose Ubiquiti Unifi and your console type.
4. Choose the Connection Method
   On the “How should MyPlace reach your controller?” screen, select Through UniFi Cloud (marked Recommended) and click Continue.
   
   
   
5. Paste Your API Key
   On the “Paste your UniFi Cloud API key” screen, paste the key you created into the API Key field and click Continue.
6. Choose Your Console
   Your UniFi account may manage more than one console. MyPlace lists every console it can see on the account, with its name, version, and Online/Offline status — pick the one for this venue.
   
   
   

   Some consoles in the list cannot be selected:
   

7. Consoles your account does not own are greyed out with the message “Not the owner — only the account owner can connect this console. Ask the owner to create the API key.” An API key only works on consoles owned by the account that created it. If the console you need is greyed out for this reason, ask its owner to create the key on their own UniFi account and start again from Step 5 with that key.


8. Self-hosted UniFi Network Server entries are greyed out with the message “Self-hosted UniFi Network Server — the cloud connection works only with UniFi OS consoles (UDM, Cloud Key, Cloud Gateway).”Note: Both kinds are shown on purpose rather than hidden, so you can confirm your console is there and see exactly why it cannot be selected, instead of wondering whether it is missing.
9. Finish Click the “Finish” button. MyPlace checks the console before saving — if the console is busy, this check can take up to half a minute.

What the Key Can Access

The key you enter is not limited to the console you picked. It grants access to every console your UniFi account owns — that is how UniFi API keys work, not something MyPlace restricts. Choosing a console during setup only tells MyPlace which one to use for this venue.

Because of that, cutting off access is in your hands: revoke the key at any time in your own UniFi account (unifi.ui.com → API Keys), and MyPlace loses access immediately.

Important: If you later delete this connection from MyPlace, the key you entered remains in MyPlace’s storage. Deleting the connection stops MyPlace from using the key, but does not remove it from our side. If you want the key gone for good, revoke it in your UniFi account — that is the action that actually invalidates it, wherever it is stored.

Troubleshooting

MyPlace says the key was rejected.
The key has been revoked, deleted, or has expired. Go to unifi.ui.com → API Keys, check whether the key still exists and is valid, and create a fresh one if not — with Expiration set to Never Expires. This is also what you will see if you used a key from the console’s own settings (Control Plane → Integrations) instead of unifi.ui.com.

MyPlace says the account no longer owns the console.
Console ownership can change — for example, if the console was transferred to another UniFi account. Check who owns the console at unifi.ui.com. If ownership has moved, the new owner needs to create the API key.

The console shows Offline in UniFi.
UniFi’s cloud has lost contact with the console itself. Check that the console is powered on and connected to the internet. Nothing on the MyPlace side can fix this — the console must be reachable from UniFi’s cloud first.

The console shows Online in UniFi, but does not respond.
The console is usually in the middle of restarting, or its internet connection has just dropped and UniFi’s cloud has not caught up yet. Wait a minute or two and try again. If it keeps happening, check the console’s internet connection.

Known Limits

• The cloud connection is slower than a direct connection. Every request travels through UniFi’s cloud instead of straight to your controller, so expect it to feel a little less snappy. This is normal.
• After installing a new access point, open the Devices page in MyPlace once. That is when new hardware on your network is picked up.

Note: UniFi also supports organisation keys, which remove the ownership restriction — adding MyPlace to your UniFi organisation would cover every console in it, not just the ones owned by a single account. This is not a supported option today. If it would help your setup, ask us about it.

Need Help?

No worries! Our team is experienced with Ubiquiti UniFi and can assist with any issues during setup. Check out our guide for resolving common UniFi setup issues, or reach out for direct support.

Contact Us