Warning: On RC, Android, and iOS devices: There is no in-flight enforcement of Geofences. The pilot is responsible for staying within the Operating Area and avoiding Exclusion Zones if they ignore the preflight check warning.
Overview
Geofencing lets you define where drones can and cannot fly at the project level using two boundary types: Operating Area (where flight is allowed) and Exclusion Zones (areas to avoid).
This feature improves safety and supports BVLOS workflows, with enforcement on DJI Docked Drones.
Availability
- Available on the web within Project Settings. Enforcement is supported on DJI Docked Drones; for RC/Android/iOS, boundaries are informational only during planning (no in-flight enforcement)
Create and manage boundaries
1. Go to your project and access settings
Go to your project, navigate to Project Settings, and select Geofences.
2. Create a boundary
Choose to create an Operating Area or Exclusion Zone, then draw the shape on the map. Select Save when done.
3. Edit or delete a boundary
From Flight Boundaries, select a boundary to adjust vertices, rename, or delete. Select Save changes to apply.
Pre-flight boundary check
During the preflight checklist, DroneDeploy automatically validates your plan against configured Geofences. The check runs for RC/Android/iOS and docked workflows when Geofenced Flight Boundaries are enabled for that platform.
If your plan violates a boundary, the checklist item will fail and display a clear warning. You must either adjust the plan or choose Ignore to proceed.
What triggers a failed check
- The flight path extends outside the configured Operating Area.
- The flight path intersects an Exclusion Zone.
- The takeoff location is outside the Operating Area.
- The takeoff location is inside an Exclusion Zone.
Enforcement depends on the drone type
| Platform | In-flight enforcement | Notes |
| DJI Docked Drones | Enforced by the aircraft | If a planned route would cross a boundary, the aircraft will Return-to-Home (RTH) before crossing. DJI also applies a proximity buffer and reduces speed near boundaries; plan extra margin. Dynamic rerouting occurs only during manual flight and on the RTH leg (not during normal route execution). |
| RC/Android | Pre-flight Checklist Warning | The pilot is responsible for staying within the Operating Area and avoiding Exclusion Zones; there is no in-flight enforcement. |
| iOS | Pre-flight Checklist Warning | The geofence display on iOS is releasing in an upcoming release in 2025. |
The warning includes Ignore so you can proceed if you must, but for DJI Docked Drones the aircraft will still enforce boundaries in-flight (e.g., RTH before crossing).
DJI slows when approaching a boundary. Practical planning should assume a buffer on the order of tens of feet. The exact distance depends on the aircraft/firmware and may change with DJI updates.
Limitations
- This feature will not work in offline mode, planned for a future update.
- It will not create a warning during manual RC flight, planned for a future update.
- It will not work with in-flight mission chaining, planned for a future update.
FAQs
Q: Who can create and edit boundaries?
A: Project owners and coordinators (and admins per org policy) who can access Project Settings can add/edit Flight Boundaries for that project.
Q: Will drones auto re-route around zones?
A: DJI does not dynamically re-route around boundaries during normal mission execution. Dynamic pathing happens only during manual flight and the RTH leg. Plan your route to respect boundaries during mission execution.