Introduction
Before Level can do anything useful, it needs devices to manage. This article walks through installing the Level agent, organizing devices into groups, and setting up the tags that almost everything else in Level depends on.
Installing the Agent
The Level agent is a small background service that registers the device with your account and enables monitoring, remote access, automation, and updates. Installation takes under a minute.
In the Level web interface, navigate to Appareils and click Add device (or follow the install link in your onboarding flow).
Select your target platform: Windows, macOS, or Linux.
Copy the install command shown on screen.
Run the command on the target device with administrative privileges.
🖥️ PLATFORM NOTE:
Windows: Run the command in an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt session.
macOS: Run in Terminal with
sudo.Linux: Run as root or with
sudo. Package manager requirements vary by distribution — see Standard Install for details.
Once the agent installs, the device registers with your account automatically. It should appear in the Device Listing within a minute or two.
ℹ️ NOTE: If the device doesn't appear after a few minutes, confirm the device has internet access and that your firewall isn't blocking outbound connections from the agent. See Troubleshooting for more.
For deploying to many devices at once, see MDM / Policy (Intune, GPO) or Install from Other RMMs.
Organizing Devices into Groups
Device groups let you apply settings, permissions, and automations to a collection of devices. They're optional for basic use, but worth setting up if you're managing multiple clients or locations.
MSP setup: Create a top-level group per client, then sub-groups for each client's locations or device types (e.g., "Acme Corp → Workstations," "Acme Corp → Servers").
Internal IT setup: Structure around departments or locations ("Finance," "Remote Workers," "Austin Office"). Whatever maps to how you actually think about your environment.
Groups give you a place to set group-level permissions (which technicians can access which devices), group-level custom field defaults, and linked automations that run against every device in the group.
💡 TIP: Don't over-engineer groups upfront. Tags handle most of the targeting in Level. Start simple and add group structure as you need it.
Setting Up Tags
Tags are how Level knows which policies, automations, and monitors apply to a device. A monitor policy targeting "Workstation" only runs on devices tagged "Workstation." An automation triggered by a new enrollment can tag devices automatically, which then triggers further automations. Tags are the connective tissue.
The Default Tags Automation
New accounts include a Default Tags automation in the Get Started group. It runs when a new device is detected and automatically applies "Workstation" or "Server" based on the device type.
💡 TIP: You can change these starting automations, for example, you may want to also apply OS-specific tags like "Windows," "macOS," or "Linux."
You don't have to build this yourself. Review it, make sure the tags it applies match your naming convention and expand it as you see fit.
Creating Your Own Tags
To create a tag, go to Workspace → Tags and click + New tag.
Think of tags in categories — each category serves a different targeting purpose.
Device type tags — Applied by Default Tags. Used to route devices into the right baseline monitoring and patching automations. Examples: Workstation, Server
OS tags — Used to target OS-specific automations and monitors. Examples: Windows, macOS, Linux
Role tags — For devices running specific services. Target service monitors and maintenance automations at just the devices that need them. Examples: Exchange, DC, Redis, MySQL, Nginx, PrintServer
Software tags — For devices with specific security software installed (or that should have it). Useful for targeting software-specific update or configuration automations. Examples: S1 or SentinelOne, AV, CrowdStrike
Environment tags — For separating production from non-production devices. Examples: Production, Staging, Development, Testing
Managed tag (MSPs) — A single tag indicating that a device is actively under management for a client. Useful for filtering the device listing to billable devices, targeting compliance automations, or excluding unmanaged/onboarding devices from policies. Example: Managed
Tagging Best Practices
Be consistent. Pick a naming convention and stick to it. "macOS" and "Mac" mean the same thing but will cause targeting mismatches if both exist.
Avoid overlap. Don't create "Win" and "Windows" — pick one.
Tag roles, not individuals. Tags like "John's Laptop" don't scale. Tag it "Laptop" and "Windows" instead.
Don't over-tag. More tags means more maintenance. Add a tag when something needs it, not speculatively.
💡 TIP: Your tag structure directly determines what monitors and automations can target. Map out the tags you need before you start creating monitor policies and automations — retrofitting tags is tedious.
Applying Tags to Devices
Tags can be applied three ways:
Manually — Open a device in the device listing, click Tags, and add or remove tags directly. Good for one-offs.
Via automation — The Default Tags automation handles device type tags automatically. You can build additional automations to apply tags based on any trigger (group membership, custom fields, script output, etc.).
In bulk — Select multiple devices in the device listing and use the Actions menu to apply tags to all selected devices at once.
FAQ
How do I install the agent on a lot of devices at once? Use your MDM tool (Intune, GPO, Jamf, etc.) to deploy the installer at scale. See MDM / Policy for platform-specific instructions. If you're migrating from another RMM, see Install from Other RMMs.
Can I rename a tag after I've created it? Yes. Go to Workspace → Tags, click the tag, and edit the name. The rename propagates to all devices and policies using that tag automatically.
Who can create and manage tags? Tag creation is available to technicians with the appropriate permissions. See Workspace → Permissions for details on role-based access control.
What if the device doesn't show up after installing the agent? Confirm the device has outbound internet access, the install completed without errors, and the Level agent service is running. See Troubleshooting for a full diagnostic checklist.