# Configuration and rollout

Configure charger linking requirements per brand, plan your rollout, and design the user experience.

## Charger linking requirements

Each enabled vehicle brand can have a requirement that users are prompted — or required — to link a charger after linking their vehicle. [Vehicle capabilities and reliability](https://developers.enode.com/brands?q=&asset-type=vehicle), along with the needs of your specific use case, should determine these requirements.

Configure this on your **Enabled Brands** page in the [Dashboard](https://developers.enode.com/dashboard) (*Client > Settings > Enabled Brands*).

| Value | When to use | Capability impact | Intervention |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Not Required | The vehicle controls charging reliably on its own. This is the default. | None | None |
| Optional | The vehicle can control charging on its own, but a paired charger improves reliability. | None | **Link a Charger** intervention raised as a recommendation ([example](https://developers.enode.com/interventions/4347cee9-677e-588d-9aef-4c6482525636)) |
| Required | The vehicle can’t reliably control charging on its own. A charger is essential for managed charging. | `startCharging` and `stopCharging` are `isCapable: false` until a control-capable charger is linked. | **Link a Charger** intervention raised; blocks these control capabilities ([example](https://developers.enode.com/interventions/c9f79272-0655-5c2e-9796-a2ab5d985208)) |

Configuration changes propagate per-vehicle on the next polling cycle — expect ~10-15 minutes for most vehicles.

Coming soon: A redesigned brand enablement experience, built from the ground up to help you understand and expand your market reach. Get in touch with your customer success manager to learn more.

Brands set to **Required** display a “charger required” indicator in the Link UI brand selector, so users know upfront they’ll need to link both devices.

![Link UI brand selector showing the charger required indicator on configured brands](https://developers.enode.com/images/evc-pairing/EVC-considerations-linking.png)

Once you’ve configured your charger linking requirements, follow the steps in [Set up pairing](https://developers.enode.com/docs/ev-charger-pairing/overview#set-up-pairing) to integrate.

## User experience recommendations

Introduce the charger as an optional enhancement (or required step) after the vehicle is linked.

### Example A: Required charger linking

Prompt the user to link their charger after linking their vehicle. Keep the prompt visible and disable charging until they complete it. Tell users upfront — before they start the vehicle linking flow — that a charger will be required.

![Screenshot showing state when charger pairing is required](https://developers.enode.com/images/evc-pairing/EVC-considerations-required.png)

### Example B: Optional charger linking

Prompt the user after linking their vehicle, but let them dismiss the prompt and keep charging enabled without a linked charger.

![Screenshot showing state when charger pairing is optional](https://developers.enode.com/images/evc-pairing/EVC-considerations-optional.png)

### Unlinking chargers

Make the implications clear when a user unlinks a charger:

- **Required charger:** Unlinking disables smart charging. If they confirm, show the Example A prompt again.
- **Optional charger:** Unlinking reduces reliability but doesn’t disable smart charging. Stop prompting them, but let them re-link through settings.

![Screenshot showing state after unlinking a charger](https://developers.enode.com/images/evc-pairing/EVC-considerations-unlinking.png)

## Rollout considerations

### For new integrations

Design your linking flow to support both vehicles and chargers from the start.

### For charger-first integrations

Link a vehicle to the same user — [Control Charging](https://developers.enode.com/api/reference#controlChargerCharging) and [Schedule](https://developers.enode.com/api/reference#createSchedule) will route commands through the pair automatically.

### For expanding existing vehicle-only integrations

Consider a phased rollout:

**Phase 1: Optional charger linking** — Set affected brands to **Optional** on your [Enabled Brands](https://developers.enode.com/#charger-linking-requirements) page and add charger linking as an optional step in your UX. Targets existing users who’ve already linked a vehicle; improves reliability without breaking changes.

**Phase 2: Required charger linking for unreliable vehicles** — Set brands with high error rates or limited reliability to **Required**. The Link a Charger intervention surfaces automatically. Roll out per brand and monitor performance.

**Phase 3: Required charger linking for incapable vehicles** — Enable brands whose vehicles can’t start or stop charging or report location, set them to **Required**, and update your eligibility rules to allow these previously-ineligible vehicles.