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Set up a robot mower’s exclusions only after identifying how it navigates. A mower that follows boundary wire needs a correctly installed wire loop, guide wire and physical barriers; a mower with a virtual map needs a supported mapping system and a completed map. Some machines use both. The app menus, zone limits and pattern controls are model-specific, so use the procedure that matches your mower rather than assuming one universal path.
This guide explains wired and virtual-map setups, Husqvarna AIM work areas and stay-out zones, Mammotion’s no-go-zone workflow, passage dimensions, mowing-direction limits and the safety measures that virtual boundaries cannot replace.
Identify your mower’s boundary system first
Physical boundary-wire navigation
A wired mower detects a loop of boundary wire installed around the lawn. The wire defines the outer edge and can isolate islands around flower beds, trees, ponds and other objects. A guide wire may lead the mower from the charging station through a passage and back into the main lawn. The charging station, wire connections and any guide-wire junctions must be installed according to the exact operator manual. Husqvarna’s installation overview covers station placement, boundary and guide wires, islands, passages, secondary areas and app pairing: Install Automower with a physical boundary wire.
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Virtual-map navigation
Some supported mowers build a digital representation of the lawn and let you draw work areas or stay-out zones in an app. The map may require normal mowing after installation, a particular firmware version, GPS assistance or another commissioning step. A virtual zone is software data, not a physical wall: it cannot reliably stop a mower from reaching a pool, street or other dangerous drop.
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Check these requirements before drawing anything
- Confirm the exact mower model and app version support virtual mapping, stay-out zones, work areas or heading controls.
- Check whether the map must be created by ordinary mowing before editing is available.
- Install and test any required boundary or guide wire first.
- Keep the charging station, guide-wire route and required travel passages outside exclusions.
- Fence hazards physically; do not rely on a virtual line for fall or traffic protection.
Prepare the lawn and the safety boundaries
Walk the entire route before commissioning the mower. Remove temporary toys, hoses, tools and branches that could be recorded as permanent obstacles or cause a mapping error. Mark beds, newly seeded areas, exposed roots, ditches, tree islands and narrow connectors. Decide which areas should be unavailable all the time and which need a schedule, such as a newly seeded patch that will become mowable later.
Virtual exclusions should not block the route the mower needs to reach its charger or another work area. Husqvarna specifically advises keeping stay-out zones clear of the charging station and guide wire and including long sections of boundary wire inside a stay-out zone when that helps navigation. Read the manufacturer’s installation distances for your model; do not transfer measurements from one brand or model to another.
Set up a physical-wire installation
Lay the outer boundary and islands
- Place the charging station where the mower has the required approach and return space specified by the operator manual.
- Run the boundary wire continuously around the lawn perimeter and connect it to the station as instructed.
- Create islands around beds, trees, roots, ponds and other permanent obstacles by routing the wire out to the object and back along the same route. The exact spacing and connector method are model-dependent.
- Install a guide wire where the mower needs a reliable route from the station into the lawn or through a narrow connector.
- Pair the mower with its app, charge it fully and run a supervised test. Correct crossed wires, loose connectors or an incorrectly oriented guide wire before burying or permanently fixing the installation.
Protect hazards with real barriers
A wire loop can define where the mower cuts, but it is not a guardrail. Install a rigid barrier wherever a mistake could send the mower into water, traffic or a steep drop. For Husqvarna AIM stay-out zones, the manufacturer states: “Never use a stay-out zone created with AIM Technology to stop your mower from running into a swimming pool or the street. Always fence off such areas using the boundary wire and a barrier of minimum 15 cm/6 in. in height.” See Creating stay-out zones with AIM Technology.
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Build passages between wired areas
A wired passage is a narrow corridor with boundary wire on both sides. In Husqvarna’s documented Automower guidance, the spacing should be at least 2 m (6 ft 6 in) where no guide wire runs through the passage, or at least 60 cm (24 in) where a guide wire leads through it. Those dimensions apply to the cited Automower guidance, not automatically to another mower.
Some supported Automower models offer systematic passage mowing: the mower follows the guide wire while cutting through the corridor, then resumes ordinary mowing. Husqvarna recommends a low frequency setting in a passage to reduce repeated wear on the grass. Details and availability vary by model; see How to create a passage in an Automower boundary wire installation.
Create a Husqvarna AIM virtual map
Let normal mowing build the map
On Husqvarna models that support AIM Technology, the virtual map is created automatically while the mower operates normally after installation. Husqvarna says mapping typically takes one to two weeks, depending on lawn size and schedule. Give the mower substantial initial operating time, clear temporary obstacles and enable GPS-assisted navigation where the model provides that option. Mapping time is an operating estimate, not a guaranteed deadline. The map-creation guidance is at How to create a virtual map with AIM Technology.
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- Complete the physical installation and any required app pairing.
- Remove temporary objects and open the routes the mower must learn.
- Allow regular mowing sessions to continue until the app reports that the map is ready; expect roughly one to two weeks for many lawns, with the actual time depending on size and schedule.
- Review the resulting map for missing edges, blocked corridors or areas the mower could not reach.
- Only then add work areas and stay-out zones if your exact model exposes Zone Control.
Add a stay-out zone
- Open the mower’s map and choose the stay-out-zone or exclusion tool. The label and location differ by model and app version.
- Draw the exclusion around the bed, tree island, newly seeded grass or other area that should not be cut.
- Check that the shape does not cover the charging station, guide wire or a required passage.
- Save the zone and, if the app offers a toggle, activate it. Deactivate it later when the area is ready to mow.
- Observe at least one mowing cycle near the edge. If the mower approaches the wrong side, edit the map or use a physical wire and barrier instead of assuming the software line is protective.
Husqvarna says AIM stay-out zones can be activated or deactivated and may be placed in many locations, but restrictions apply around the charging station and guide wire. The feature is available only on supported models; the manufacturer’s details are in its stay-out-zone guidance.
Create work areas with individual schedules
A work area is a separately configured part of the mapped lawn. On supported Husqvarna AIM models, each work area can have its own schedule and cutting height. Include useful reference points such as trees, islands and long sections of wire when defining the area. Husqvarna recommends placing the work-area border at least 1.5 m (5 ft) outside the lawn boundary so the mower cuts all the way to the boundary wire. Overlap adjacent work areas to prevent an uncut seam. These instructions are specific to the cited AIM implementation; see Creating and managing work areas with AIM Technology.
- Open the map’s work-area tool and draw the first area beyond the physical lawn edge by the recommended 1.5 m (5 ft) margin.
- Use visible reference points to keep the outline aligned with the real lawn.
- Set the area’s schedule and cutting height, if those controls are available on your model.
- Draw neighboring areas with a deliberate overlap rather than leaving a thin gap.
- Run the areas at separate times when you need different heights, access windows or mowing priorities.
Draw a no-go zone on a Mammotion map
Mammotion documents a different, model-specific workflow. In the Mammotion app, choose Create and then No-go zone, guide the robot to the zone’s perimeter, trace around it, return to the starting point and save. The exact controls can change with the app and mower, so use the current instructions for your model: How to Create No-go Zone.
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- Open the lawn map and tap Create.
- Select No-go zone.
- Drive or guide the robot around the complete perimeter of the area to exclude.
- Return to the starting point so the boundary closes.
- Save the zone, then verify its position on the map and observe the mower near the edge during a supervised run.
Do not present this menu sequence as a universal robot-mower procedure. Other systems may require a completed map, a wire installation or a different drawing method.
Handle secondary areas and disconnected lawns
A secondary area is a section the mower cannot reach from the main mapped lawn without being carried or manually moved. Husqvarna states that an AIM virtual map does not include secondary areas: work areas and stay-out zones cannot be created there, and the mower must be moved manually to those sections. Treat this as a system limitation, not a general rule for every brand.
For a wired mower, a secondary area may be wired as its own loop if the model supports that arrangement, or it may require manual placement. Follow the operator manual for switching areas, relocating the mower and returning it safely to the charger. Never create a virtual passage that the physical installation does not actually provide.
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Set mowing direction and patterns realistically
There is no universal crosshatch setting
The available pattern controls differ substantially. Some apps expose a heading, direction or pattern selector; others provide only area schedules, and some mowers choose their path automatically. The cited Husqvarna materials document systematic mowing through a narrow passage, not a general lawn-wide crosshatch or stripe mode. Check your exact app for a heading or pattern control and consult its operator manual before promising a particular result.
Use documented zone controls instead of forcing a pattern
If your mower supports heading selection, apply it to a work area and run a supervised cycle before changing every area. If it supports only schedules and cutting height, use separate work areas to control when each section is cut rather than trying to draw artificial stripes. Keep adjacent areas overlapping so a direction change does not leave a seam.
Reduce wear in narrow corridors
For supported Husqvarna wired installations, systematic passage mowing can send the mower along the guide wire through a narrow corridor. Husqvarna recommends a low frequency setting to reduce grass wear in that passage. This setting and mode are model-specific and should not be assumed to exist on another mower.
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| Decision point | Physical-wire setup | Virtual-map setup |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Requires a mower designed for boundary and, where applicable, guide wires. | Requires a model and app that support digital mapping, work areas or stay-out zones. |
| Initial work | Install, connect and test the wire loop, islands, station and guide wire. | Complete installation, then allow the mower to build or commission a map; Husqvarna AIM commonly takes about 1–2 weeks depending on lawn size and schedule. |
| Zone editing | Change the physical wire layout or add an island; software zones may also exist on some models. | Draw, save and activate or deactivate supported virtual zones in the app. |
| Separate areas | May use wired secondary loops or manual relocation, depending on the model. | Husqvarna AIM does not map secondary areas; those areas must be handled manually. |
| Passages | Defined by wire spacing and, where used, a guide wire. Husqvarna cites 2 m without a guide wire or 60 cm with one for its Automower guidance. | Must correspond to a route the mower can physically navigate; a drawn corridor cannot replace missing wire or access. |
| Protection from hazards | Still needs a physical barrier at pools, streets and dangerous drops. | A virtual boundary is never a substitute for a physical barrier; Husqvarna specifies a 15 cm/6 in minimum barrier with boundary wire for pools and streets. |
| Pattern controls | Often determined by the mower’s autonomous algorithm; systematic passage mode exists only on supported models. | May include heading, work-area or schedule controls, but no cross-brand standard exists. |
Troubleshoot common setup failures
The app has no zone or work-area button
- Confirm the mower model actually supports the feature; “robot mower” is not enough to establish compatibility.
- Finish the required map-building period or normal mowing sessions.
- Update the mower and app only according to the manufacturer’s documented process.
- Check whether the area is a secondary lawn that the system does not map.
The mower enters a stay-out zone
- Pause the mower and inspect whether the map is offset from the real lawn.
- Check for a missing or incorrectly installed boundary or guide wire.
- Make sure the exclusion does not overlap the route to the charger or a passage the mower must use.
- Redraw the zone with visible reference points and observe another cycle.
- For a pool, street or drop, install a physical barrier regardless of the virtual-zone result.
A strip of grass remains between work areas
- Inspect the borders for a gap and overlap adjacent work areas as recommended for supported Husqvarna AIM models.
- For a wired lawn, check that the boundary wires are positioned according to the operator manual and that a passage is wide enough.
- Do not narrow a corridor below the model’s documented limits to force access.
The mower will not cross a passage
- Measure the distance between the boundary wires.
- Determine whether a guide wire is required for that model and route it correctly.
- Remove objects narrowing the corridor and verify that a stay-out zone has not covered the route.
- Use the model’s systematic-passage option only if the mower documents it.
The map contains obstacles that are no longer present
- Remove the object and allow the mower to operate normally again if the system updates its map automatically.
- Edit or rebuild the map only through the supported app procedure.
- Do not leave temporary objects in place during the initial mapping period; they can distort the learned route.
Review the setup after installation
Run a supervised mowing session at the edge of every exclusion, work area and passage. Confirm that the mower returns to the charger, reaches each scheduled area, leaves no seam between overlapping areas and does not repeatedly rub the same corridor. Recheck the map after moving a bed, adding a tree ring or changing wire. Activate a stay-out zone only when you want it enforced, and deactivate it when the grass is ready to mow.
Keep the operator manual with the installation notes. Record which areas are physical-wire islands, which are virtual zones, which schedules belong to each work area and where guide wires run. That record makes seasonal changes safer and prevents a software edit from being mistaken for a physical safety boundary.
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