How to Program a Garage Door Opener

Whether you need to connect your new vehicle’s integrated car garage door opener, a keypad affixed to your home, or you have a separate garage door remote that needs to be set up, you can easily program the opener yourself.

Woman in a blue dress extending her arm to use a garage door remote towards a closed brown garage door.

While the process may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer of your garage door opener, the process of programming the remote is typically similar regardless of brand. Here are the steps to follow when programming your opener.

Programming a Garage Door Remote

Garage door opener mounted on the ceiling in a San Diego home. Get a sturdy ladder and set it up so that you can access the motorhead of the opener in your garage safely. The motorhead is the part of your opener that houses the motor and gears and is typically located on the ceiling of your garage.

One side of the motorhead will release and fold down. This will provide access to the light bulb and wires. There you will locate the learn button.

Press and then release the learn button on the motorhead. Do not hold the button or you risk erasing all programming within the device. Once you push the learn button, a small light next to the button will come on for 30 seconds.

During the 30 seconds that the learn button is glowing, press and hold the main button on your garage door remote for 3-5 seconds.

If the programming is successful, the garage door opener light on the motorhead will blink.

Close the housing on the motorhead and test the remote.

Programming a Garage Door Keypad

Person's thumb pressing the number '5' on a white numeric keypad, which is used to operate a garage door in San Diego. Safely access the learn button on the motorhead with a ladder.

Press and then release the learn button on the motorhead and a small light next to the learn button will turn on. Do not hold the button or you risk erasing all programming within the device.

Just like programming the remote, you will have 30 seconds to program the keypad once the learn button has been pressed.

Carefully get down from the ladder and access the keypad. It may be helpful to have another person at the keypad rather than risking a fall by rushing down the ladder.

On the keypad that is affixed to the outside of the home, enter the code you would like to use and press the enter button.

If the programming is successful, the garage door opener light on the motorhead will blink.

Close the housing on the motorhead and test the keypad.

Programming Your New Vehicle’s Integrated Garage Door Opener

dark-colored car's rear quarter panel and wheel, parked on a dark tiled floor, with a wooden garage door and a brick wall in the background. Start by locating the buttons on your vehicle’s visor. Press and hold the 2 outside buttons simultaneously and wait for the lights above the buttons to illuminate. For vehicle remotes, it is recommended to have another person in the vehicle rather than risking a fall by rushing down the ladder and into the driver’s seat and vice versa.

Safely access the learn button on the motorhead with a ladder.

Press and then release the learn button on the motorhead and a small light next to the learn button will turn on. Do not hold the button or you risk erasing all programming within the device.

You will have 30 seconds to program the keypad once the learn button has been pressed.

Have the person in the vehicle press the button on the visor you wish to use and hold it until the lights above the visor buttons blink rapidly.

If the programming is successful, the garage door opener light on the motorhead will also blink.

Close the housing on the motorhead and test the button in the vehicle.

Buttoning it up

Programming a garage door remote or keypad is typically as simple as pressing a couple of buttons, however, if you’re having trouble, you can refer to your owner’s manual, or reach out to a professional for assistance.

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