What Are DWT Credentials?
Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) is the UK government's mandatory system for recording waste movements digitally, run by Defra and the Environment Agency. From October 2026, every permitted waste receiving site must submit movement data to the DWT platform on the day of receipt.
WasteBolt connects to the DWT platform via Defra's official API — but to make that connection, WasteBolt needs to authenticate on your behalf using OAuth credentials. These credentials are a Client ID and Client Secret issued by Defra that prove WasteBolt is authorised to submit on behalf of your site.
Without credentials entered and validated in WasteBolt, DWT submissions are blocked — the submission button is disabled across the platform and a warning alert appears on your DWT hub. This guide walks you through where to get your credentials, how to enter them, and how to confirm the connection is working.
Before You Start
Your site must be registered on the DWT platform. Defra credentials are only issued to sites that have completed DWT registration. If your site is not yet registered, go to the Defra DWT registration portal and complete your site registration first. Registration is separate from your environmental permit and requires your site authorisation number (permit or exemption reference).
You need admin access in WasteBolt. The Integrations page — where credentials are entered — is only accessible to admin users. Seat users (drivers and team members) cannot access this page.
You need your Defra DWT Client ID and Client Secret. These are issued by Defra when your site completes DWT registration and requests API access. If you have registered but have not received credentials, contact the Defra DWT support team via the DWT portal.
Step-by-Step: Entering Your DWT Credentials
Step 1 — Go to Settings → Integrations
In WasteBolt, navigate to Settings Hub → Integrations, or go directly to /settings/integrations. The page has two sections — WasteBolt Sync Agent at the top and Digital Waste Tracking credentials below.
Scroll to the Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) Credentials section.
Step 2 — Enter your Client ID
Click the Client ID field. This is a masked password input — what you type will not be visible on screen. Paste or type your Defra DWT Client ID exactly as issued. Client IDs are case-sensitive.
Step 3 — Enter your Client Secret
Click the Client Secret field and paste your Client Secret. Again, this is masked — you will not see the characters as you type. The Client Secret is longer than the Client ID and typically looks like a long random string.
Step 4 — Save Changes
Click Save Changes. WasteBolt stores your credentials securely in the dwt_credentials table, tied to your admin account. The credentials are encrypted at rest and are never returned to the client after saving — once saved, both fields show ******** and the actual values cannot be retrieved through the WasteBolt interface.
Step 5 — Test the Connection
Click Test Connection. WasteBolt sends your credentials to the validate-dwt-credentials edge function, which attempts a live OAuth token exchange with Defra's authentication service.
- Green tick — Connection successful: Your credentials are valid and WasteBolt can authenticate with the DWT platform. DWT submission buttons are now active across the platform.
- Red cross — Connection failed: The credentials are incorrect, the Client Secret has expired, or your site is not yet active on the Defra DWT platform. See the troubleshooting section below.
What Happens After Credentials Are Saved
Once valid credentials are stored and the test connection passes:
- The DWT submission buttons become active on the Digital Waste Tracking hub
- Every waste movement you complete in WasteBolt — WTNs, dockets, and WasteBolt Buddy weighbridge movements — can be submitted to the EA DWT platform
- Successful submissions return a Waste Tracking ID which is stored against the movement record
- Failed submissions are flagged with a specific error reason so they can be corrected and resubmitted
Your credentials remain active until they are removed or until Defra revokes them. You do not need to re-enter credentials after each session — they are stored permanently against your admin account.
Troubleshooting a Failed Test Connection
"Invalid credentials" error Double-check the Client ID and Client Secret for typos. Both are case-sensitive. The most common cause of failure is a copied credential that includes a leading or trailing space — paste into a plain text editor first to check, then copy from there into WasteBolt.
"Site not found" or "Unauthorised" error Your site may not be fully active on the DWT platform yet. Defra's registration process can take several days to complete. Contact the Defra DWT support team via the DWT portal to confirm your site registration is active and your API credentials have been activated.
"Connection timeout" error Defra's API may be temporarily unavailable. Wait a few minutes and try the test connection again. If the issue persists across multiple attempts over an hour, check the Defra DWT service status page.
Credentials saved but DWT submission still blocked If the test connection passed but DWT submission buttons are still greyed out, refresh the page. If still blocked, check whether your environmental permit number is entered correctly in your WasteBolt profile settings — the DWT submission requires your site authorisation number to be on file.
Removing or Updating Credentials
To update credentials — for example if Defra issues you new credentials — enter the new Client ID and Client Secret and click Save Changes. WasteBolt updates the stored values with an upsert — there is no need to remove the existing credentials first.
To remove credentials — click the Remove button in the DWT Credentials section. This deletes the credential row entirely from dwt_credentials. DWT submission is immediately blocked until new credentials are entered. Use this option if you are transitioning the account to a different DWT registration or closing a site.
The Test Environment Note
Defra's DWT platform has two environments — a test (integration) environment and the live production environment. WasteBolt currently connects to the test environment for validation and setup. When Defra opens live production access ahead of the October 2026 mandate, WasteBolt will update the API endpoint to point at the production environment. Your credentials will remain the same — no re-entry is required.
If you are testing your DWT workflow before October 2026, submissions made through WasteBolt during this period go to Defra's test environment. Test environment submissions do not create legal compliance records — live submissions from October 2026 onwards will create the actual regulatory record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I get my Defra DWT Client ID and Client Secret? Credentials are issued by Defra when your site completes DWT registration and requests API access via the DWT portal. If you have registered but have not received credentials, contact Defra DWT support through the portal.
Do I need separate credentials for each site? If you operate multiple permitted sites, each site has its own DWT registration and therefore its own credentials. If you manage multiple sites under one WasteBolt account, contact the WasteBolt team to discuss multi-site credential management.
Can I see my credentials after saving?
No. Once saved, both fields show ******** and the actual values cannot be retrieved through WasteBolt. If you lose your credentials, request new ones from Defra — you cannot recover them from WasteBolt.
What happens to my credentials if I cancel my WasteBolt subscription? Credentials stored in WasteBolt are deleted when an account is closed. They do not carry over if you restart a subscription. You would need to re-enter them from your Defra DWT portal records.
Is my Client Secret secure? Yes. Credentials are stored encrypted in WasteBolt's Supabase database and are never transmitted to the client browser after saving. They are only used server-side by the DWT submission edge function when making API calls to Defra.
Last updated: June 2026. DWT credentials are entered at Settings → Integrations in WasteBolt. The October 2026 mandate applies to all permitted waste receiving sites in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.