Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for automatically grouping, authenticating, and provisioning access points using cloud-based management of wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) infrastructure. In an embodiment, a given site has a master access point that is manually configured with an organization-and-site-specific master-access-point configuration for providing service in a WLAN. Additional access points installed for operation transmit self-identifying messages to neighboring access points. Each access point compiles information about its neighbor access points in access-point neighbor lists. The access-point neighbor lists are received and used by a cloud-based WLAN-management service to identify the associated master access point and to provision unauthenticated access points using the correct organization-and-site-specific master-access-point configuration.