Actions in Iotplus software represent an escalation based on preconfigured conditions which result in an action event. There are two primary components of an Action: the Trigger event, and the Action event. The Trigger is the condition that initiates the escalation, and the Action is the activity executed by the software as a result of the trigger. Generally, the Trigger will be based on a reading condition detected by a sensor, and the Action will be a notification sent to a user. This article will provide guidance on creating a new Action to perform a function based on a triggering condition.

Note: Actions were called Notifications in previous versions of Iotplus software (including the Classic View of Iotplus Online). The term Actions and Notifications are sometimes used interchangeably.

Summary of Steps

1. Log into your Iotplus Online account.
2. Click the Actions tab in the left-hand sidebar.
3. Click the + Add Action button toward the top right of the page.
4. Add an Action “Trigger” (and make additional elections such as Sensor Type if necessary)
5. Click Save.
6. Select the Action to be performed (for the purpose of this article, a Notification Action will be selected).
7. Complete the Notification Settings configuration.
8. Select any required recipients of the notification.
9. Set a Delay if so desired.
10. Click the Continue button.
11. Name the Action.
12. Select the Action Sensors. !!Important!!
13. Click the Finish button.

Creating an Action

There are three steps to creating an Action as displayed in the top section of the + Add Action page.

1. Creating the Trigger
2. Creating the Action
3. Naming the Action and assigning Devices to the Action.

Creating the Trigger

The Trigger is the event which will initiate the Action escalation. The Trigger be initiated by a sensor reading, Inactivity of a device, a low battery, a schedule, or a some more complex logic (Advanced Action Type).

• Click the Actions tab in the primary menu in the left-hand sidebar.
• Click the + Add Action button toward the top right of the page.
• Select the Action Type (for this article, we will be selecting Sensor Reading).
• If prompted, select the Sensor Type (for this article, we will be selecting Temperature).
  A new pane called Action Triggers will appear.
• Select “Greater Than” or “Less Than” in the drop down menu for “Notify when temperature reading is”.
• Enter the desired temperature threshold in the value field.
• Select the scale in the following drop down menu.
• Click the Save button.The Trigger has been configured. You will be guided to the next step of creating the Action.

Creating the Action

The Action is the event that is executed as a result of the trigger. This generally takes the form of notification (Email, SMS, or Voice Call). But there are other Actions available: Use Control Unit, Use Local Alert, Use Thermostat, or System Action. For information on each of these Actions, see the related article. For the purpose of this article we will trigger a notification.
Clicking on the Save button from the previous step will bring up a Select Actions window pane.

• Click Send Notification.
• Type the Subject in the Subject field.
• If entering Text Override values (text that is replaced by information on the triggering event) enter these values along with any desired message in the Message field.
  For information on Text Override Values, see the following article: Understanding Text Override Values.
  Advanced Settings:
• If the recipient is configured to receive a standard SMS Message, enter desired text in the SMS field.
• If a custom message is desired for the Voice Call notification, enter it here.
  In the Recipient pane:
• !!Important!! To enable the notification to send an Email, SMS, or Voice Call Notification, you will click the Paper Airplane icon, the Chat Bubble icon, or the Phone icon respectively. If you do not see these icons, see the related article for configuring users to receive notifications.

If you do not see the desired notification type icon for the desired User, you may need to configure the User’s Notification Details as per this article.

• Set the Delay for the notification (or if no Delay is desired, select No Delay).
• Select Set.
• Click the Continue -> button toward the top right of the page.

You will now have configured the Trigger and Action. You will be guided to the next section for naming the Action and selecting the Action Sensors.

Naming the Action and selecting the Action Sensors

There will be two window panes that will appear in this step: Action Name, and Action Sensors. These panes will allow you to name the Action and select the sensors that will trigger the Action.

• Enter the text for the label of your Action. This text will display under the main Actions page when the Actions menu item in the primary menu is selected.
• In the Action Sensors pane, click on the sensor name/s for the devices you wish to trigger this Action. After a sensor is enabled, there will be a green check mark next to the device.
• Click the Save button in the Action Name pane, and you will be taken to the Action Information page. You can also click the Finish button to take you to the main Actions page where all of your Actions are listed.

Scheduling an Action

After following the steps above and clicking the Save button, you will be taken to the Actions Information page and will have a new Action ready to be triggered and send a notification. You can also create a schedule for the Action to follow. If you have a Schedule for the Action, it can only be triggered during the applied schedule.

Note: It is important to understand that when an Action has a schedule, the Action can only be triggered during the Scheduled active time. However, if an Action is triggered during the active schedule and has a Snooze time set (which is default 60 minutes), the notification will continue to send until the Action is Disarmed or the triggering condition returns to normal. This can sometimes result in a notification recipient continuing to receive a notification (from the Snooze) outside of the scheduled time. For more information on this, see the following article: Understanding “Before and After” in Action and Sensor Schedules.

(From the Notification Information page)

• Click the Schedule tab (Calendar icon toward the top right of the page).
• A Month & Day Schedule pane will appear; to schedule the Action for certain times on days of the week, toggle the Schedule Notification Time switch.
• A list of days of the week will appear; click the drop down menu for each day to set the daily schedule. There options include All Day, Off, Between, Before and After, Before, and After.
  !!Important!! It is important to understand the different options in the Notification Time options. Each day is considered a 24 hour period from 12:00:00 AM to 11:59:59 PM. Therefore there are unique considerations when applying a schedule. For more information on this, see the relevant article.
• If you wish to schedule the Action to be active during certain days of each month, toggle the Schedule Notification Months and days switch.
• A calendar will appear; click each calendar day (which highlights the day of the month) you wish to activate (clicking a highlighted day deactivates that day).
• Click the Save button.

A message indicating Success! will appear at the bottom of the Month & Day Schedule pane. The Action will now operate with the configured schedule.

Conclusion

Creating Actions is one of the more common interactions users will have in the Iotplus Online portal. This article should guide you through creating a basic Sensor Reading Action successfully. If you have related inquiries, contact Iotplus Support.