IFTTT Integration for openHAB

Note

The function to expose new items to If This Then That (IFTTT) (opens new window) via myopenHAB.org (opens new window) is currently disabled, so if you want to integrate IFTTT with openHAB you will have to set up your own private instance of openhab-cloud (opens new window) as well as setting up your own service on IFTTT. Please keep in mind that this will also require additional effort if you want to use other add-ons that depend on myopenHAB.org (opens new window), like the Amazon Alexa skill. Some add-ons, like the iOS app can be configured to connect to your private instance, others, like the Amazon Alexa skill, can not.

This guide describes the standard setup for if and when the function to expose items on myopenHAB.org (opens new window) is re-enabled or if you had items exposed already before July 2019. If you want to go down the route of setting up your own openhab-cloud there are several helpful posts in the openHAB Community (opens new window).

If This Then That (IFTTT) (opens new window) is a very popular web-based service that allows users to create "applets", which can combine different web services into powerful automation rules. With its hundreds of services (opens new window), there are limitless new creative options: Be notified through text-to-speech if you are receive a DM on twitter, be warned through your lights if your favorite stock price falls below a certain threshold or put your house in away-mode when you turn on the ignition of your car - you can get further inspiration by browsing through existing applets.

openHAB users can take advantage of IFTTT to realize even more use cases in their smart home!

Besides the new kinds of integration possibilities, IFTTT is also a good start for new openHAB users as it makes the creation of rules dead simple - no need to do any scripting, no complex setup routines, it all works through a few mouse clicks!

Getting Started

Requirements

• openHAB Cloud Connector (opens new window) configured using myopenHAB.org (opens new window)
• IFTTT (opens new window) account

Configuration

1. Connect openHAB with IFTTT

IFTTT is available to all our users through the myopenHAB service. Activating the integration is easy. Just log in to your IFTTT account and activate the openHAB service (opens new window). You will be forwarded to the myopenHAB.org website (opens new window) to authorize the IFTTT service connection. You can delete the IFTTT authorization token in the myopenHAB Applications section at any time.

2. Expose specific items to IFTTT

Before you start creating IFTTT applets you need to make sure that you configured your local openHAB runtime to expose certain items to myopenHAB.org (opens new window). Only those items will be visible to IFTTT. Read here how to expose items to myopenHAB.org (opens new window). You will also be able to send commands to those items from IFTTT Applets.

Important: Items will appear in myopenHAB and thus in IFTTT only after at least one state update has been received by myopenHAB.org (opens new window) from your local openHAB runtime.

This can be done by for instance creating a simple rule:

rule "Set initial values IFTTT items"
when
	System started
then
	createTimer(now.plusSeconds(160)) [|
		logInfo("RULE", "Set initial values IFTTT items")
		postUpdate(YourItem, 0)
	]
end

Sending notifications from openHAB to your mobile device via IFTTT

If you are using iOS or Android, you can use IFTTT to send notifications from your openHAB runtime to your device running iOS or Android. Read more about this here (opens new window).

Caught a mistake or want to contribute to the documentation? Edit this page on GitHub (opens new window)