Send SMS on Alarm

Configure ThingsBoard to automatically send an SMS when an alarm is created. This guide extends the Create and Clear Alarms recipe by using the Notification Center to deliver alarm-based text messages to user phone numbers.

Assume your refrigeration equipment has a temperature sensor that periodically publishes telemetry to ThingsBoard. The normal operating range is 2 °C – 5 °C. When a reading goes outside this range:

• An alarm is created by the alarm rules.
• An SMS is sent to the responsible users.

Before proceeding:

• Complete the Create and Clear Alarms recipe — the alarm rules configured there are required for this guide.
• Configure an SMS provider in SMS provider settings.
• Ensure the target users have a phone number set in their user details.

Review the following documentation for background:

• Notification Center — how recipients, templates, and rules work together.
• Alarm rules — how alarms are created and cleared.

The Notification Center delivers notifications to users. It consists of three components:

• Recipients — define who receives notifications.
• Templates — define the notification content and delivery method.
• Rules — define the conditions under which notifications are sent.

Create a recipient group that targets users responsible for the refrigeration equipment.

1. Navigate to Notification Center ⇾ Recipients. For this example, use the built-in Tenant administrators recipient group, which includes all tenant-level administrators and requires no additional configuration.
2. Confirm the Tenant administrators group exists. If you need a different audience, click + Add recipients and create a new Platform users group with the appropriate user filter.

Create a template that defines the SMS message using alarm variables.

1. Navigate to Notification Center ⇾ Templates.
2. Click + Add template in the top-right corner.
3. Setup — configure the template:
   • Name: SMS alarm notification
   • Type: Alarm
   • Delivery methods: toggle SMS on
4. Click Next.
5. Compose — expand the SMS section and enter the message:

   A ${alarmType} has been detected on the ${alarmOriginatorName} device: ${details.data} °C.

6. Click Add.

Setup: name "SMS alarm notification", type "Alarm", SMS delivery method enabled. Compose: SMS message configured with alarm template variables.

Template variables used:

• ${alarmType} — the alarm type name (e.g. High temperature).
• ${alarmOriginatorName} — the name of the device that triggered the alarm.
• ${details.data} — the reported telemetry value, populated by the alarm rule.

Create a rule that links the alarm trigger to the template and recipients.

1. Navigate to Notification Center ⇾ Rules.
2. Click + Add rule in the top-right corner.
3. Basic settings — configure the rule:
   • Rule name: New alarm notification by SMS
   • Trigger: Alarm
   • Template: SMS alarm notification
   • Escalation chain ⇾ First recipient: Tenant administrators
4. Click Next.
5. Alarm trigger settings — configure the filter:
   • Alarm type list: Any type
   • Alarm severity list: Any severity
   • Notify on: Alarm created
6. Click Add.

Basic settings: rule name, trigger, template, and recipient configured. Alarm trigger settings: any alarm type and severity, notify on Alarm created.

Publish a temperature value that triggers the alarm (above 5 °C).
Use the Check Connectivity feature or the command below:

curl -v -X POST \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{"temperature": 25}' \
http://thingsboard.cloud/api/v1/$ACCESS_TOKEN/telemetry

A new alarm is created and an SMS is sent to all Tenant administrators with a configured phone number. The message is populated from the template variables.

An SMS notification is received on the phone indicating a High temperature alarm for Thermometer A1 with the current value. Open Alarms ⇾ Alarm list in ThingsBoard to verify that the High temperature alarm for Thermometer A1 is created and active.

• Notification Center — full configuration reference for recipients, templates, and rules
• SMS provider settings — how to configure the SMS provider in ThingsBoard
• User details — how to set a user’s phone number
• Create and Clear Alarms — alarm rules this recipe builds upon
• Alarm rules — full alarm rule configuration reference