# Chirp — Home Automation Platform Chirp is an AI-first home automation platform — connect any maker's sensors and let a built-in AI helper run the setup. Chirp is an **AI-first** home automation platform that connects sensors from different manufacturers into one system — with shared dashboards, unified automations, and a single alerting workflow across every device in your home. No vendor lock-in, no juggling multiple apps. And instead of hunting through settings to get any of it working, you can just *ask*: a built-in AI helper sets up sensors, builds automations, and creates alerts for you, in plain language. Whether you're monitoring temperature in a baby's room, watching for water leaks in the basement, tracking soil moisture in the garden, or making sure the garage door closed after you left — Chirp brings it all together. Sensors from different brands, using different protocols, reporting data in different formats, all working as one. And Chirp doesn't stop at your front door. Connect a GPS or OBD-II tracker to your car or motorcycle and get engine diagnostics, error codes, real-time location, and theft recovery — all in the same platform, the same dashboards, the same alerts. Pick up a compatible tracker (for example, from [Kilo Electronics — Teltonika trackers](https://kiloelectronics.com/en/product-brand/teltonika/)), plug it in, and your vehicle shows up alongside your home sensors within minutes. ## Why Chirp ### Just ask — your home has an expert built in The best part of Chirp is that you don't have to be technical to use it. A built-in AI helper knows your whole home — every sensor and its history — so you can ask it anything in plain English: *"What was the bedroom temperature overnight?"* or *"Were there any motion events in the hallway after 11 PM?"* It checks your real data and answers, then draws you a chart if you'd like one. And it doesn't stop at answers. Ask it to *do* something — "add my new leak sensor", "alert me if the basement gets damp", "let me know if a door opens after midnight" — and it sets it up for you, writing the automation, testing it, and switching it on. It can also work the house itself: *"turn on the lamp"* now turns on the lamp. Before anything important or permanent, it asks you to confirm, so you're always in charge. It's like having a smart-home installer on call, who happens to live inside the app. See [Your Home AI Helper](/ai-assistant). You don't even need the hardware to start. Chirp can make up **pretend sensors** that invent their own readings, so you can build your dashboards and test your alerts while your real ones are still in the post — then point the same sensor at the real thing when it arrives and keep everything you set up. See [Pretend Sensors](/devices/pretend-sensors). This is what people mean by **AIoT** — artificial intelligence built right into your connected home, not a chatbot stuck on the side. The helper keeps getting better the more it's used, and the engine behind it is something we built ourselves and were proud enough of to share openly as [Synthetic Brew](https://github.com/syntheticinc/syntheticbrew). ### Connect any manufacturer, one platform Chirp doesn't lock you into a single brand. You can connect LoRaWAN sensors, vehicle trackers, and MQTT-capable devices from any manufacturer — including thousands of Zigbee devices through the MQTT connector. The vehicle tracker library alone covers over 2,000 preconfigured models — OBD-II dongles that read engine codes, fuel level, and battery voltage, as well as standalone GPS trackers for location and route history. Different manufacturers report data in completely different formats — one says `temp`, another says `temperature_celsius`, a third just sends a number with no label. Chirp normalizes all of it. Every sensor in your home speaks the same language, so your dashboards, automation rules, and alerts work the same way regardless of which brand made the hardware. If a better sensor comes along next year, just add it. Your existing rules, dashboards, and alert configurations keep working. ### Every sensor, fully modeled When you connect a sensor, it doesn't just show you a number. Every device becomes a living digital model — its current state, full history, and patterns over time. Even when a sensor temporarily loses connection, its data and configuration are preserved. You always know what's happening at home. ### Automate with confidence Set rules that make your home — and your vehicles — respond to what's happening. If the basement humidity goes above 70% for more than an hour, get a notification. If the front door opens after midnight, send a text to everyone in the household. If the garden soil gets too dry, know about it before your plants do. If your car's engine throws a warning code, get an alert on your phone immediately. If your motorcycle moves outside a geofence at 3 AM, trigger a critical alarm. Rules are built visually — you pick a sensor, set a condition, choose what should happen. Behind the scenes, Chirp uses [CEL (Common Expression Language)](https://cel.dev) for conditions, giving you precise control when you want it. You can combine readings from multiple sensors — regardless of manufacturer — in a single rule, schedule rules to run only on certain days, and set conditions that need to persist for a minimum time before triggering. That last point matters more than you'd think: a temperature sensor might briefly spike to 35 degrees if sunlight hits it for a moment, then settle back to 22. With Chirp's "remain true for" conditions, you can say *"only alert me if the temperature stays above 30 for at least 15 minutes."* Transient spikes are ignored. You only hear about real problems. And here's something you won't find in most smart home systems: every change you make to a rule is versioned. If you adjust an automation and it starts behaving unexpectedly, you can see exactly what changed, compare with the previous version, and undo it with one click. Nothing is lost. ### Know when it matters Chirp delivers alerts through the channels that work for you — email, text messages, or push notifications through the **Chirp Alerts** mobile app ([iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chirp-alerts/id6756504956) / [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.chirpwireless.alarm)). The mobile app takes alerting further: critical alerts trigger a full-screen alarm with looping sound and vibration, designed to get your attention even when your phone is locked or in silent mode. The alarm keeps going until you silence or acknowledge it. Informational alerts, on the other hand, arrive quietly — you see them when you check your notifications. For full details, see the [Chirp Alerts App](/alarm/chirp-alerts-app) section. Set up quiet hours so non-critical notifications don't disturb you at night. Configure escalation chains so that if one person doesn't respond, the alert goes to the next. And if a notification fails to deliver for any reason, the system automatically retries. ### See your home at a glance Build dashboards for any room, any purpose — or any vehicle. A "Kitchen" dashboard showing temperature and air quality. A "Security" dashboard with every door and window sensor. A "Garden" view tracking soil moisture and rainfall. A "My Car" dashboard with live location, engine status, and trip history. Sensors and trackers from different manufacturers show up side by side — because Chirp normalizes their data into a shared model. Each dashboard is made of widgets you customize. Pick the display type — charts for trends, numbers for current readings, on/off indicators for states. Then fine-tune: set value boundaries so you can see at a glance when a reading is in or out of range, choose your preferred units, and toggle graph visibility. Each widget adapts to the way you want to see your data. Your data appears on screen the moment your sensor reports it — no polling, no refresh button, no "data updated 5 minutes ago." The platform streams data through specialized channels built for real-time delivery. And when you pull up a chart of last month's humidity readings, it loads quickly even with thousands of data points. ### See your home in 3D Build a 3D model of your home and watch your sensors come to life inside it. The Digital Building Twin lets you draw your rooms — walls, doors, windows, every floor — or import a floor plan, then furnish it from a library of more than 60 ready-made 3D objects: sofas, beds, the fridge, a parking spot in the driveway. Connect each one to a sensor and choose what its colors mean. Then the model lights up. The nursery glows warm when the temperature climbs. The garage shows at a glance whether the door was left open. The basement turns blue the moment the leak sensor gets wet. The driveway shows whether the car is home. Your house stops being a list of readings and becomes a picture you can read in a second — and what it shows is up to you, room by room, however your home is laid out. You can even place your home on the real-world map, anchored to its actual location. See [Digital Building Twin](/dashboards/adding-widgets/digital-building-twin) for the full guide. ### Share with the people who live there Invite family members, roommates, or property managers to your organization. Give everyone full access, or limit some members to view-only — kids can check the temperature but can't modify rules. If you're a landlord, give tenants view access to shared utility sensors without exposing your own devices or settings. Every organization has an activity log, so you can see who changed what and when. From the user menu, go to **Users** to manage members and **Organization settings** to configure your setup. ### Connect your own tools Prefer to wire Chirp into your own scripts or another home-automation platform? A scoped API key lets trusted tools read your sensors and history — pull readings into a spreadsheet, bridge data into another system, or build a small automation of your own. REST over plain HTTPS is all most setups need. See the [API](/api) section to get started, and [API Keys](/settings/api-keys) to create a key. ### No gateway lock-in Chirp includes a built-in LoRaWAN Network Server, which means your gateway connects directly to the platform — no separate network server to manage, no middleware in between. You can use a variety of compatible gateways, and adding one takes just a few minutes. ## Available in your language The interface is available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Switch between light and dark modes with one click, and your preferences are remembered automatically. ## Plans Chirp offers several plan tiers to fit every home — from a free tier to get started, up to plans with more devices, unlimited automation rules, and advanced features. You can view and manage your plan from the **Subscription** section in the user menu. ## Access the Platform Open Chirp at [app.chirpwireless.io](https://app.chirpwireless.io). ## Let's get started Ready to connect your first sensor? Head to [First Steps](/first-steps) — we'll walk you through the interface and the standard LoRaWAN path to your first alert, while pointing out where other connection types follow a different setup order. # First Steps Get started with Chirp — what you need and the LoRaWAN setup flow that takes you from unboxing to live sensor data. Welcome to Chirp. This section helps you get comfortable with the platform and walks you through connecting your first sensor. The hands-on guide here uses the LoRaWAN path from unboxing to live data, while the rest of the docs explain where other connection types start differently. Every feature has its own dedicated section later in the documentation — here we're just covering the essentials to get you up and running. ## What's ahead | Page | What you'll learn | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [Finding Your Way Around](/first-steps/finding-your-way-around) | A tour of the interface — where everything is, what each section does, and how to customize your view | | [Connect Your First Sensor](/first-steps/connect-your-first-sensor) | A hands-on LoRaWAN guide: set up your gateway, create an LNS connection, register a sensor, build a room dashboard, and create your first alarm | ## What you'll need * A Chirp account * A web browser on your computer, tablet, or phone * For the hands-on guide: a LoRaWAN gateway and a sensor (like a temperature/humidity sensor) with its Device EUI and AppKey — these usually come printed on the device or its packaging No hardware yet? The first two pages are still worth reading — they'll help you understand what Chirp can do and how it works before your sensors arrive. ## The LoRaWAN setup flow Here's what that path looks like: ``` Sign up → Plug in your gateway → Create a connector → Register your sensor → Build a dashboard → Set up an alarm ``` Not every Chirp setup starts with a gateway. This flow is specifically for LoRaWAN sensors. Other connection types begin with the connection itself instead. Most people have their first LoRaWAN sensor reporting data within 15 minutes. The [Connect Your First Sensor](/first-steps/connect-your-first-sensor) guide walks you through every step. ## After your first sensor Want to connect scripts or trusted tools to Chirp? Create an API key and use the [API](/api) — REST over plain HTTPS is all most home setups need. # Finding Your Way Around Tour the Chirp interface — left menu, profile options, notification bell, home screen — find where everything lives. Here's a quick tour of the Chirp interface so you know where everything lives. ## The menu on the left The left side of the screen has your main menu. Everything you need is organized here, top to bottom. You can tuck the menu away when you do not need it — hover over the Chirp logo at the top and click the double-chevron that appears. The menu collapses to just icons, giving your dashboards and data the full screen. Click the chevron again to bring the labels back. This is especially handy if you use a tablet or touchscreen to display your dashboards. ### Your main sections * **Overview** — Your home screen. Summary cards showing your sensor and gateway counts, and recent alarms. Think of it as the front page of your smart home. * **Dashboards** — Custom views you build for any room or purpose. Create a "Kitchen" dashboard, a "Garden" view, or a "Security" overview. Organize them in folders and fill them with the sensor data that matters to you. * **Connectors** — Define which protocols Chirp listens on. Connector types: **LNS** (for LoRaWAN sensors), **Tracker** (for vehicle trackers — OBD2, CAN bus, standalone GPS), **MQTT** (for Zigbee sensors via Zigbee2MQTT, DIY hardware, and other MQTT-capable devices), and **Emulator** (pretend sensors, for setting things up before your hardware arrives). Click an LNS connection to see **LoRaWAN Gateways** and **Connected Devices** tabs. A Tracker connection shows the sensor list directly. Sensors are registered separately through the sensor dialog. * **Devices** — See all your registered sensors in one place. Browse and search. Click any sensor to view or edit its details. * **Gateways** — Your LoRaWAN gateways (must support Basics Station protocol for secure connectivity). See which ones are online, check their signal stats, add a new gateway, or update firmware. * **Alarm** — Your alert headquarters, with three tabs: * **Inbox** — See every alarm that's been triggered. Each one shows what happened, how serious it is (from Critical down to Info, with High, Medium, and Low in between), which sensor triggered it, and whether it's been resolved. Filter by severity or status, and search through past incidents. * **Alarm definitions** — The alarm rules you've set up. Create rules that define when to alert you, who gets notified, and how urgently. Rules support escalation — if nobody responds within a set time, the alert can automatically reach the next person or channel. * **Settings** — Configure how different severity levels behave and manage delivery preferences. * **Rules engine** — Your automation builder. Create rules visually: "if this sensor reads this, then do that." Rules can be as simple or as detailed as you need. * **Reports** — Activity and audit information for your household. * **Audit Trail** — A log of membership activity in your household. See when users were invited, when they joined, when permissions changed, and when someone was removed. ### Settings Click **Settings** to see more options: * **Profile settings** — Change your name, email, profile photo, or password. You can also delete your account from here. * **Locations** — Set up your rooms and zones. Once defined, you can filter devices by location and organize dashboards by room. * **Device sharing** — See which devices you've shared with family members and manage who has access to what. * **API Keys** — For power users and tinkerers. Create secure keys to connect Chirp with your own scripts, home automation setups, or other services. Each key has specific permissions and can be set to expire automatically. * **New device request** — Can't find your sensor's model when adding it? Choose **New device request** to ask the team to add support. Tell them the **Brand**, **Model**, and **Band**, and add a **Documentation link** or **Codec link or code** if you have one, then tap **Send request** — you'll see a confirmation once it's on its way. * **Changelog** — See what's new in the latest platform updates. ### At the bottom * **Get Help** — Opens a form where you can describe your issue, enter your email, and send a message directly to the support team. * **Docs** — Opens this documentation. ### Making more space You can collapse the menu to just icons by using the collapse arrow. This gives more room for dashboards and device views. Hover over the collapsed menu to temporarily see the labels. ## Your profile menu Click your **name or photo** in the bottom-left corner to open a dropdown. This is where you'll find several important things that aren't in the main menu: * **Language** — Switch between English, German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The change is instant and Chirp remembers your choice. * **Dark / Light mode** — Toggle between themes. Dark mode is great for checking sensors before bed or in dimly lit rooms. * **Subscription** — See which plan you're on, how many devices and rules you're using, and upgrade if you need more. * **Users** — Manage members of your organization — invite people, set permissions, and control who can see or change what. This is how you share your smart home with family members, roommates, or a landlord. * **Organization settings** — Change your organization's name or transfer ownership. Only visible to the organization owner. * **Log out** — End your session. ### Switching organizations Under **My organizations** in the menu, you'll see all organizations you belong to — for example, your own home and a vacation property you manage. Pick a different one and the entire interface switches — different devices, different rules, different members. Each organization is completely separate. ## The notification bell On desktop, a small **bell icon** appears near your profile. It shows a number badge when you have unread alarms. Click it to see recent alarms in a sidebar without leaving whatever page you're on. ## Your home screen (Overview) When you open Chirp, you land on the **Overview** page — titled **"My board"** in the interface. ### At the top: counts and status Two cards show how your home is doing: * **Devices** — How many sensors you have. Warnings appear if any aren't communicating. * **Gateways** — How many are online. If one drops off, you'll see it immediately. ### Below: recent alarms * **Recent alarms** — Latest triggered alarms. What happened, which device, when. Mark all as read, or click one for the full story. Everything updates automatically — new readings and alarms appear without refreshing. ## Managing your devices Sensors are added and managed through **Connectors** or **Devices**. Adding a new sensor opens a dialog where you enter a name and save. The dialog then transitions to edit mode with four tabs: * **Device info** — Name your sensor and add photos. * **Connection** — Choose the connector type, select a known device profile (brand, model, frequency band) or enter credentials manually (Device EUI, AppKey). * **Metrics** — Choose which sensor parameters the device reports, using templates. * **Logs** — See the device's activity history. This same dialog is used for adding new devices and editing existing ones. ## Inside a gateway page Click a gateway to see: * **Overview** — Whether it's online, how long it's been running, signal quality, traffic, and which devices connect through it. * **Settings** — Change the name, update the location, manage antenna configuration. # Connect Your First Sensor Hands-on guide to pair a gateway, register a LoRaWAN sensor, build a room dashboard, and set your first home alarm. Let's get something working. This guide walks you through the simplest LoRaWAN path to live data on your screen and an alarm watching over it. Not every Chirp setup starts with a gateway, but this one does because it covers the LNS / LoRaWAN route. Every feature has its own section later — here we're just getting you up and running. **You'll need:** * A Chirp account * A LoRaWAN gateway (the small box that receives signals from your sensors) * A LoRaWAN sensor (like a door sensor or temperature sensor) — along with its Device EUI and AppKey, usually printed on the device or its packaging **By the end, you'll have:** * A gateway receiving signals in your home * A connector linking the gateway to Chirp * A sensor sending live readings * A room dashboard showing your data * An alarm that notifies you when something needs attention *** ## Step 1: Set up your gateway The gateway is the bridge between your wireless sensors and Chirp. It plugs into your home network and listens for sensor signals within range. Your gateway needs to support the **Basics Station** protocol — this is how it connects securely to Chirp using encrypted TLS certificates (which is why you'll download a certificate bundle during setup). Most modern LoRaWAN gateways support this; check the specifications when choosing one. 1. Plug in your gateway and make sure it has power plus an internet connection or backhaul (for example Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or LTE, depending on the model). 2. In Chirp, click **Gateways** in the left menu. 3. Click **Add gateway** in the top-right corner. 4. Give it a **name** — like "Living Room Gateway" or "Home Hub." 5. Choose the right **region** for your gateway hardware and location: * Usually this matches the band your gateway was sold or configured for * **EU868** for most deployments in Europe * **US915-0 / US915-1** in the United States, depending on the network setup * **EU433** only if your gateway is specifically built or configured for 433 MHz * Other regions are in the dropdown 6. Type in the **Gateway EUI** — a 16-character code printed on a sticker on the gateway, usually on the bottom or back. 7. Click **Next**. ### Connect your gateway to Chirp The next screen shows two important things: 8. An **LNS address** — this is the server URL your gateway needs. Click the **copy icon** to copy it. 9. A **Download certs.zip** button — click it to download the security certificates. 10. Click **Continue**. Now open your gateway's settings page in your browser (find its IP address on your router's connected devices list) and enter: * The **LNS address** you just copied * The **certificates** from the zip file The exact steps depend on your gateway model — check the guide that came with it. Once connected, the gateway shows as **online** in your Gateways list. This may take a couple of minutes. > **Where to put it:** A central, elevated location works best. For an apartment, one gateway usually covers everything. For a house, the main floor is a good choice. *** ## Step 2: Create a connection Before adding sensors, you need a connection. A connection tells Chirp which protocol to listen on — in this case, LoRaWAN. 1. Click **Connectors** in the left menu. 2. Click **Add connector** (or the **Add connector** button if you haven't set one up yet). 3. Select **LNS** from the **Connector type** dropdown. 4. Click **Add**. Done — the connection is created. No extra setup needed. Chirp handles the LoRaWAN network integration automatically. *** ## Step 3: Add your sensor With the gateway online and the connection in place, you can register your first sensor — giving it a profile in Chirp that tracks its state, readings, and history. 1. In the **Connectors** page, click on your **LNS** connection to open it. 2. Click the **Connected Devices** tab. 3. Click **Add device**. ### Create the sensor profile The dialog opens showing only the basic info: 4. Type a **name** — like "Front Door Sensor" or "Bedroom Temp." 5. Optionally add a **photo** of the sensor. 6. Click **Save**. The sensor profile is created and the dialog transitions to edit mode with all tabs visible. ### Configure the connection 7. Click the **Connection** tab. 8. Select your **connector** from the dropdown. 9. Under **"Use device profile templates"**, check the box if your brand is in the list: * Pick the **Brand** (e.g., Dragino, Milesight, Browan). * Pick the **Model** — the list narrows by brand. * **Profile** (band and device class) fills in automatically. 10. If your sensor isn't listed, leave the checkbox unchecked and enter: * **Device EUI** — 16 characters, printed on the sensor or its box. * **AppKey** — 32 characters, also included with the sensor. 11. Click **Save**. The sensor appears in the Connected Devices list. It needs a moment to join the network through your gateway — most sensors send their first reading within a minute or two. > **Don't see your brand?** No problem — leave the template checkbox unchecked and enter the Device EUI and AppKey manually. Chirp works with any LoRaWAN sensor. You can configure data templates later to define how raw data maps to meaningful readings. See the [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates) section for details. *** ## Step 4: See your live data Once your sensor has reported in, you can view its data in two ways: * Click a **sensor row** in the Connected Devices list — the sensor's detail page opens. Click the **Metrics** tab to see readings. * Or check **Devices** in the sidebar to see all your sensors and their status. The best way to keep an eye on your data is through a dashboard — which we'll set up next. *** ## Step 5: Create a room dashboard Dashboards let you see data from one or many sensors at a glance. 1. Click **Dashboards** in the left menu. 2. Click **Add dashboard**. 3. In the modal: * Pick an **icon** for the dashboard. * Enter a **name** — like "Front Door" or "Home Overview." * Optionally choose a **folder** or add a **description**. 4. Click **Save**. ### Add your sensor's data 5. On the new dashboard, click **Add widget**. 6. **Choose your device** from the list. 7. **Choose a metric** — like door status or battery level. You'll see a live preview of how the widget will look. 8. Click **Choose** to add it. Repeat to add more widgets. **Drag** them to rearrange and **resize** by pulling their edges. > **Idea:** Create a dashboard for each room, or one "Home Overview" with the most important reading from each sensor. *** ## Step 6: Get alerted when something happens Let's set up an alarm so Chirp tells you when the door opens. 1. Click **Alarm** in the left menu. 2. Click **Add alarm rule** in the top-right corner. 3. In the modal, fill in: * **Name** — like "Front Door Opened." * **Title** — the subject of the alert (e.g., "Door Alert"). * **Body** — the message (e.g., "The front door has been opened."). * **Severity** — pick **Critical** if this needs immediate attention, **High** or **Medium** for important but non-urgent events, or **Low** / **Info** for things you just want to know about. ### Who gets notified 4. The first **escalation step** is pre-configured with your account and email. * Choose additional **channels** if available (SMS, push notifications). * To escalate further: click **Add step** — for example, notify your partner if you don't respond within 10 minutes. * Set the **delay** between steps. 5. Click **Save**. The alarm rule is now watching. When triggered, an alarm appears in **Alarm → Inbox** and you receive a notification through your configured channels. *** ## You're up and running That's it — you have a working LoRaWAN smart home setup: * A **gateway** receiving signals from your sensors * A **connector** linking the network to Chirp * A **sensor** sending live data * A **dashboard** where you see it all at a glance * An **alarm rule** keeping watch while you don't From here, you might want to: * **Add more sensors** — Repeat Step 3 for each new device through your connector * **Build automations** — Check out the Automation section for rules like "alert me if the door opens after midnight" * **Invite your family** — Go to **Users** in the user menu to invite family members and control what they can see and change * **Explore the AI helper** — Ask it *"When was the front door last opened?"* and get a real answer from your data # Overview Read your home at a glance — device and gateway status cards, notifications, and self-refreshing live readings. The home overview is the first thing you see when you open Chirp. Think of it as your home's front page — a single screen that tells you whether everything is running smoothly, which devices need attention, and what's happened recently. The overview is available on plans that include the Overview feature. If your plan includes it, it loads automatically when you log in. ## Where to find it Tap **Overview** in the sidebar. ## What you'll see The overview is divided into a few easy-to-scan sections, each showing a different slice of your home's status. ### "My board" and Live Data The heading **My board** sits at the top of the page, next to a **Live Data** button. The Live Data button is a small clickable icon. When you hover over it, a tooltip reads **"New data is automatically displayed"** — meaning Chirp keeps the overview fresh as new sensor readings arrive. If you've just made a change (like adding a new sensor) and want to see it reflected immediately, click the button to trigger a manual refresh. ### Summary cards Below the header, a row of summary cards gives you an at-a-glance view of your smart home. The row scrolls sideways if there are more cards than your screen can fit. Cards you'll see include: * **Devices** — Shows how many devices are registered in your home. A small warning indicator appears on the card when Chirp can't confirm a device is reporting — either it has never sent anything, or it has gone quiet for longer than its **Data sending interval** — the field where you tell Chirp how often the device is configured to send (see [Adding Sensors](/devices/adding-sensors)). Tapping the card takes you to the full device list. A small add button in the corner lets you start registering a new device right from here. * **Gateways** — Shows how many gateways you have connected. Warning indicators appear if a gateway has gone offline or become inactive. Tapping takes you to the gateways page, and the add button starts the gateway setup flow. These cards work as both a status check and a shortcut. If you see a warning number, you know something needs your attention before you even open the details. ### Notifications Below the cards, a **Notifications** panel shows recent alerts and events — what happened, which device triggered it, and when. If a door opened while you were out or a temperature crossed a threshold overnight, you see it here without opening the full alarm inbox. ### Add a sensor At the bottom of the page, a dedicated **Add Device** section makes it easy to register new sensors or gateways. This is especially helpful when you're first setting up your home and the overview is still empty — it's the natural "what to do next" prompt. ## When your home is brand new If you've just created your Chirp account and haven't connected anything yet: * The **Devices** and **Gateways** cards show **0** with no warnings. * The **Notifications** section has nothing to display. * The **Add Device** section at the bottom invites you to get started. As soon as you connect your first sensor and gateway, the cards light up. Readings flow in and notifications start tracking what matters. ## Making the most of your overview * **Use notifications as a morning briefing.** Scroll through recent notifications to see what happened overnight without opening each sensor individually. * **Tap the Live Data button after adding a sensor.** When you've just registered a new sensor, tapping Live Data confirms that Chirp is receiving its readings right away. ## What's next * [Finding Your Way Around](/first-steps/finding-your-way-around) — A tour of the full Chirp interface. * [Adding Sensors](/devices/adding-sensors) — Register your first sensor. * [Building a Dashboard](/dashboards/building-a-dashboard) — Create a custom view tailored to a room or purpose. # Dashboards See your whole smart home at a glance — overview, custom dashboards, widgets, maps, and live sensor data. Once your sensors are connected and reporting, Chirp gives you several ways to see what's happening across your home — from a quick status check to fully personalized dashboards that show exactly the information you care about. ## What you can see Chirp's visibility layer is built around a few key surfaces that work together: 1. **Home overview** — If your plan includes the Overview feature, this is the first screen you see when you log in. It shows summary cards for your devices and gateways, and recent notifications. A clickable Live Data button lets you refresh your data on demand. 2. **Custom dashboards** — Views you build yourself, organized the way you think about your home. A "Kitchen" dashboard might show temperature and humidity. A "Security" dashboard might focus on door and window sensors. You decide what goes where. Dashboards are available on plans that include the Dashboard feature. 3. **Widgets** — Each piece of information on a dashboard is a widget. Widgets are not fixed cards — they are configurable display components that you tailor to your needs. A temperature widget for your living room might show a comfortable green range of 18–24°C, while the same sensor type in a fridge widget turns red above 5°C. You control the ranges, colors, and labels. 4. **Maps and device placement** — See where your sensors are placed on an interactive map, so you always know which device is where. 5. **Tracking** — If you have a GPS tracker (for a vehicle, pet, or bike), see where it's been with location history and route details. Location history works for any device that reports GPS coordinates; a cellular vehicle tracker connects through the [Tracker Connector](/connectors/tracker-connector), while a LoRaWAN GPS tag connects through the [LNS Connector](/connectors/lns-connector). 6. **Live data** — Understand what the Live Data indicator means, and what to check if data isn't appearing as expected. ## Ideas for dashboards around the home Dashboards are not just for sitting at your computer. Put them where they are most useful: * **A tablet by the front door** — Glance at your home's status on the way in or out. Are all doors and windows closed? What is the temperature? Any alerts waiting? Mount an inexpensive tablet, open Chirp, and collapse the menu for a clean full-screen view. * **A kitchen display** — A spare tablet showing a "Kitchen & Garden" dashboard with live temperature, humidity, and soil moisture readings. * **A bedside screen** — Bedroom temperature, overnight door/window sensor activity, and security status — visible without reaching for your phone. * **A shared family display** — A living room screen showing the home overview so everyone in the household can see what is going on at a glance. For any mounted or dedicated screen, collapse the sidebar to give the dashboard the full display — hover over the logo and click the double-chevron. The menu shrinks to tiny icons, keeping the focus on your data. ## What's ahead * [Home Overview](/overview) — Your default landing page: sensor status and notifications. * [Building a Dashboard](/dashboards/building-a-dashboard) — Create a personalized dashboard with a name, icon, and folder. * [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) — Pick widget types, connect them to your sensors, and customize how readings are displayed. * [Organizing Your Views](/dashboards/organizing-your-views) — Group dashboards into folders and arrange them to match how you use your home. * [Maps and Device Placement](/dashboards/maps-and-device-placement) — See where your sensors are on a map. * [Tracking What Matters](/dashboards/tracking-what-matters) — View location history for GPS tracker devices. * [Live Home Data](/dashboards/live-home-data) — How live updates work and what to do if data isn't showing up. # Building a Dashboard Create, rename, and delete a personalized Chirp dashboard with its own name, icon, and folder. The home overview shows your whole smart home at a glance, but sometimes you want a view focused on just one part — the kitchen temperature and humidity, the security sensors on every door, or the garden moisture probe and weather station. That's what dashboards are for. A dashboard is a view you design yourself by choosing which sensors and readings to display. Before adding any widgets (the individual data displays), you first create the dashboard itself — give it a name, pick an icon, and choose where it lives in your sidebar. This page covers creating, editing, and deleting dashboards. For organizing dashboards into folders, see [Organizing Your Views](/dashboards/organizing-your-views).
A home dashboard of Control widgets — a switch, a dial, a slider, and an input controlling a lamp
## Finding your dashboards Your dashboards live in the **Dashboards** section of the sidebar. Dashboards are available on plans that include the Dashboard feature. Tap the section to expand and see everything you've created. If this is your first time, the sidebar shows **"No dashboards yet"** — which is perfectly normal. Next to the Dashboards section, you'll notice two small controls: * **Add dashboard** (plus icon) — Opens the dialog where you create a new dashboard. * **Dashboard settings** (gear icon) — Opens the management dialog for folders and reordering, covered in [Organizing Your Views](/dashboards/organizing-your-views). ## Creating your first dashboard Tap **Add dashboard** in the sidebar. A dialog opens with the title **"Add dashboard"** and the message **"Create your personalized dashboard, add the necessary widgets to meet your goals."** ### What to fill in * **Icon** — Pick an icon that represents the dashboard's purpose. The default is a house icon. Some ideas: a thermometer for a temperature dashboard, a lock for security, a leaf for your garden. * **Name** *(required)* — Give your dashboard a clear name. The placeholder suggests **"My dashboard"**, but something descriptive works better — "Living Room", "Garden Sensors", or "Front Door Security". If you leave this blank and try to save, you'll see **"Dashboard name is required"**. * **Folder** — Choose a folder for the dashboard, or leave it at **"None (top level)"** to place it directly in the sidebar. If you've created folders (through [Organizing Your Views](/dashboards/organizing-your-views)), they appear in the dropdown. This option only shows up when creating a new dashboard — not when editing later. * **Description** — An optional note about what this dashboard is for. The placeholder reads **"Describe your dashboard, if needed"**. You might write "Tracks temperature and humidity in the kitchen and dining area" so you remember the purpose later. ### Saving Tap **Save** to create the dashboard. It opens right away, ready for you to [choose and add widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets). Tap **Cancel** to close without creating anything. ## What you see on a dashboard Once your dashboard is created and you open it from the sidebar, you'll see: * The **dashboard name** as a heading on the left. * A **Live Data** label with a small icon on the right side of the header. This is a status indicator (not a button) that tells you the dashboard receives fresh sensor readings automatically. * An **actions menu** (three dots) on the far right. If you haven't added any widgets yet, the center of the dashboard shows the message **"You have no widgets here"** alongside **"Add your first widget to build your dashboard"** and an **Add widget** button. This is your prompt to head to [Choosing Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets). ## Changing a dashboard's name or icon Made a typo, or want a different icon? 1. Open the dashboard. 2. Tap the actions menu (three dots) and select **Edit dashboard**. This puts the dashboard into edit mode. 3. Look for the small **pencil icon** that appears near the top left — it replaces the Live Data indicator when you're in edit mode. Tap it. 4. The edit dialog opens with your current name, icon, and description pre-filled. Make your changes. 5. Tap **Save**. You can't change the folder from this dialog — moving a dashboard between folders is done through [Organizing Your Views](/dashboards/organizing-your-views). ## Deleting a dashboard If you no longer need a dashboard: 1. Open it from the sidebar. 2. Tap the actions menu and select **Delete dashboard**. 3. A confirmation appears: **"Are you sure you want to delete {dashboard name} dashboard?"** with the note **"Once deleted, this action cannot be undone."** 4. Tap **Yes, delete** to confirm. This permanently removes the dashboard and everything on it. ## What's next * [Choosing Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) — Add sensor data, charts, and floor plans to your new dashboard. * [Organizing Your Views](/dashboards/organizing-your-views) — Group dashboards into folders like "Upstairs" and "Garden". * [Home Overview](/overview) — The default view that's always there, even before you create dashboards. # Adding Widgets Add and configure dashboard widgets — pick a type, connect it to your sensors, and tailor the ranges and colors. A dashboard comes alive when you add widgets — the individual display panels that show what your sensors are doing right now. But the same temperature sensor in the bedroom and the same temperature sensor watching a fridge are not the same thing. One widget shows comfort. The other shows whether your groceries are safe. The value is identical in type; the meaning is entirely different. This is what widgets are designed for. You choose what each one shows, set the ranges and colors that match the context, and give it a name that makes sense for where it lives. Two widgets can read from the same sensor and look completely different because you've configured them for different purposes. ## How to add a widget to a dashboard Before you can add widgets, you need a dashboard. If you haven't created one yet, see [Building a Dashboard](/dashboards/building-a-dashboard). **Opening edit mode:** Open the dashboard, tap the **actions menu** (three dots) in the top right, and select **Edit dashboard**. The dashboard enters edit mode — you'll see a **Cancel** button and a **Save** button appear in the header, replacing the Live Data indicator. **If the dashboard is empty:** An empty dashboard shows **"You have no widgets here"** with an **Add widget** button in the center. Tap it to open the widget picker. **If the dashboard already has widgets:** In edit mode, a **plus (+) button** appears — use it to add more widgets. You can also tap the **three-dot menu** on any existing widget to edit, move, resize, or delete it. **Reusing a widget you've already set up:** Once a widget is configured just the way you like it, you don't have to build the next one from scratch. * **Duplicate** a widget from its three-dot menu to get a copy on the same dashboard — you'll see **"Widget successfully duplicated"**. This is the quick way to cover several identical sensors: set up the first radiator's temperature widget with the ranges and colors you want, duplicate it once per radiator, and just point each copy at its own sensor. If the copy doesn't appear, you'll see **"Could not duplicate widget"** — try again. * **Move to dashboard** sends a widget to a different dashboard entirely. Handy when the garden soil probe you added to "Kitchen" really belongs on "Garden". If the move doesn't go through, you'll see **"Could not move widget"**. **Saving your changes:** After configuring a widget, tap **Save** in the widget settings to add it to the dashboard. When you're done arranging, tap **Save** in the dashboard header to exit edit mode and keep your layout. ## Choose the right widget | Widget | Use it when | What it shows | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [Last Data](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) | You need to know what something is doing right now | The latest value received from one or more sensors | | [Chart](/dashboards/adding-widgets/chart-widget) | You need to see how a value changed over time | A historical graph plus the live current reading | | [Image](/dashboards/adding-widgets/image-widget) | You want to see sensor data pinned onto an image — a floor plan, a room photo, a diagram | Your own uploaded image with live numeric readings pinned to their locations | | [Map](/dashboards/adding-widgets/map-widget) | You want to see where a GPS-reporting device is right now | Current position on a real outdoor interactive map, plus one sensor reading on the marker | | [iFrame](/dashboards/adding-widgets/iframe-widget) | You want a web page you check often — weather, traffic, a calendar — right on your dashboard | A live web page from a supported service, embedded in the tile next to your sensors | | [Digital Building Twin](/dashboards/adding-widgets/digital-building-twin) | You want a 3D model of your home with sensors mapped to real rooms and objects | A 3D editor that turns your home into a live picture, colored by what your sensors say | ## What comes next * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — Latest sensor values, gauges, and per-sensor conditions * [Chart Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/chart-widget) — Time-series graphs with live current reading and threshold bands * [Image Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/image-widget) — Any image with draggable live-data pins * [Map Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/map-widget) — GPS tracker location with route history * [iFrame Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/iframe-widget) — Pin a live web page — weather, traffic, calendar — next to your sensors * [Digital Building Twin](/dashboards/adding-widgets/digital-building-twin) — A 3D model of your home that lights up with live sensor readings * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Color rules that turn readings into meaning * [Organizing Your Views](/dashboards/organizing-your-views) — Group dashboards into folders # Last Data Widget Show the latest value from one or more sensors as a number, gauge, or ring — is the door open, how warm is the room? The Last Data widget shows the **last value received from a sensor**. When the device is actively reporting, that is also the current value. When the device goes offline after its last transmission, the widget continues showing that last value — it does not clear the display or flag that the device is silent. You see what the sensor last said, which is current if the device is still transmitting and may be stale if it is not. Is the bedroom light on or off? Is the front door open or closed? What is the living room temperature? These are Last Data questions. The widget shows the last transmitted value for each — no chart, no history, no trend. If you want to see how a value changed over time, that is the [Chart widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/chart-widget). You can display the latest value as-is — a number, text, or an on/off (`true`/`false`) reading — or as a ring gauge (Doughnut), a filled gauge (Pie), a Tube that fills up like a tank, a Gauge that slides a marker along a colored track, or a Radial Gauge that shows the reading on a round dial. One widget can hold multiple sensors — bedroom temperature, humidity, and CO2 level side by side, each styled independently. Conditions turn the raw number into visible meaning: green means everything is fine, red means look at this now. ## Setting up a Last Data widget ### Step 1 — Choose Last Data from the widget picker Open dashboard edit mode and tap **Last data** in the widget picker. (See [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) for how to open edit mode.) The settings panel opens with two tabs: **Datasource** and **Appearance**. ### Step 2 — Datasource tab: connect your sensors The Datasource tab is titled **"Last Data configuration"** with the subtitle **"Configure last data and data sources."** **Adding a data source:** 1. Tap **Add datasource**. A **Datasource 1** block appears. 2. In the block, tap **Choose device** and select the device whose sensor you want to display. 3. Tap **Add metric**. A metric row appears. Each metric row shows: * **Data type** — set to Telemetry * **Device metric** — choose which sensor reading to display (any reading — number, text, or on/off) * **Icon** — pick an icon to represent this metric on the widget * **Conditions button** — labeled **"Conditions: N"** where N is the number of conditions currently set. Tap it to open the Conditions modal and define what color this reading shows at different values. This is also where you set the **default color** for the metric. See [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) for details. * **Delete** — remove this metric from the widget There is no color picker directly in the metric row. The reading color is controlled entirely through the Conditions modal. > **About reading types.** The **Device metric** list shows every reading, whatever its type. The **Value** display shows it as-is — a number, text, or an on/off value (`true`/`false`) — so no conversion is needed. The gauge-style displays (Doughnut, Pie, Tube, Gauge, Radial gauge) need a number to fill a scale: a numeric text reading is read as that number, and anything non-numeric shows as 0. To change a reading's type, open [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates) and set its **Type** on the **Metrics** tab. **Adding multiple sensors:** Tap **Add datasource** to add a second device. You can add as many devices as you like. Duplicate devices are not allowed — once a device is added, it won't appear in the picker again. Each device can expose multiple metrics. After adding a device, tap **Add metric** on its row to include additional sensor readings from the same device. The Add metric button grays out once all of that device's available metrics have been added. **Default value range for gauges:** When you add a metric, a default value range of 0–100 is created for it automatically. This range is used by the Doughnut, Pie, Tube, and Gauge display types to set the scale. You can change it in the Appearance tab. When your sensors are set, tap **Next** to continue to the Appearance tab. ### Step 3 — Appearance tab: choose how it looks **Widget name** *(required)* — The title shown on the widget. The placeholder reads **"Enter widget name"**. **Description** — An optional subtitle below the name. **Widget type** — Choose how readings are displayed. Each display type has its own page with a screenshot and the full detail: * **Value** — The latest reading shown as-is — a number with its unit, text, or an on/off (`true`/`false`) value. Clean and direct. [→ Value Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) * **Doughnut** — A ring gauge that fills proportionally between the Min and Max you set. [→ Doughnut Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/doughnut) * **Pie** — A filled circle gauge — the same idea as Doughnut, with a bolder look. [→ Pie Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/pie) * **Tube** — A tall cylinder that fills from the bottom like a tank. [→ Tube Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) * **Gauge** — A horizontal track with a sliding marker and your color conditions shown as bands. [→ Gauge Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) * **Radial gauge** — A round dial with a needle, a sweep angle you choose, and your conditions as colored arcs. [→ Radial Gauge Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge) **Value range** *(Doughnut, Pie, Tube, Gauge, and Radial gauge)* — Appears per sensor once you choose one of these display types. Set the **Min** and **Max** values that define the scale the widget fills or marks against. The tooltip reads: **"Set min and max to define the chart scale. Max is the value where the indicator is fully filled (for a pie, the whole circle)."** Validation: Min must be strictly less than Max. If they are equal or reversed, the widget won't save. **Tick marks** *(Tube, Gauge, and Radial gauge)* — Choose how many tick marks divide the scale. On a Gauge they run along the track, on a Tube they run down the side and pick up the color of whatever condition band they land in, and on a Radial gauge they ring the dial. **Sweep angle** and **Radial Gauge name** *(Radial gauge only)* — Set how far around the dial sweeps (0 to 360 degrees; 300 by default) and the label shown with it. See [Radial Gauge Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge). **Tube and Gauge don't have a built-in "good" end.** The fill or marker just shows where the reading sits — your conditions decide what's fine and what isn't. Put the red band at the low end to be warned when something is running out, or at the high end when something is rising too far. The [Tube](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) and [Gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) pages walk through both. **Display data legend** — A toggle that adds a legend listing your sensor metrics below the reading. Works for every display type. ### Step 4 — Save Tap **Save** to add the widget to the dashboard. ## What to expect Once placed, the widget immediately shows the last known value from each sensor. As sensors report new data, the display updates live. The value shown is the last one received. If a device has been offline or silent, the widget continues showing the last reading it got — it does not clear the display. Check the sensor's last-reported time on the device page before acting on a reading if the device might be offline. If a sensor hasn't reported yet, the widget shows **"Waiting for live data"** in the reading area. If no metrics have been configured, it shows **"Add a metric to start visualizing data"** or **"Choose data source and add metric"**. ## Common patterns Almost every Last Data tile is one of a few simple ideas. Each display type has its own page with the full step-by-step and home examples — here is where to start. * **Is it on or off?** — a door, a light, a leak sensor. A plain [Value display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) with one color per state is all you need. * **What is the reading right now?** — a room temperature, an air-quality figure. A [Value display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) shows the value; a [Gauge display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) also shows whether it is in a comfortable range. * **How full is it?** — a water tank, a battery, a rain barrel. Show it as a [Doughnut](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/doughnut) or [Pie](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/pie) ring, or as a filling [Tube](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) that looks like the tank itself. * **Is something heading for trouble?** — a level creeping too high or a supply running too low. A [Gauge display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) turns your colors into bands so you can spot the moment it crosses the line. ## See also * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Define color rules for each metric: what green, yellow, and red mean for that specific sensor in that specific place * [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) — How to open edit mode and use the widget picker # Value Display Show a sensor's latest reading as a number, text, or on/off with the Value display in the Chirp Last Data widget.
Last Data widget using the Value display
The Value display shows a reading's latest value just as it comes in — no dial, no bar, just the value. It works for **any** kind of reading: a number with its unit, a bit of **text** shown as-is, or an on/off (**Boolean**) value shown as `true` or `false`. As the screenshot shows, several readings can share one tile, sitting side by side, each in its own color — handy for showing a room's temperature and humidity together. Pick Value when the reading itself is what you want to see, and there's nothing to "fill up" — the actual temperature, the actual battery percentage, a text status, an open/closed state. It's also the neatest way to fit two or three related readings into one small tile. Value is the only display type with no value range, because there's no scale to fill against. ## When to choose it * The exact reading is the point — "the bedroom is 21°C," "the battery is at 64%." * A compact tile carrying two or three readings for one room or device. * A simple on/off or open/closed value where the plain number says it all. Those are just ideas — any reading that's clearest as a plain figure is a good fit for the Value display. ## Configure a Value display Let's build a real one — a tile that tells you at a glance whether the front door is open. The door's contact sensor reports just two values — `1` when it's open and `0` when it's shut. Because the reading is only ever 0 or 1, there's nothing to fill or scale, so a Value tile is the right pick and each condition only needs to match one of those two numbers. This is just an example: a Value tile suits any reading where the figure itself is what you want — only the sensor and the conditions change. 1. Open your dashboard in edit mode and tap **Last data** in the widget picker. The **Datasource** tab opens with nothing added yet. 2. Tap **Add datasource**. A **Datasource 1** block appears. 3. In the block, tap **Choose device** and pick the front-door contact sensor. 4. Tap **Add metric**. A metric row appears. 5. In the row, leave **Data type** on **Telemetry**, choose the open/closed reading under **Device metric**, and add an **Icon**. > **About reading types.** The **Device metric** list shows every reading, whatever its type. The Value display shows it as-is — a number, a bit of text, or an on/off value (`true`/`false`) — so you don't need to convert anything here. (The gauge-style displays — Doughnut, Pie, Gauge, Tube, Radial gauge — do need a number: a numeric text reading is read as that number, and anything non-numeric shows as 0. To change a reading's type, use the **Metrics Templates** button on your connection's Connected Devices list — see [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates).) 6. Tap **Conditions: N** to open the Conditions window. Choose a **Default color** — the color the reading uses whenever none of your bands match the current value — then for each state tap **Add condition** and fill in the row — type a **Condition name**, set **Data type** to **Number** (the condition's own Data type, not the metric's), because the door sensor only ever sends 0 or 1, set **From** and **To** to the same number — the value that condition should match — and pick a **Color**. Then you set the two states — for example: * "Open" — **From** 1, **To** 1 — red * "Closed" — **From** 0, **To** 0 — green Tap **Save** to close the window. 7. Tap **Next** to go to the **Appearance** tab. 8. Type a **Widget name** — "Front door" — and a **Description** if you'd like a subtitle. 9. Under **Widget type**, choose **Value**. There's no **Value range** or **Tick marks** — the Value display has no scale, because an on/off reading has nothing to fill; the value itself is the message. 10. Flip on **Display data legend** if you'd like a label, then tap **Save**. The tile still shows the number — `1` or `0` — but the condition color turns it red when the door is open and green when it's shut, so you read the state in an instant without thinking about the digit. The same trick works for any on/off sensor — a window contact, a leak detector, a light — just swap the sensor and the two conditions. ## Worked examples **The exact reading, with a verdict** When you want the actual figure, the Value tile shows it in full. A Value tile has no scale, so the bedroom temperature just needs conditions — the °C thresholds that matter to you. Add three: "Comfortable" — From 18, To 24 — green; "Cool" — From 15, To 18 — yellow; "Chilly" — From -5, To 15 — blue. You see the real number — `21.4 °C` — and its color tells you how it feels, both at once. The number is never hidden; the color is just extra meaning laid on top. To see how the temperature changed through the day, use the [Chart widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/chart-widget) instead. **A text or on/off reading** The Value display isn't just for numbers. A sensor that reports text (like `OPEN`, `CLOSED`, or `MOTION`) or a simple on/off value shows it directly — the text as written, or `true`/`false` — with no conversion. You can still add conditions and colors, so an `OPEN` status can glow red while `CLOSED` stays green. **One tile for a whole room** A Value tile can hold several readings together. Add temperature, humidity, and air quality from one multi-sensor and each keeps its own icon and colors, lined up side by side — your "Bedroom" tile in one neat square. ## See also * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — The full widget setup and the other display types * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Setting the From/To color rules * Other display types: [Doughnut](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/doughnut) · [Pie](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/pie) · [Gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) · [Tube](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) · [Radial gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge) # Doughnut Display Show a reading as a filling ring with the number in the middle — perfect for a tank, battery, or humidity level.
Last Data widget using the Doughnut display type
The Doughnut display shows a reading as a ring that fills up between a low and a high value you choose, with the number in the middle. One look tells you how full something is — you don't have to read the figure to know it's nearly empty or almost maxed out. It's a great fit for anything with a sensible range — a water tank, a battery, a humidity level. As the reading climbs, more of the ring fills in. ## When to choose it * A reading with a clear low and high — water-tank level, battery percentage, room humidity. * A tile where you just want to sense "getting full" or "getting low" at a glance. * A value that feels like a proportion of something rather than a bare number. Anything in your home that has a meaningful "empty" and "full" can become a Doughnut — your own sensors will suggest plenty of uses. ## Configure a Doughnut display Let's build a real one — a ring that shows the living-room temperature and whether it's comfortable. A temperature sensor reports the room in °C. A temperature isn't like a tank — it has no real "empty" or "full", so there's no obvious 0 and 100. The ring still needs a bottom and a top, so you pick a window wide enough to cover any temperature the room could realistically reach: for a house, about -5 °C to +40 °C. This is just an example: a Doughnut suits any reading you'd like to see as a share of a range, so only the sensor and the numbers change. 1. Open your dashboard in edit mode and tap **Last data** in the widget picker. The **Datasource** tab opens with nothing added yet. 2. Tap **Add datasource**. A **Datasource 1** block appears. 3. In the block, tap **Choose device** and pick the room's temperature sensor. 4. Tap **Add metric**. A metric row appears. 5. In the row, leave **Data type** on **Telemetry**, choose the temperature reading under **Device metric**, and pick an **Icon**. > **This display needs a number.** The **Device metric** list shows every reading, but a gauge fills against a scale — pick a numeric one here; a text reading shows as 0. (To show text or an on/off value as-is, use the [Value display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number).) To change a reading's type, use the **Metrics Templates** button on your connection's Connected Devices list — see [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates). 6. Tap **Conditions: N** to open the Conditions window. Choose a **Default color** — the color the reading uses whenever none of your bands match the current value — then for each band tap **Add condition** and fill in the row — a **Condition name**, **Data type** set to **Number** (the condition's own Data type, not the metric's), the band's **From** and **To** — a living room realistically sits between -5 °C and 40 °C, so those run from **-5** to **40** — and a **Color**. Then you set the color levels — for example: Starting at the coldest: * "Too cold" — **From** -5, **To** 15 — blue * "Cool" — **From** 15, **To** 18 — yellow * "Comfortable" — **From** 18, **To** 24 — green * "Warm" — **From** 24, **To** 28 — yellow * "Too hot" — **From** 28, **To** 40 — red Tap **Save** to close the window. 7. Tap **Next** to open the **Appearance** tab. 8. Type a **Widget name** — "Living room" — and a **Description** if you want one. 9. Under **Widget type**, pick **Doughnut**. 10. In **Value range**, set **Min value** to **-5** and **Max value** to **40** — the window you picked for a house room. The ring fills to show where the temperature sits across that -5–40 °C span, and the matching condition colors it. 11. Turn on **Display data legend** if you'd like, then tap **Save**. The ring shows the temperature as a spot in the range and goes green only while the room is comfortable. The same steps fit anything with a sensible low and high — just change the sensor, the **Min value**/**Max value**, and the conditions. One honest note: a temperature is often easier to read on a Number tile or a Gauge — the Doughnut is shown here because it makes the next example easy to see. ## Worked examples **The same sensor, set up completely differently — the fridge** Your fridge uses the very same kind of temperature sensor as the living room above — but a comfortable fridge and a comfortable room are nothing alike. A fridge stays cold, so its safe range is only about 0–5 °C — set the scale a little wider than that band so a fridge that fails and warms up still shows on the ring: **Min value** **-5**, **Max value** **15**. Then build three conditions: "Too cold" — From -5, To 0 — blue; "Safe" — From 0, To 5 — green; "Too warm" — From 5, To 15 — red. Same sensor, same steps — only the numbers move, because you decide what "good" means for each spot in your home. That's the whole idea behind conditions. **How full is the water tank?** A Doughnut is a natural fit for a tank. A level sensor in a 500-liter tank reports the contents in liters, so 0 is empty and 500 is full — **Min value** 0, **Max value** 500 — with conditions green From 300 To 500, yellow From 100 To 300, red From 0 To 100. The ring empties before your eyes as the tank is used. ## See also * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — The full widget setup and the other display types * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Setting the From/To color rules * Other display types: [Value](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) · [Pie](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/pie) · [Gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) · [Tube](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) · [Radial gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge) # Pie Display Show a reading as a bold filled circle that fills as the value rises — a chunkier take on the ring gauge.
Last Data widget using the Pie display type
The Pie display is a solid filled circle rather than a ring — it fills in like a slice of pie and becomes whole when the reading reaches its maximum, with the value shown beside it. It works on exactly the same idea as the Doughnut; it just looks bolder and more solid. Reach for Pie when you'd like a stronger splash of color on the dashboard instead of a thin ring. ## When to choose it * The same range-based readings the Doughnut handles — tank level, battery, humidity — when you prefer a chunkier look. * A tile you want to stand out on a busy dashboard. * A board you glance at from across the room, where a solid shape reads more easily. Doughnut and Pie do the same job — choose whichever simply looks better to you on the dashboard. ## Configure a Pie display Let's build a real one — a bold tile showing how much water is in the garden rain barrel. A level sensor reports the barrel contents in liters, and the barrel holds 200 liters — so the reading is 0 when the barrel is empty and 200 when it's full. That 0–200 is the scale, and each color band is a slice of it. This is just an example: a Pie works for any reading shown as a share of a range, so only the sensor and the numbers change. 1. Open your dashboard in edit mode and tap **Last data** in the widget picker. The **Datasource** tab opens with nothing added yet. 2. Tap **Add datasource**. A **Datasource 1** block appears. 3. In the block, tap **Choose device** and pick the rain barrel's level sensor. 4. Tap **Add metric**. A metric row appears. 5. In the row, leave **Data type** on **Telemetry**, choose the volume reading under **Device metric**, and choose an **Icon**. > **This display needs a number.** The **Device metric** list shows every reading, but a gauge fills against a scale — pick a numeric one here; a text reading shows as 0. (To show text or an on/off value as-is, use the [Value display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number).) To change a reading's type, use the **Metrics Templates** button on your connection's Connected Devices list — see [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates). 6. Tap **Conditions: N** to open the Conditions window. Choose a **Default color** — the color the reading uses whenever none of your bands match the current value — then for each band tap **Add condition** and fill in the row — a **Condition name**, **Data type** set to **Number** (the condition's own Data type, not the metric's), the band's **From** and **To** — the barrel holds 200 liters, so those run from **0** (empty) to **200** (full) — and a **Color**. Then you set the color levels — for example: Starting from empty: * "Plenty" — **From** 120, **To** 200 — green * "Getting low" — **From** 40, **To** 120 — yellow * "Almost empty" — **From** 0, **To** 40 — red Tap **Save** to close the window. 7. Tap **Next** to move to the **Appearance** tab. 8. Type a **Widget name** — "Rain barrel" — and a **Description** if you want a subtitle. 9. Under **Widget type**, choose **Pie**. 10. In **Value range**, set **Min value** to **0** (an empty barrel) and **Max value** to **200** (its full 200-liter capacity) — the same range your bands use. The slice fills the whole circle at 200 liters. 11. Switch on **Display data legend** if you'd like, then tap **Save**. Now a solid disc shows the barrel at a glance — full and green after rain, shrinking through yellow to red as you water the garden. The same steps fit any "how full" reading at home; change the sensor, the **Min value**/**Max value**, and the bands to suit. ## Worked examples **Do the houseplants need water?** A soil-moisture sensor reports a percentage, so the scale is simply **Min value** 0 (bone dry) and **Max value** 100 (soaked), with conditions green From 40 To 80, yellow From 20 To 40, red From 0 To 20. The filled disc makes a thirsty plant impossible to miss. **A tile you can read from the sofa** On a dashboard you keep on a wall tablet or a TV, a solid Pie reads more clearly from a distance than a thin ring. Use Pie for the readings you want to catch from across the room, and save the Doughnut for closer-up tiles. ## See also * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — The full widget setup and the other display types * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Setting the From/To color rules * Other display types: [Value](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) · [Doughnut](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/doughnut) · [Gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) · [Tube](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) · [Radial gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge) # Tube Display Show a level as a filling cylinder, like a real tank — watch the salt, fuel, or rain barrel run low or rise too high.
Last Data widget using the Tube display type
The Tube display is a tall cylinder that fills up from the bottom as the reading rises — just like looking at the level in a real tank. Tick marks run down the side, and the number shows on the tube itself. It's the most natural way to show anything that has a level — a rainwater butt, a heating-oil tank, the salt in a water softener. And because the colors are yours to set, it works whether you're watching something fill up or watching it run down. ## Watch it run low, or watch it climb too high The Tube has no fixed "good" end — you choose which way spells trouble and set the colors to match. That means one widget covers two opposite jobs: * **Watch something run low.** When the worry is *running out* — the fuel in a tank, the salt in your softener, the water in a rain barrel — the level drops as it's used, so put the warning colors at the **bottom**. The tube is green when there's plenty and turns yellow then red as it empties, so you know to refill in good time. * **Watch something rise too far.** When the worry is the level *getting too high* — say a sensor in your sump or basement pit, where the pump normally keeps the water down — a pump failure lets the water climb, so put the warning colors at the **top**. The tube stays short and green normally and fills into a red band near the top if something goes wrong, warning you before it floods. It's exactly the same widget — the only difference is whether you paint the red at the bottom or the top. Both are shown below. ## When to choose it * A real tank or container — water, fuel, propane, feed. * A "how much is left" reading, where you want to see the level drop toward the bottom. * A level that shouldn't climb too high — like a sump or drainage pit — where seeing it rise toward the top is the warning. * Anything you'd naturally picture as a level rising and falling. If your instinct is to imagine a reading as a column going up and down, the Tube is the display for it — and the colors then decide which end you're watching. ## Configure a Tube display Let's build a real one — a tube that watches the salt level in a water softener so you never let it run dry. The softener's salt tank is about 100 cm deep, and a level sensor reports how full it is in centimeters — so the reading is 0 when the tank is empty and 100 when it's filled right up. Those two numbers, 0 and 100, are the scale the whole widget works from, and every color band is just a slice of that 100 cm. This is only an example, though: the very same steps work for a rainwater butt, a heating-oil tank, a feed bin — anything with a level. Only the sensor and the numbers change. 1. Open your dashboard in edit mode and tap **Last data** in the widget picker. The **Datasource** tab opens with nothing added yet. 2. Tap **Add datasource**. A **Datasource 1** block appears. 3. In the block, tap **Choose device** and pick the salt tank's level sensor. 4. Tap **Add metric**. A metric row appears. 5. In the row, leave **Data type** on **Telemetry**, choose the level reading under **Device metric**, and pick an **Icon**. > **This display needs a number.** The **Device metric** list shows every reading, but a gauge fills against a scale — pick a numeric one here; a text reading shows as 0. (To show text or an on/off value as-is, use the [Value display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number).) To change a reading's type, use the **Metrics Templates** button on your connection's Connected Devices list — see [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates). 6. Tap **Conditions: N** to open the Conditions window. Choose a **Default color** — the color the reading uses whenever none of your bands match the current value — then for each band tap **Add condition** and fill in the row — type a **Condition name**, set **Data type** to **Number** (this is the condition's own Data type, not the metric's), because the salt tank is 100 cm tall, enter **From** 0 cm (the empty bottom) and **To** 100 cm (the full top), and pick a **Color**. Then you set the color levels — for example: Starting at the bottom: * "Critical" — **From** 0, **To** 10 — burgundy (a deep red, darker than the next band) * "Refill now" — **From** 10, **To** 30 — red * "Refill soon" — **From** 30, **To** 60 — yellow * "Healthy" — **From** 60, **To** 100 — green Tap **Save** to close the window. 7. Tap **Next** to open the **Appearance** tab. 8. Type a **Widget name** — something like "Softener salt" — and a **Description** if you want one. 9. Under **Widget type**, choose **Tube**. 10. In **Value range**, set **Min value** to **0** (an empty tank) and **Max value** to **100** (filled to the top) — the very same 0–100 your bands use — and set **Tick marks** to **10** so a line marks every 10 cm. 11. Flip on **Display data legend** if you'd like the reading labeled, then tap **Save**. Now the tube stands tall and green while there's plenty of salt, slips through yellow and red as it gets used up, and shows a thin burgundy strip when it's almost gone — so you top it up before the softener stops working. Point the same setup at a rainwater butt, a pond top-up reservoir, or an oil tank and it behaves exactly the same; you just change the sensor and the band numbers. ## Worked examples **Catch a basement flood before it spreads** A sump pump sits in a pit in the basement and keeps the water low so the floor stays dry. Drop a level sensor into the pit and show it on a Tube. The pit is about 100 cm deep, so 0 is a dry floor and 100 is water right at the overflow — set **Min value** 0 and **Max value** 100, then add three conditions: "Normal" — From 0, To 30 — green; "Water rising" — From 30, To 60 — yellow; "Pump may have failed" — From 60, To 100 — red. Day to day the column is short and green; if the pump quits, the water climbs and the tube fills into the red. A quick note on the sensor: a level sensor reads higher as the water rises, but a sensor fixed above the water (measuring the gap down to it) reads lower — so put the red condition on whichever value means "high water" for the one you have. The Tube makes the danger easy to spot on the dashboard; to get a phone alert as well, pair it with an [alarm](/alarm). **A rain barrel in the garden** The same idea for collected rainwater — a level sensor in a 200-liter barrel — **Min value** 0 for an empty barrel and **Max value** 200 because that is how much it holds. The tube rises with every shower and drops as you water the garden, so you always know how much you've saved up. ## See also * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — The full widget setup and the other display types * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Setting the From/To color rules for the fill * Other display types: [Value](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) · [Doughnut](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/doughnut) · [Pie](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/pie) · [Gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) · [Radial gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge) # Gauge Display Put a reading on a horizontal track with a sliding marker and colored bands, so you spot the moment it crosses a limit.
Last Data widget using the Gauge display type
The Gauge display puts a reading on a horizontal track with a marker that slides along it, and the color rules you set show up as bands across that track. The number sits above. So you see two things at once — the value, and whether it's sitting in a good stretch or a worrying one. ## When to choose it * A reading where it matters *where* it sits — a comfortable room temperature, a healthy battery level — and the colored bands tell you instantly. * A "running low" warning — set the low end red so the marker sliding down toward it catches your eye. * A "too high" warning — set the high end red, so a level creeping up (a basement sump filling, say) shows as the marker climbs. A Gauge has no built-in good or bad end — the bands you choose decide that. Wherever a reading has a "fine" zone and a "not fine" zone, the Gauge makes the line easy to see. ## Configure a Gauge display Let's build a real one — a gauge that warns you if a basement sump pump fails before the floor floods. The pump's job is to keep the water in its pit low; the pit is about 100 cm deep, and a level sensor reports the water level in centimeters — so the reading runs from 0 (a dry pit floor) up to 100 (water at the overflow). That 0–100 is the gauge's track, and each color band is one stretch of it. This is just an example — a Gauge works for any reading you measure against limits, so only the sensor and the band numbers change. 1. Open your dashboard in edit mode and tap **Last data** in the widget picker. The **Datasource** tab opens with nothing added yet. 2. Tap **Add datasource**. A **Datasource 1** block appears. 3. In the block, tap **Choose device** and pick the pit's level sensor. 4. Tap **Add metric**. A metric row appears. 5. In the row, leave **Data type** on **Telemetry**, choose the water-level reading under **Device metric**, and add an **Icon**. > **This display needs a number.** The **Device metric** list shows every reading, but a gauge fills against a scale — pick a numeric one here; a text reading shows as 0. (To show text or an on/off value as-is, use the [Value display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number).) To change a reading's type, use the **Metrics Templates** button on your connection's Connected Devices list — see [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates). 6. Tap **Conditions: N** to open the Conditions window. Choose a **Default color** — the color the reading uses whenever none of your bands match the current value — then for each band tap **Add condition** and fill in the row — a **Condition name**, **Data type** set to **Number** (the condition's own Data type, not the metric's), the band's **From** and **To** — because the pit is 100 cm deep, those run from **0** (the dry floor) to **100** (the overflow) — and a **Color**. Then you set the color levels — for example: Starting at the dry floor: * "Normal" — **From** 0, **To** 30 — green * "Water rising" — **From** 30, **To** 60 — yellow * "Pump may have failed" — **From** 60, **To** 100 — red On a Gauge these bands appear as colored stretches along the track. Tap **Save**. 7. Tap **Next** to open the **Appearance** tab. 8. Type a **Widget name** — "Basement sump" works well — and a **Description** if you want one. 9. Under **Widget type**, choose **Gauge**. 10. In **Value range**, set **Min value** to **0** (a dry pit) and **Max value** to **100** (water at the overflow) — the two ends of the track, the same 0–100 your bands use — and set **Tick marks** to **10**. 11. Flip on **Display data legend** if you'd like, then tap **Save**. Now the marker sits low in the green while the pump is doing its job. If the pump ever fails, the water rises and the marker slides along the track and crosses into the red — that crossing is your warning that something is wrong downstairs. One thing to get right: a level sensor reads higher as the water rises, but a sensor fixed above the water reads lower — so put the red band on whichever value means "high water" for your sensor. The Gauge makes the problem visible on your dashboard; to get a notification on your phone, pair it with an [alarm](/alarm). The same banded track suits anything with limits — just change the sensor and the numbers. ## Worked examples **Don't let something run out** When the worry is at the *low* end, flip the colors around. To watch a water softener's salt on a Gauge, use a sensor that reports it as a percentage — 0 % is an empty tank, 100 % is full — so set **Min value** 0 and **Max value** 100, with three conditions: "Top up now" — From 0, To 15 — red; "Getting low" — From 15, To 40 — yellow; "Plenty" — From 40, To 100 — green. The marker rides high and green when the tank is full and slides down toward the red as the salt is used — your cue to buy another bag. **Keeping a room comfortable** Some readings should stay *between* two numbers. For a living-room temperature, the track needs to cover every temperature the room could realistically reach — for a house that is roughly -5 °C to 40 °C, so set **Min value** -5 and **Max value** 40. Then add: "Too cold" — From -5, To 18 — blue; "Comfortable" — From 18, To 24 — green; "Too warm" — From 24, To 40 — red. A marker in the green middle means the room is just right; drift toward either end shows before anyone reaches for a jumper or opens a window. ## See also * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — The full widget setup and the other display types * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — The color rules that become the track bands * Other display types: [Value](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) · [Doughnut](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/doughnut) · [Pie](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/pie) · [Tube](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) · [Radial gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge) # Radial Gauge Display Show a Chirp reading on a round dial with the Radial Gauge — a needle, a sweep angle you choose, and colored zones.
Last Data widget using the Radial Gauge display
The Radial Gauge shows a reading on a **round dial**, with a needle pointing to the value — just like the dials on a car dashboard or an old thermostat. Your color conditions wrap around it as arcs, and you can choose how far the dial sweeps, from a near-full circle to a small arc. It is one of the [Last Data widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) display types, joining Number, Doughnut, Pie, Tube, and the flat [Gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge). ## Radial Gauge or the flat Gauge? Both show a reading against a scale with colored zones — they just look different: * The [**Gauge**](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) is a flat, sideways bar. It's tidy and lines up nicely when you have several in a row. * The **Radial Gauge** is a round dial. It has more presence and feels like a real instrument, which makes it lovely for one or two headline readings on a dashboard. Pick whichever you like the look of — they work the same way underneath. ## Nice for * A standout reading you want front and center — the water tank level, the home battery charge, the greenhouse humidity. * Anything with a clear "full" point, so the dial sweeps from empty to full in a way that feels natural. * Any reading where colored zones make the meaning obvious at a glance. ## Setting one up It starts like any [Last Data widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — add a device, pick a number reading, and set up your [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions). The dial settings appear on the **Appearance** tab once you choose the type. 1. In dashboard edit mode, tap **Last data** in the widget picker. 2. On the **Datasource** tab, **Add datasource**, choose your device, **Add metric**, set **Data type** to **Telemetry**, and pick the reading. 3. Tap **Conditions: N** to set a default color and your colored zones (each with a range and a color), then save. 4. Tap **Next**, give the widget a **name**, and choose **Radial gauge** under **Widget type**. The dial settings appear: * **Min value** and **Max value** — the bottom and top of the dial. Min has to be below Max. * **Tick marks** — how many little marks ring the dial. * **Sweep angle** — how far around the dial goes, from 0 to 360 degrees. The default of 300 leaves a gap at the bottom like a classic dial; turn it up for a full circle or down for a smaller arc. * **Radial Gauge name** — a short label for the dial (filled in for you, but you can change it). 5. Toggle the legend on if you'd like, then tap **Save**. ## Home example **Rainwater tank.** A level sensor in a rainwater tank gets a Radial Gauge set **Min** 0 and **Max** 100 (percent full), with three zones: "Plenty" 60–100 green, "Getting low" 25–60 yellow, "Top it up" 0–25 red. The needle sits high and green after a downpour and swings toward the red as the garden drinks it down over a dry week — a glance from the kitchen tells you where things stand. Want a nudge on your phone when it hits red? Add an [alert](/alarm) for that reading. ## See also * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — the full setup and the other display types * [Gauge Display](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/gauge) — the flat version * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — set what the colors mean * More displays: [Value](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/number) · [Doughnut](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/doughnut) · [Pie](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/pie) · [Tube](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/tube) # Control Widget Add a Control widget to a Chirp dashboard — a switch, button, slider, or input that operates a device from one tap. Every other widget *shows* you something. The **Control widget** lets you *do* something. It puts an interactive control on your dashboard — a **switch**, **button**, **slider**, or **input** — bound to one of a device's commands, so you can operate the device without leaving the screen you're already looking at. It's the dashboard version of [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands): the command does the work, the widget is the switch on the wall.
A home dashboard of Control widgets — a switch, a dial, a slider, and an input controlling a lamp
## First, set up a command A Control widget runs an action you've already set up on the device — so the device needs at least one command on its **Commands & States** tab. Devices with no commands won't appear to choose from (you'll see *"No controllable devices in this organization"*). Set the command up first — see [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands) — then link the widget to it. ## How to add one Every Control widget is added the same way; only the look-and-feel options differ by type. 1. Open the dashboard in **edit mode** and tap **Add widget** → **Control**. 2. On the **Datasource** tab (*"Control configuration"*), choose the **Source** (Device) and the **Device**, then pick the **Device metric** — the reading that shows the device's current state. Tap **Next**. 3. On the **Appearance** tab, give it a **Widget name** and choose a **Widget type** (below). Fill in that type's options and tap **Save**. ## Pick a control type | Type | Great for | What it sends | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | [Switch](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/switch) | A simple on/off you flip back and forth | An on or off command as you toggle | | [Button](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/button) | A one-tap action (run, restart, open) | One command per tap | | [Simple Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-simple) | Sliding to a value, like brightness | A command value as you slide | | [Circular Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-circular) | A round dial, like a knob | A command value as you turn it | | [Vertical Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-vertical) | An upright slider you raise and lower | A command value as you slide | | [Input](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/input) | Typing an exact number | A command value when you tap **Apply** | The three sliders are the **Slider type** options — **Simple**, **Circular**, and **Vertical** — that you pick after choosing **Slider** as the widget type. ## How it behaves * **Tap to control.** Using the control sends the command the same way the device's States tab does — same checks, same history. * **Stays in sync.** It reads the **Device metric** and shows the real state, so it's never just guessing based on your last tap. * **Greys out when it can't.** If the device is offline or a state isn't fully set up, the control shows as unavailable instead of sending into thin air. ## See also * [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands) — set up the commands a Control widget uses * [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands) * Control types: [Switch](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/switch) · [Button](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/button) · [Simple Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-simple) · [Circular Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-circular) · [Vertical Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-vertical) · [Input](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/input) # Switch Add a Switch Control to a Chirp dashboard to flip a home device on or off — a lamp, plug, or relay — with one tap. The **Switch** is a simple on/off toggle. It's for things that stay in a state — on or off, open or closed — where you flip between the two and the dashboard shows which one is active right now. ## When to use it A Switch is perfect for everyday home devices you turn on and off: a **lamp**, a **smart plug**, a **garage relay**, a fan, or any simple two-state device. Connect it to a state reading and the toggle shows whether the device is really on, not just what you last tapped. ## What you need first * A device with a command set up on its **Commands & States** tab (see [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands)). * A command for each state — one command that takes an on/off value, or two separate commands. * A **Device metric** that reports the device's current state, so the switch shows on or off correctly. ## How to set it up 1. Open your dashboard in **edit mode** → **Add widget** → **Control**. 2. **Datasource** tab: pick the **Device** and the **Device metric** that shows its state. Tap **Next**. 3. **Appearance** tab: type a **Widget name**, then under **Widget type** choose **Switch**. 4. Set up the two states — the **On** row and the **Off** row. For each: * **Label** — what to call it ("On" / "Off"). * **Command** — the command that state sends. * **Expected sensor value** — what the device reports when it's in that state (filled in for you where possible). * If the command has inputs, set each **Value**. 5. Choose the **Switch color** for **On**, **Off**, and **Disabled**, toggle **Display labels**, and toggle the name/last-update line. 6. Tap **Save**.
Switch Control toggling a lamp on and off on a Chirp dashboard
## What happens when you tap it Flipping the switch sends the command for that state, the same way the device's States tab does. The switch flips straight away, then settles to the real state once the device reports back — so if it didn't actually change, the switch returns to where it was. ## Common mistakes * **No state reading chosen** — without a Device metric, the switch can send commands but can't show the true state. Pick the reading that says on or off. * **The "on" value doesn't match** — if the Expected sensor value isn't what the device actually reports, the switch looks stuck. Check it against the current value shown. ## See also * [Control widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget) — overview and the other control types * [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands) — set up the command this switch uses # Button Add a Button Control to a Chirp dashboard to run a one-tap device action — restart, run a scene, open — with a press. The **Button** sends a command once when you tap it. Unlike a switch, it doesn't hold an on/off state — it just does something and that's it. ## When to use it Use a Button for one-tap actions where there's no lasting state to track: **ring a chime**, **restart a device**, **run a scene**, or fire a **momentary relay** (like a pulse to a gate). If it's "do this now" rather than "stay this way," a Button is the one. ## What you need first * A device with a command set up on its **Commands & States** tab (see [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands)). * The command you want the button to run. ## How to set it up 1. Open your dashboard in **edit mode** → **Add widget** → **Control**. 2. **Datasource** tab: pick the **Device** and a **Device metric**. Tap **Next**. 3. **Appearance** tab: type a **Widget name**, then under **Widget type** choose **Button**. 4. Set the **Command** the button runs (and any input **Value**s), plus the **Expected sensor value** if the action leaves a state you can check. 5. Choose the **Button color** and a **Button size** — **S**, **M**, or **L** (default M) — and toggle the name/last-update line. 6. Tap **Save**.
Button Control with color and size options on a Chirp dashboard
## What happens when you tap it The button sends its command once, and the action shows up in the device's **States** history like any other command. There's no on/off position to keep — it's a trigger. ## Common mistakes * **Using a Button for something you need to see the state of** — if you want to know whether it's on or off, use a [Switch](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/switch) instead. * **Waiting for confirmation a quick action can't give** — a one-tap trigger (like "restart") may not leave a reading to verify against, and that's normal. ## See also * [Control widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget) — overview and the other control types * [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands) — set up the command this button runs # Simple Slider Add a Simple Slider to a Chirp dashboard — a horizontal slider that sets a value like brightness by sliding. The **Simple** slider is a horizontal bar you slide to set a **value**. It's the neatest of the three slider looks and tucks easily into a row of tiles. ## When to use it Great for anything you set by amount where a side-to-side slider feels natural — a lamp's **brightness**, a dimmer **level**, or **volume**. Prefer a tall slider or a dial? See the [Vertical Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-vertical) or [Circular Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-circular). ## What you need first * A device with a command on its **Commands & States** tab whose **input takes a number** (see [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands)). * A **Device metric** that reports the current value, so the slider shows where it's set. ## How to set it up 1. Open your dashboard in **edit mode** → **Add widget** → **Control**. 2. **Datasource** tab: pick the **Device** and the **Device metric** for the live value. Tap **Next**. 3. **Appearance** tab: type a **Widget name**, choose **Widget type → Slider**, then **Slider type → Simple**. 4. Set the **Command** it controls, the **Parameter** it sets, and a starting **Value**. 5. Add **Start and End labels** for the range (say `150` and `500`) and turn **Display** on; pick a **Slider color** and toggle the name/last-update line. 6. Tap **Save**.
Chirp Simple slider — a horizontal bar setting a value across a range
## What happens when you use it Sliding sends the command with the new value, the same way the device's States tab does. The handle follows the **Device metric**, so it shows the value the device is actually reporting. ## Common mistakes * **Choosing a command that's only on/off** — a slider needs an input it can set to a number; for on/off use a [Switch](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/switch). * **The range doesn't match the device** — set Start and End to the real lowest and highest values so the whole bar maps to values the device accepts. ## See also * [Control widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget) — overview and the other control types * Other slider looks: [Circular Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-circular) · [Vertical Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-vertical) * [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands) — set up the command this slider controls # Circular Slider Add a Circular Slider to a Chirp dashboard — a round dial that sets a value like color temperature by turning it. The **Circular** slider sets a **value** on a round dial — drag around it and the value follows. It looks like a knob, which makes it a nice centerpiece on a dashboard. ## When to use it Lovely for a setting you'd reach for like a dial — a lamp's **color temperature**, **volume**, or any single value you want front and center. For a slim in-row control use the [Simple Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-simple); for a tall one use the [Vertical Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-vertical). ## What you need first * A device with a command on its **Commands & States** tab whose **input takes a number** (see [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands)). * A **Device metric** that reports the current value, so the dial shows where it's set. ## How to set it up 1. Open your dashboard in **edit mode** → **Add widget** → **Control**. 2. **Datasource** tab: pick the **Device** and the **Device metric** for the live value. Tap **Next**. 3. **Appearance** tab: type a **Widget name**, choose **Widget type → Slider**, then **Slider type → Circular**. 4. Set the **Command** it controls, the **Parameter** it sets, and a starting **Value**. 5. Add **Start and End labels** for the range (say `150` and `500`) with **Display** on, pick a **Slider color**, and toggle the name/last-update line. 6. Tap **Save**.
Chirp Circular slider — a round dial setting a value across a range
## What happens when you use it Turning the dial sends the command with the new value, the same way the device's States tab does. The dial follows the **Device metric**, so it shows the value the device is actually reporting. ## Common mistakes * **Mixing it up with the round gauge** — the Circular slider *sets* a value (you can turn it); the Last Data [Radial Gauge](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget/radial-gauge) just *shows* one. * **Choosing an on/off command** — a slider needs a number input; for on/off use a [Switch](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/switch). ## See also * [Control widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget) — overview and the other control types * Other slider looks: [Simple Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-simple) · [Vertical Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-vertical) * [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands) — set up the command this dial controls # Vertical Slider Add a Vertical Slider to a Chirp dashboard — an upright slider that sets a value like a level you raise or lower. The **Vertical** slider sets a **value** on an upright bar — up for more, down for less. It reads like a level, so it suits things you picture going up and down. ## When to use it Nice where an upright control fits the idea — a **brightness** level, **blinds** position, or anything you raise and lower. For a side-to-side control use the [Simple Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-simple); for a dial use the [Circular Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-circular). ## What you need first * A device with a command on its **Commands & States** tab whose **input takes a number** (see [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands)). * A **Device metric** that reports the current value, so the slider shows where it's set. ## How to set it up 1. Open your dashboard in **edit mode** → **Add widget** → **Control**. 2. **Datasource** tab: pick the **Device** and the **Device metric** for the live value. Tap **Next**. 3. **Appearance** tab: type a **Widget name**, choose **Widget type → Slider**, then **Slider type → Vertical**. 4. Set the **Command** it controls, the **Parameter** it sets, and a starting **Value**. 5. Add **Start and End labels** for the range (say `0` and `254`) with **Display** on, pick a **Slider color**, and toggle the name/last-update line. 6. Tap **Save**.
Chirp Vertical slider — an upright bar setting a value across a range
## What happens when you use it Sliding up or down sends the command with the new value, the same way the device's States tab does. The handle follows the **Device metric**, so it shows the value the device is actually reporting. ## Common mistakes * **Choosing an on/off command** — a slider needs a number input; for on/off use a [Switch](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/switch). * **The range doesn't match the device** — set Start and End to the real lowest and highest values so the whole bar maps to values the device accepts. ## See also * [Control widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget) — overview and the other control types * Other slider looks: [Simple Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-simple) · [Circular Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-circular) * [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands) — set up the command this slider controls # Input Add an Input Control to a Chirp dashboard to send an exact value, like a thermostat target or color temperature. The **Input** lets you type an **exact value** and tap **Apply** to send it — for when a slider is too rough and you want a precise number. ## When to use it Use an Input when the exact figure matters: a **thermostat target**, a **color temperature**, or a specific **dimming level**. Where a [Simple Slider](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget/slider-simple) is for sliding to roughly the right spot, the Input is for entering an exact value. ## What you need first * A device with a command on its **Commands & States** tab whose **input accepts the value** you'll type (see [Setting up a command](/devices/commands/creating-commands)). * A **Device metric** that reports the current value, shown next to the box so you can see where it is now. ## How to set it up 1. Open your dashboard in **edit mode** → **Add widget** → **Control**. 2. **Datasource** tab: pick the **Device** and the **Device metric** for the current value. Tap **Next**. 3. **Appearance** tab: type a **Widget name**, then under **Widget type** choose **Input**. 4. Set an **Input placeholder** (the faint hint in the box) and an optional **Input label**. 5. Choose the **Command** it sends, the **Parameter** it sets, and a default **Value**. 6. Toggle the name/last-update line, then tap **Save**.
Input Control setting a lamp's color temperature with an Apply button on a Chirp dashboard
## What happens when you use it You'll see the current value and a box. Type a new number and tap **Apply** to send it — nothing goes out until you tap Apply, so a half-typed number never reaches the device. Whether the value is accepted depends on the command's input (for example any limits set on it), so out-of-range numbers are turned away. ## Common mistakes * **Expecting it to send as you type** — the Input only sends when you tap **Apply**. * **Typing a value outside the allowed range** — the command's input sets what's valid; anything outside it won't be accepted. ## See also * [Control widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/control-widget) — overview and the other control types * [Controlling Your Devices](/devices/commands) — set up the command this input sends # Text Widget Add a Text widget to a Chirp dashboard to label and organize your tiles with headings and short notes. As you add more tiles, a dashboard can start to feel like a jumble. The **Text widget** is the simple fix: it drops a heading or a note onto the board so you can group things and label them. "Upstairs", "Garden", "Security" — a few text labels turn a crowded screen into tidy, easy-to-scan sections. It doesn't show any sensor data — it's purely there to organize and explain.
Text widget adding a labeled heading tile to a Chirp dashboard
## Handy for * **Section headings** — separate "Living Room", "Kids' Rooms", and "Outside" on one dashboard. * **Little notes** — a reminder next to a group of tiles, like "Check these before bed." * **Naming areas** — label each room or zone so anyone in the house knows what they're looking at. ## Adding a Text widget 1. In dashboard edit mode, pick **Text** from the widget picker. 2. Fill in: * **Widget name** *(required)* — the heading text. Placeholder *"Enter widget name."* * **Description** — optional text under the heading. You can write more than one line, so it works for a short note as well as a title. 3. Tap **Save**. Then resize and move it like any tile — stretch it wide as a banner across the top of a section, or keep it small as a little label beside a group of readings. With a few text labels and your dashboard folders, even a busy home dashboard stays easy to read. ## See also * [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) — edit mode and the widget picker * [Dashboards](/dashboards) — organizing your boards # Chart Widget Graph a reading's history over the hour, day, week, or month with color bands and a live current value.
Chart widget — the Appearance settings beside a live preview of the graph
The Chart widget draws a reading's history as a graph — a line or bars stretching back over the last hour, day, week, or month — so you can follow how it has moved, not just where it is right now. One Chart widget puts four things together: the **current value** as a big number at the top, the **graph** of its history as a line or bars, an optional **average line** for the period, and optional **color bands** that mark which ranges are fine and which are not. You see today's reading and the pattern that led to it on a single tile. Those color bands also tint the **big number** at the top: when the current reading sits inside a band, that number takes the band's color — the line or bars themselves keep the color you gave the metric. So the tile tells you how things are going before you even look at the graph. A Chart widget follows one reading. If you want to watch several, add a separate Chart widget for each. ## Configure a Chart widget Let's build a real one — a chart that tracks the living-room humidity through the week, so you can see whether the room stayed comfortable or kept drifting damp. A humidity sensor reports the room as a percentage. This is just an example: a Chart works for any reading whose history you care about — only the sensor and the numbers change. 1. Open your dashboard in edit mode and tap **Chart** in the widget picker. The settings panel opens on the **Datasource** tab, with nothing added yet. 2. Tap **Add datasource**. A **Datasource 1** block appears. 3. In the block, tap **Choose device** and pick the room's humidity sensor. 4. Tap **Add metric**. A metric row appears. 5. In the row, leave **Data type** on **Telemetry**, choose the humidity reading under **Device metric**, and pick a **Color** — this is the color of the line (or bars) on the graph, and the starting color of the big number at the top. > **Don't see your sensor reading?** The **Device metric** list only shows number readings. If one is missing, that metric is set up as text (String) or on/off (Boolean) instead of a number. Open **Data Templates** (the **Metrics Templates** button on your connection's Connected Devices list), find the metric on the **Metrics** tab, and switch its **Type** to Integer or Float — as long as the sensor really does send a number. See [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates). A Chart widget follows just **one reading** — once that metric is in place, there is no second row to fill in. For another reading, build another Chart widget. 6. Tap **Next** to open the **Appearance** tab. 7. Type a **Widget name** — "Living room humidity" — and a **Description** if you want a subtitle. 8. Under **Widget type**, choose **line** or **bar**. The **line** type draws a flowing curve, which suits a reading that drifts up and down gently like humidity; **bar** draws one bar per reading, handy when you would rather see each report on its own. Pick **line** here. 9. Choose the **Timeframe** — how much history the graph shows: **Last hour**, **Last day**, **Last week**, or **Last month**. For a week's view, pick **Last week**. 10. Under **Set value range**, fill in **From** and **To** — the bottom and top of the up-and-down axis. Choose a window that comfortably holds the readings you expect: **From** 20, **To** 80. (A fresh widget starts at 0–100; change it to fit your reading.) 11. Under **Thresholds**, tap **Add threshold** for each band of meaning. A threshold's **From** and **To** are the lower and upper edge of a color band on that same 20–80 scale; give it a **Label** and a **Color**. For room humidity, add three: * "Too dry" — **From** 20, **To** 40 — amber * "Comfortable" — **From** 40, **To** 60 — green * "Too damp" — **From** 60, **To** 80 — red Each threshold has two switches that do different jobs. **Show fill** colors in the whole band as a soft background; **Show line** draws a line along the band's edges. Turn **Show fill** on for "Comfortable" so the happy zone shows as a green stripe behind the graph; turn **Show line** on for "Too damp" so its lower edge at 60% is a clear red line you can watch the trace climb toward. 12. Turn on **Show average value** to add a dashed line at the week's average humidity, marked "Average" in the legend. 13. **Show vertical axis lines** and **Show horizontal axis lines** add a faint grid behind the graph — switch them on if a grid makes it easier to read. 14. Turn on **Display data legend** to list your band labels and the average next to the graph. 15. Tap **Save** to drop the widget onto your dashboard. Now the tile shows the room's humidity right now as a big number, with the whole week traced behind it — and the green band makes it plain whether the room sat comfortable or kept sliding into the dry or damp zones. The same steps fit any reading with a history worth following; just change the sensor, the value range, and the bands. ## How the big number changes color The large reading at the top starts in the color you gave the metric. When the current reading falls inside one of your threshold bands, the number switches to that band's color, and goes back to the metric color once the reading leaves every band. So a humidity chart shows a calm green number while the room is comfortable and turns red the moment the air gets too damp — with no extra setup. The chart makes the problem easy to spot; to get a notification on your phone, pair it with an [alarm](/alarm). ## Bands here, conditions elsewhere The Chart widget uses **threshold bands** — color ranges painted across the graph. The Last Data and Image widgets use the conditions system instead — named color rules with their own priority order. See [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions). ## Home examples **Is the fridge holding its cold?** Not just "is it 4°C now" — but "did it stay cold all week?" A fridge temperature sensor, **line** chart, **Last week**, value range 0 to 10. A green band 0–5°C and a red band 5–10°C show at a glance whether the fridge held steady or spiked one afternoon when the door was left open. **Energy use across the week** A smart meter on a **line** chart, **Last week**. Set the value range to cover your home's draw — for example 0–6 kW — then add a green band over your usual range (say 0–3 kW) and a red band above it (say 4.5–6 kW). The right numbers depend on your home, so set **From** and **To** to what your meter actually reads; an unusually high overnight figure or a weekend peak then stands out the moment the line climbs above the green. **Bedroom temperature overnight** A bedroom temperature sensor, **line** chart, **Last day**, value range 10–30 °C. A green band 17–21 °C marks a comfortable sleeping temperature, with a cooler color below it. A glance in the morning tells you whether the room held that comfortable band through the night or dipped in the small hours. Any reading with a history worth watching fits the Chart widget — soil moisture, a water tank's level, air quality — so treat these as a place to start. ## See also * [Last Data Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/last-data-widget) — The current reading on its own, when you do not need the history * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Color rules for the Last Data and Image widgets * [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) — How to open edit mode and use the widget picker # Image Widget Pin live sensor readings onto your own photo or floor plan, each colored by its conditions, with multi-layer views.
The Image Widget being set up — a photo with sensor pins on it, shown next to a live preview
The Image Widget lets you put your sensor readings straight onto a picture. Upload an image — and it really can be **any image**: a floor plan of your home, a photo of a room, a picture of the basement, a snapshot of the garden, a diagram of a piece of equipment — then drop live readings onto it, each one where its sensor actually sits. Instead of scanning a list of device names and trying to remember which is which, you look at the real space and see what every part of it is doing. Glance at the floor plan and a cold room stands out; glance at a photo of the basement and you see the water softener is running low on salt. Upload a supported image file — a PNG or JPG — of any place, object, or thing you want to keep an eye on. Each reading you place shows its current value, its unit, and an icon, and changes color as your conditions say, so the whole picture tells you the story at a glance. ## Configure an Image Widget Let's build a real one — keeping an eye on the basement using a photo of the utility area. A level sensor watches the water-softener salt tank, and a sump-pit water-level sensor watches for rising water. This is just an example: the image can be anything, and the steps don't change. 1. Open your dashboard in edit mode and tap **Image Widget** in the widget picker. The settings panel opens — and unlike the other widgets, the **Appearance** tab comes first, because you upload the picture before you can place anything on it. 2. Type a name for the widget — something like "Basement". 3. The widget already has one layer, **Layer 1**. Give it a **Layer name** ("Utility area") and upload the image — your photo of the basement. PNG and JPG files work. 4. Tap **Next** to move to the **Datasource** tab. 5. Under the layer, tap **Add datasource** — this adds an empty datasource block. In the block, tap **Choose device** and pick the salt-tank level sensor. 6. Tap **Add metric**. Leave **Data type** on **Telemetry**, choose the salt-level reading under **Device metric**, and pick an **Icon**. > **Don't see your sensor reading?** The Image Widget only pins number readings. If one is missing, that metric is set up as text (String) or on/off (Boolean) instead of a number. Open **Data Templates** (the **Metrics Templates** button on your connection's Connected Devices list), find the metric on the **Metrics** tab, and switch its **Type** to Integer or Float — as long as the sensor really does send a number. See [Data Templates](/devices/data-templates). 7. Tap **Conditions: N** to open the Conditions window. Choose a **Default color**, then for each band tap **Add condition** and fill in the row — a **Condition name**, **Data type** set to **Number**, the **From** and **To** values, and a **Color**. The pin takes its color entirely from these. For the salt level as a percentage, add four: * "Empty" — **From** 0, **To** 10 — burgundy (a deep red) * "Add salt now" — **From** 10, **To** 30 — red * "Getting low" — **From** 30, **To** 60 — yellow * "Full" — **From** 60, **To** 100 — green Tap **Save** to close the window. The salt pin now glows green while the tank is full and slides through yellow and red to a thin burgundy strip as it empties — one look at the basement photo tells you when to buy a bag. 8. The pin appears on the image. **Drag it** onto the salt tank in the photo. The zoom controls (+ / −) on the preview help you place it exactly. 9. Add the second sensor the same way — **Add datasource**, choose the sump-pit water-level sensor, then **Add metric**. Open **Conditions: N** and set the bands in centimeters — 0–30 cm "Normal" green, 30–60 cm "Rising" yellow, 60–100 cm "Critical — check pump" red. A sump pit normally holds a little water, so the low band is "Normal" rather than empty. Drag its pin onto the sump pit in the photo. 10. Tap **Save** to drop the widget onto your dashboard. Now the basement photo carries two live pins — the salt level and the sump-pit water level — each colored by its conditions. The same steps work for any picture; just change the photo, the sensors, and the bands. ## What layers are
An Image Widget with two layers and the switcher that moves between them
A **layer** is one image view inside a single Image Widget — not a see-through overlay on one picture. Every layer has its own image and its own pins. As soon as a widget has more than one layer, a **layer switcher** appears on it, and tapping it moves you between the views — so one widget can hold several pictures and several sets of readings. Layers earn their place when one picture cannot show everything. A whole house is the easy example — one layer per floor: * **Layer 1 — "Ground floor".** Upload the ground-floor plan and pin a reading in each room. * **Layer 2 — "Upstairs".** Upload the upstairs plan and pin its rooms. On the dashboard you tap the layer switcher to move from the ground floor to upstairs, all in one widget. Add the basement and the attic the same way — as many layers as the home needs, each with its own picture and its own pins. The plans themselves are nothing fancy: a flat 2D floor plan is just an image you upload. A quick sketch does the job, and so does the plan an estate agent or builder handed you — there is no building to draw or model. That is what separates this widget from the [Digital Building Twin](/dashboards/adding-widgets/digital-building-twin): reach for the **Image Widget** when you already have flat 2D plans and only want live readings pinned onto them; reach for the **Digital Building Twin** when you want to draw and manage a full 3D model of your home. **Layers or separate widgets?** Use layers when the pictures are different views of the same place. Use separate Image Widgets when the pictures belong in different parts of the dashboard or cover unrelated things. Working with layers: **Layer 1** is already there — rename it and upload its image. Tap **Add new layer** only when you want another picture in the same widget. **Every layer needs its own image** — add a layer and leave it empty and **Next** won't let you continue. On the **Datasource** tab, add each datasource and metric under the right layer, and drag each pin on that layer's own picture. ## Home examples **House floor plan — a reading per room** Upload your floor plan and pin a temperature sensor in each room: green 18–24°C "Comfortable", yellow 15–18°C "Cool", red below 15°C "Cold". Add an upstairs layer the same way and switch between floors. **Garden layout — soil and watering** Upload a photo or sketch of the garden and pin soil-moisture sensors on the beds and pots — green 40–80%, yellow 20–40%, red below 20% — so you can see at a glance which corner needs watering. **Basement or utility room — a photo, not a plan** Upload a straight photo of the space and pin whatever you watch there: the water-softener salt level, the sump-pit water level, the temperature, the humidity. The image does not have to be a floor plan — any photo where you want readings shown in place works. Any picture you can take or draw can become an Image Widget, so treat these as a place to start. Wherever a reading makes more sense once you can see where it is, this widget puts it there. ## What the widget shows On the dashboard, each layer shows its picture with a colored round pin at every spot you placed. Each pin carries the sensor's icon, its live value, and the unit, and updates as new readings come in. **A pin's color comes entirely from its conditions.** The first matching condition wins; if none matches, the pin uses the Default color from the Conditions window. The Image Widget shows you the situation — to get a notification on your phone when a reading crosses a line, pair it with an [alarm](/alarm). When a widget has two or more layers, the **layer switcher** moves between them. If a layer has no picture yet, or the widget has no sensors set up, that area shows a short placeholder message. ## See also * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — The color rules behind every pin * [Maps and Device Placement](/dashboards/maps-and-device-placement) — Placing sensors on an outdoor map (a different feature) * [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) — How to open edit mode and use the widget picker # Map Widget Show a GPS device's live position on an outdoor map with one reading on the marker and route history by date. The Map widget shows where a GPS-reporting device is on a real outdoor interactive map — the same kind of map you use for navigation. The device's current location appears as a marker, and the marker shows one selected sensor reading at a time: current speed, battery level, engine on/off status, or any other value the device transmits. Any device that reports GPS coordinates works — a family GPS tracker, a pet collar, a cellular vehicle tracker connected via the [Tracker Connector](/connectors/tracker-connector), or a LoRaWAN GPS tag connected via the [LNS Connector](/connectors/lns-connector). The widget looks for sensor fields named `lat`/`latitude` and `lon`/`longitude`/`lng`. If those fields exist on the device, it appears on the map automatically. This is different from the [Image Widget](/dashboards/adding-widgets/image-widget), which lets you upload your own static image and pin sensors onto it. The Map widget is for devices that move in the real world. Tap a button to switch to a date range view and see the route the device took over any period. For placing stationary sensors on a map so you can see where each one is installed, see [Maps and Device Placement](/dashboards/maps-and-device-placement). For full GPS route history on the device detail page, see [Tracking What Matters](/dashboards/tracking-what-matters).
Add Map widget — appearance settings with a live map preview of a tracker
## Setting up a Map widget ### Step 1 — Choose Map from the widget picker Open dashboard edit mode and tap **Map** in the widget picker. (See [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) for how to open edit mode.) The settings panel opens with two tabs: **Datasource** and **Appearance**. ### Step 2 — Datasource tab: select a tracker and a metric The Datasource tab is titled **"Map configuration"** with the subtitle **"Configure last data and data sources."** 1. Tap the device selector to choose a tracker device. The selector does not pre-filter by location capability — you can pick any device. 2. After selecting a device, the widget automatically looks for sensors named `lat` or `latitude` for latitude, and `lon`, `longitude`, or `lng` for longitude. If it finds them, the marker appears on the map. If no matching sensor names are found, no marker is shown. 3. Once a device is selected, non-location sensors from that device become available to add as an **additional metric**. Pick one to display its value on the map marker — speed, battery level, temperature, or any other reading the tracker sends. 4. The Map widget supports **exactly one additional metric**. Once you've added one, the Add metric option disappears. The marker color reflects any conditions set for the additional metric — the same conditions system used in Last data widgets. If you want the marker to turn red when battery is low or change color based on speed, configure conditions on that metric. ### Step 3 — Appearance tab: name and style the widget **Widget name** *(required)* — The heading shown above the map. Give it something clear, like "Family Tracker" or "Dog GPS". **Description** — An optional subtitle under the widget name. **Theme** — Choose **Light** or **Dark** for the map tile color scheme. This is independent of your dashboard's overall theme — pick whichever is easier to read. **Display data legend** — Toggle on to show a legend that identifies the metric displayed on the marker. ### Step 4 — Save Tap **Save** to add the widget to the dashboard. ## What to expect after adding the widget The map renders with the tracker's last known position. The marker shows the metric value you selected and uses the condition-based color if conditions are configured. As the tracker reports new positions, the map updates automatically. ## Browsing route history The Map widget has three controls for reviewing past location data: * **History** — Tap to switch to a date range view. * **Date range button** — Displays the active period in **DD.MM.YYYY - DD.MM.YYYY** format. Tap to change the range. * **Clear data range** — Resets the view back to the tracker's current position. When a date range is active, the widget draws the tracker's recorded positions as a dashed line connecting all the logged locations during that period. Up to 500 GPS points are rendered per date range. ## Troubleshooting **No marker appears after selecting a device:** The widget looks for sensors named `lat`/`latitude` and `lon`/`longitude`/`lng` exactly. If your tracker uses different names for its location data, the widget can't find them. Open the device detail page and check the sensor names — they need to match one of those patterns. **Route is empty for a selected date range:** The tracker either wasn't transmitting during that period or didn't have a GPS signal. Try widening the date range, or check the device detail page to confirm the tracker was active. **Metric value not showing on the marker:** The tracker hasn't transmitted that specific field yet after the widget was configured. Open the device page and check recent readings to confirm the tracker is sending that value. ## Home examples **Family GPS tracker:** Keep a Map widget on your home dashboard to see where a family member is on the way home. Add speed as the marker metric — the marker shows the current speed and turns yellow if it exceeds a threshold you set. Tap History to see the route taken. **Pet GPS collar:** A Map widget for a dog's GPS collar. During the day it shows the dog's current position. In the evening, tap History and set the day's date range to see where the dog roamed on the walk. Set the metric to battery level to keep an eye on when the collar needs charging. **Car or camper:** A family car or camper van with a GPS tracker. Add the Map widget and select speed as the metric — or switch to engine on/off status to see whether the engine is running when the car is parked. After a road trip, use the date range controls to trace the full route. ## See also * [Tracking What Matters](/dashboards/tracking-what-matters) — Full GPS route history on the device detail page * [Maps and Device Placement](/dashboards/maps-and-device-placement) — Place stationary sensors on a map * [Conditions](/dashboards/adding-widgets/conditions) — Color rules for the marker's additional metric * [Adding Widgets](/dashboards/adding-widgets) — How to open edit mode and use the widget picker # iFrame Widget Drop a live web page — a weather map, live traffic, or your calendar — onto a Chirp dashboard with the iFrame Widget.
Setting up the iFrame Widget — an embed link in the Data source box, the list of supported services below, and a live preview
Your home dashboard is where you glance to see how things are. Some of what you want there isn't a sensor reading at all: the local weather map, the traffic before the school run, the family calendar, a published camera or video feed. The iFrame Widget lets you pin those web pages right onto your dashboard, so the things you check every morning live in one place instead of a pile of open tabs. An iFrame Widget shows a live web page inside a tile on your dashboard. The page keeps doing its thing — updating, animating, refreshing — just as it would in its own window, only now it sits next to your temperature, humidity, and door sensors. You give the widget a web address (an **embed link**) from a supported service, name it, and it appears. Because the tile loads a real page from the web, Chirp only lets you embed sites from a friendly, checked list of services that are safe to show this way. That keeps your dashboard tidy and trustworthy — a tile can only show a page from a service we've okayed, so nothing unexpected ends up on your home screen. ## Add an iFrame Widget Here's how to add a live local weather map to a dashboard so you can see the forecast next to your sensors. It's the same for anything else you embed — only the link changes. 1. Open your dashboard and tap the **actions menu** (three dots), then **Edit dashboard**. Tap the **plus (+) button** and pick **iFrame** from the widget picker — its tile says *iFrame*, "Connect a weather service or something else." 2. The settings open on the **Data source** tab (headed "iFrame configuration"), with a preview on the right. Look for the **Data source** box. 3. Grab the **embed link** from the service — not the web address at the top of your browser. Most sites tuck it under a **Share** button, then **Embed** or **Get embed code**. Sometimes you get a tidy link; sometimes you get a whole chunk of code like ``. **Copy only the bit inside `src="…"`** — the address that starts with `https://` — and nothing else. Don't paste the whole `