How to Add Logic to Alexa Routines

Issue #41

The Problem:

Alexa Routines can be triggered by many different “When” events, but you can only choose ONE “When” event… there is no ”AND” capability except for time-of-day.

For example, you have a front door motion sensor and want it to turn on the entry light, but only after Sunset and before Sunrise.   Another example might be that you want an Alexa Routine to be triggered, but only if you are at home or not at home.

The Solution:

Alexa Routines now include an “action” to enable or disable another Alexa Routine. For example, one Alexa Routine could enable the “Front Door Motion Routine” after Sunset, and another Alexa Routine could be used to disable the “Front Door Motion  Routine” after Sunrise.

Please note in the examples below that the name of the Alexa Routine must be exactly stated, and the words “enable” or “disable” are required

Three Alexa Routines are required:

You can click on the samples below to install them and then edit them to match your devices.

·      Click here to add sample “front door motion” routine

·      Click here to add sample “enable front door motion” routine

·      Click here to add sample  “disable front door motion” routine

Notes:

One little quirk is that whichever Amazon Echo device you choose to have the “enable/disable” Alexa Routines executed on will speak a “confirmation message” in the “Hear Alexa from”section of the Alexa Routine.

If that is annoying, you could choose to have the “Hear Alexa from” message be spoken on an Amazon Echo device in a rarely used location like a garage Echo devcie or dedicate an old Echo device to that purpose (trashcan).