---
title: "Machine Monitoring with Automations"
slug: "machine-monitoring-with-automations"
updated: 2025-12-19T21:42:05Z
published: 2025-12-19T21:42:05Z
canonical: "support.tulip.co/machine-monitoring-with-automations"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.tulip.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Machine Monitoring with Automations

*Learn about how you can use automations to update machine data.*

## Automations capabilities for machine monitoring

You can perform the following actions in automations:

### Write to machine activity fields directly

#### Automation trigger

**When**: Table record updated (Work Order ID field changes) **Action**: Update Machine Activity Field "Program" = Work Order ID

Use the task **Update data** to write directly to machine attributes. You do not need connector functions.

### Change machine state

#### Automation trigger

**When**: Machine attribute "Get Maintenance Mode" changes to "True" **Action**: Update data: set machine state to "Maintenance"

### Call connector functions

#### Automation trigger

**When**: machine attribute "Alarm Code" changes **Action**: Call connector function "Send Slack Alert" **Parameters**: Machine ID, Alarm Code, Timestamp

### Create or update Tulip table records

#### Automation trigger

**When**: machine state changes to "Running" **Action**: Create record in "Production Runs" table **Fields**: Machine ID, Start Time, Work Order ID

### Send notifications

#### Automation trigger

**When** machine downtime duration > 30 minutes **Action**: Send email to "maintenance@company.com" **Subject**: "Machine {Machine ID} down for 30+ minutes"

## Limitations of automations for machine monitoring and their workarounds

### 1. Read machine attribute values directly

**Limitation**: Automations can only trigger on attribute changes and cannot fetch the current value

**Workaround**: Store the last known value in a Tulip table

**Example** Automation trigger: **When** "Machine Current" changes **Then**: Store new value in table

With this method, the table always has the most recent value.

### 2. Access completion records**

**Limitation**: Automations do not have a trigger for app completions

**Workaround**: Use an app trigger on completion to write to a table, then create an automation on the table change

## Further reading

- [Automations](/r230/docs/automations-1)
- [Automation limits](/r230/docs/automation-limits)

---

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