Triggering content with Zapier

Zapier is an online automation tool that allows you to create connections between web apps or services and a given target.

In this example we'll step through the process of using Zapier to trigger specific content based on the daily weather forecast. We'll use the Zapier weather app to send a custom command to your Revel devices if the forecast indicates it could rain that day. That command can be used to trigger 'rain specific' content, that you might normally want to leave hidden. Smart Scheduling can be used to associate content with a specific command. The Smart Scheduling 'When' condition can be configured to match the incoming command from Zapier so that respective content will only be shown if the command is received. Putting it all together, you get a signage configuration that only shows "rain specific" media on days that it could rain.

In this article, we'll reference Revel Smart Scheduling functionality and make use of the Revel REST API. If you aren't familiar with either of these concepts and want to learn more, you can follow the links above to review our articles on the topics.

To get started, you can create a Zapier account and login. Accounts are free, but if you want to explore further, they offer a premium account with advanced features and more functionality. From the left column, choose 'MAKE A ZAP'

Under Trigger, search 'Weather' and select the 'Weather by Zapier' App Event.

Under 'Trigger Event' select 'Will It Rain Today?' and choose Continue

Provide the location coordinates of your Revel device and choose continue.

Choose 'Test trigger' to confirm the trigger is functional. If a forecast is found choose Continue.

Next, under 'Action', search 'webhook', and choose 'Webhooks by Zapier'

For Action Event, select 'Custom Request', and choose continue.

Complete the following fields as indicated below, and choose continue. Note that the <API_KEY> tag should be replaced with the API key associated with your Revel Digital account. You can find your API key by clicking the user icon in the top right corner of the CMS portal. Navigate to 'Account Information' > 'Developer API', and choose GENERATE NEW API KEY

You should see a prompt to test the action, but first, we need to set up the Smart Schedule in Revel. Login to your account and create a new playlist containing both standard media and rain specific media. Navigate to the playlist, and click on the image tile of the rain specific media. Choose the Schedule tab at the top. Under 'When', click the green plus button to add a command condition. For this example let's choose 'weather' as the command name, and 'rain' as the command argument. You can come up with your own command names, but they must match the same name and arg values provided in the previous step. Choose Save.

Your playlist should look something like this when you're finished. Verify that the blue clock icon appears on the rain specific media. This indicates that the when condition of the smart schedule has been set. Choose save.

Schedule your new playlist to a device. The playlist can be scheduled directly to a device or can be included as part of a template. Once your playlist is scheduled to your device you should all of the media from your playlist except for the rain specific content. Now, navigate back to your 'Zap', and choose 'Test and review'. Zapier should indicate if the command was sent successfully. If the command was successfully received by your device, the rain specific content should be shown the next time that it comes up in your playlist rotation. 

If everything worked as expected, choose 'Turn on Zap' to complete your setup. If Zapier indicates that the test was unsuccessful, the site may provide you with details if a required parameter was missed, or your configuration was incorrect. If the command was sent, but your content isn't being shown, go back and review the smart scheduling steps or contact Revel Support for further assistance.