Ops & Monitoring · n8n

Escalate IoT Sensor Alerts Through Slack, SMS, and Phone

When an IoT sensor reading crosses a critical threshold, escalate the alert step by step — Slack first, then SMS, then a phone call — until someone acknowledges.

difficulty Advancedsetup 40 minresult Critical sensor breaches always reach a human, escalating through channels until acknowledged so nothing is missed overnight.
  1. 1

    Ingest Sensor Readings

    Add an MQTT Trigger (or Webhook) node receiving readings from your sensors or gateway.

  2. 2

    Check the Threshold

    Add an IF node continuing only when a reading crosses your critical limit, e.g. temperature above a safe maximum.

  3. 3

    Alert in Slack First

    Add a Slack node posting the alert with an acknowledge button and start a Wait timer for a response.

  4. 4

    Escalate If Unacknowledged

    If no acknowledgment within the wait, add a Twilio SMS step, then a further wait, then a Twilio voice call to the on-call number.

  5. 5

    Activate and Test

    Activate the workflow and feed a test over-threshold reading. Confirm the escalation chain advances until you acknowledge.

Frequently asked questions

How do I stop escalation once acknowledged?

Have the acknowledge button hit a webhook that sets a flag the escalation steps check, halting further channels.

Can I rotate on-call people?

Yes. Store an on-call schedule in a sheet and look up the current person's contact details before escalating.

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