Push Notifications
Apilio can send you push notifications directly to your browser or mobile device - no third-party service required. There are two ways to use them:
- Confirmations: with the Warn and Suggest execution modes of Logicblocks, you can confirm or cancel actions right from the notification.
- Push notification action: send your own message from any logicblock, just like an email action.
Note: On macOS, notification click actions require the app to be installed as a PWA. Safari on macOS is not supported - we recommend using Chrome.
How It Works
When a logicblock with Warn or Suggest mode evaluates, Apilio sends a push notification to all your subscribed devices:
- Suggest mode: You receive a notification asking you to accept the suggested actions. If you don’t respond within the time limit, nothing happens.
- Warn mode: Actions are queued and will run automatically after the time limit. You receive a notification giving you the chance to cancel before they execute.
Clicking the notification opens Apilio in your browser where the accept/cancel is processed.
Tip: Push notifications replace the need for IFTTT actionable notifications. If you don’t have push enabled, Apilio will fall back to IFTTT as the notification channel.
Setting Up Push Notifications
Step 1: Enable Push Notifications
- Go to Settings → Location and notification settings
- Find the Push notifications card
- Click Enable
- Your browser will ask for permission to show notifications. Click Allow
- Done! You’ll see a confirmation and a count of your subscribed devices
Step 2: Create a Logicblock with Warn or Suggest Mode
- Create or edit a logicblock
- In the Execution Mode section, choose Warn with time limit or Suggest with time limit
- Set your desired time limit (1–30 minutes)
- Save the logicblock
That’s it! When the logicblock’s conditions are met, you’ll receive a push notification.
Sending Your Own Push Notifications
Besides the automatic Warn and Suggest notifications, you can add a Push action to any logicblock and decide yourself what the notification says.
- Make sure push notifications are enabled on at least one of your devices (see Step 1 above)
- Create or edit a logicblock and add a new action
- Choose Push
- Fill in an Action Name, a Title (up to 100 characters) and a Message (up to 250 characters)
- Save the logicblock
When the logicblock fires, the notification is sent to all your subscribed devices. Tapping it opens your Apilio dashboard.
You can use dynamic values in both the title and the message. Paste the variable reference into the text and Apilio replaces it with the current value when the push is sent. You find the reference on the variable detail view in the section How to read and use this variable, or on the device detail page for device attributes.
Example message: Temperature is {{nv-3955}} degrees. It could arrive as Temperature is 21.3 degrees. You can also use several dynamic values in one field, for example {{nv-3955}} || {{sv-332}}.
Important: The Push action is greyed out until push notifications are enabled on at least one device. If you later disable them on all devices, existing push actions stay editable but won’t deliver anything.
Tip: To protect your devices from a flapping logicblock, Apilio sends at most 60 push notification actions per hour. If you go over, push actions pause for 15 minutes and the log shows why.
Multi-Device Support
You can enable push notifications on multiple browsers and devices (up to 20). Each device receives its own notification. Simply repeat the setup on each browser or device you want to use.
The settings page shows how many devices are currently subscribed.
Disabling Push Notifications
- Go to Settings → Location and notification settings
- Click Disable in the Push notifications card
This removes the subscription for the current browser/device. Repeat on other devices if needed.
What the Notifications Look Like
Suggest mode:
Apilio - [Your Logicblock Name]
Apilio suggests to start the actions (e.g., Turn on lights) of [Logicblock Name]. Click here within 5 minute(s) to accept.
[Accept]
Warn mode:
Apilio - [Your Logicblock Name]
The actions (e.g., Turn on lights) of [Logicblock Name] will be triggered in 5 minute(s). Click here to cancel.
[Cancel]
Browser & Platform Support
| Platform | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome (Desktop & Android) |  |
Full support |
| Firefox | |
Full support |
| Edge | |
Full support |
| Safari (macOS 16+) | |
Notifications work, but clicking action buttons can be unreliable |
| Safari (iOS 16.4+) | |
You must first install Apilio as a home screen app (see below) |
Installing Apilio as a Home Screen App (iOS)
To receive push notifications on iPhone or iPad:
- Open apilio.com in Safari
- Tap the Share button
- Select Add to Home Screen
- Open Apilio from the home screen icon
- Enable push notifications in Settings
Troubleshooting
I don’t see the Enable button:
Your browser may not support the Push API. Try using Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
I enabled notifications but don’t receive any:
- Make sure your logicblock uses Warn or Suggest execution mode, or has a Push action
- Check that notifications are allowed in your browser/OS settings
- On macOS, check System Settings → Notifications for your browser
My push action shows “The push notification could not be delivered”:
Make sure push notifications are still enabled in Settings → Location and notification settings. If you cleared your browser data or switched browsers, enable them again.
The notification click doesn’t do anything (Safari on macOS):
This is a known Safari limitation. The notification itself will appear, but the action button may not work reliably. We recommend using Chrome or Firefox on macOS for the best experience.
I changed browsers or cleared data:
You’ll need to re-enable push notifications in Settings, as the subscription is tied to the specific browser profile.