Message Templates
Message templates allow you to customize incident notification messages with dynamic variables that are automatically populated based on your monitor configuration.
Overview
When creating or editing monitors, you can use the Message Template field to define custom notification messages. These messages support variable substitution to include dynamic information about the monitored resource.
Variable Types by Monitor
Different monitor types provide different template variables:
| Monitor Type | Available Variables | Example |
|---|---|---|
| OPC UA Node | {{Node ID}} | {{ns=2;s=TemperatureSensor}} |
| S7 Tag | {{S7 Address@Type}} | {{DB1.DBW0@INT}} |
| OPC UA Endpoint | None | Plain text only |
| S7 Endpoint | None | Plain text only |
S7 Data Types
When creating an S7 Tag monitor, you select the data type that determines how the PLC memory is interpreted. This type is appended to the address with an @ separator in template variables (e.g., {{DB1.DBW0@INT}}).
The following types are available:
| Type | Suffix | Description | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bit | @BOOL | Boolean value | 1 bit |
| Byte | @BYTE | Unsigned integer | 8 bit |
| Word | @WORD | Unsigned integer | 16 bit |
| DWord | @DWORD | Unsigned integer (default) | 32 bit |
| Int | @INT | Signed integer | 16 bit |
| DInt | @DINT | Signed integer | 32 bit |
| Real | @REAL | IEEE 754 floating point | 32 bit |
TIP
The data type must match the memory layout of your PLC program. For example, use Real for DB1.DBD0 if the data block stores a floating-point value at that offset.
Using Template Variables
Desktop Experience
On desktop devices, you have two ways to insert variables:
- Button Menu: Click the braces icon button next to the message template field
- Context Menu: Right-click inside the message template input field
Both methods open a menu showing:
- Variable name and description
- The actual variable value that will be inserted
- Click to insert the variable at your cursor position
Mobile Experience
On mobile devices, tapping the braces icon opens a full-screen drawer with the same variable options for easy selection.
Manual Entry
You can also manually type variable syntax:
- OPC UA Node:
{{ns=2;s=YourNodeID}} - S7 Tag:
{{DB1.DBW0@INT}}(address followed by@and data type)
Examples
OPC UA Node Monitor
Template: Temperature sensor {{ns=2;s=TemperatureSensor}} has exceeded the threshold
Result: When the incident is created, {{ns=2;s=TemperatureSensor}} will be replaced with the actual Node ID you configured.
S7 Tag Monitor
Template: PLC tag {{DB1.DBW0@INT}} is reporting abnormal values
Result: The {{DB1.DBW0@INT}} variable will be replaced with the actual S7 address from your monitor configuration.
Best Practices
Writing Effective Templates
- Keep messages concise but informative
- Include the variable to identify which specific resource triggered the incident
- Add context about what threshold or condition was violated
- Use clear, non-technical language for operators
Template Validation
- Variables must exactly match the configured Node ID or S7 Address (including the
@Typesuffix for S7) - Invalid variables will be displayed as-is in notifications
- Test your templates by creating a test monitor