Building Rules
Create intelligent behavior rules that make your Aura proactive and context-aware.
Last updated: December 2024
What are Rules?
Rules are the intelligence behind your Aura. They define when and how your Aura should proactively reach out to you. Instead of waiting for you to ask questions, a well-configured Aura uses rules to anticipate your needs based on context from your connected senses.
Think of rules as "if this, then that" logic for your digital companion. When certain conditions are met, your Aura takes action - usually by sending you a thoughtful, personalized message.
Rule Components
Every rule consists of three main parts:
Triggers
Triggers determine when a rule should be evaluated. Aura supports several trigger types:
- Time-based: Run at specific times (e.g., "Every morning at 7:00 AM")
- Location-based: Run when you arrive at or leave a location (e.g., "When I arrive at work")
- Event-based: Run when connected services report changes (e.g., "When weather conditions change")
Conditions
Conditions add precision to your rules. While a trigger determines when to check, conditions determine if the rule should actually fire. Multiple conditions can be combined with AND/OR logic.
Common condition types include:
- Weather conditions: Temperature ranges, rain probability, UV index
- Time windows: Day of week, time ranges, weekday vs weekend
- Location state: Currently at home, at work, or traveling
- Health data: Step count, sleep duration, activity levels
Actions
Actions define what happens when a rule fires. Currently, the primary action is sending a proactive message through your Aura, but this can include:
- Send message: Your Aura reaches out with context-aware content
- Push notification: Get alerted on your device (requires notification setup)
Personalization Variables
Personalization variables allow you to include real-time data from your connected senses directly in your rule messages. When a rule triggers, these variables are automatically replaced with current values.
Available Variables
Variables are enclosed in curly braces, like {weather.temperature}. The available variables depend on which senses you have connected to your Aura:
| Category | Variable | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | {weather.temperature} | Current temperature |
{weather.conditions} | Weather description (e.g., "partly cloudy") | |
{weather.humidity} | Humidity percentage | |
{weather.feelsLike} | "Feels like" temperature | |
{weather.windSpeed} | Current wind speed | |
| Location | {my_location} | Human-readable location (e.g., "Home (Austin, TX)") |
{location.city} | Current city | |
{location.state} | Current state/region | |
| Fitness | {fitness.steps} | Daily step count |
{fitness.heart_rate} | Current heart rate | |
| Air Quality | {air_quality.aqi} | Air Quality Index value |
{air_quality.description} | Air quality level (e.g., "Good", "Moderate") | |
| Calendar | {calendar.next_meeting} | Your next scheduled event |
{calendar.events_today} | Number of events today |
Using Variables
You can use variables in two places when building rules:
- Message Templates: For fixed messages that include dynamic data. Example:
"Good morning! It's currently {weather.temperature}° and {weather.conditions}." - Smart Response Guidelines: Guide the AI on what data to reference. Example:
"Congratulate me on reaching {fitness.steps} steps and encourage me to stay active."
Creating Your First Rule
Follow these steps to create a new behavior rule:
- Open your Aura's settings by navigating to My Auras and selecting the Aura you want to configure.
- Scroll down to the Behavior Rules section and click Add Rule.
- Give your rule a descriptive name (e.g., "Morning Weather Briefing").
- Select a trigger type. For a morning briefing, choose "Time-based" and set it to run at your preferred wake-up time.
- Add any conditions. For example, you might only want this rule to fire on weekdays.
- Write a prompt hint to guide what your Aura should focus on. For a weather briefing, you might write: "Share today's weather forecast and suggest appropriate clothing."
- Toggle the rule on and save your changes.
Example Rules
Here are some popular rule configurations to inspire you:
Morning Weather Check
| Trigger | Time-based: 7:00 AM |
| Conditions | Weekdays only |
| Prompt Hint | "Check today's weather and let me know if I need an umbrella or jacket. Mention any weather alerts." |
Work Arrival Reminder
| Trigger | Location: Arrive at "Work" |
| Conditions | Between 6:00 AM and 11:00 AM |
| Prompt Hint | "Welcome me to work and remind me of my top priorities for today based on what you know about my schedule." |
Evening Wind-Down
| Trigger | Time-based: 9:00 PM |
| Conditions | Every day |
| Prompt Hint | "Help me wind down for the evening. Summarize what I accomplished today and suggest a relaxing activity based on the weather and my preferences." |
Best Practices
- Be specific with prompt hints. The more context you provide, the better your Aura can tailor its message. Instead of "Tell me about the weather," try "Let me know if I need rain gear and what the temperature will be during my commute."
- Use conditions to reduce noise. A rule that fires too often becomes background noise. Add conditions to ensure your Aura only reaches out when it's truly relevant.
- Test your rules. After creating a rule, use the "Test Rule" feature to see what message your Aura would send. This helps you refine the prompt hint without waiting for the trigger.
- Review and iterate. Check your rule history periodically. If a rule isn't providing value, adjust its conditions or prompt hint - or disable it entirely.
Troubleshooting
If your rules aren't working as expected, check the following:
- Is the rule enabled? Rules have an on/off toggle. Make sure yours is switched on.
- Are the required senses connected? Rules that depend on weather, location, or health data require the corresponding senses to be connected and active.
- Is your timezone correct? Time-based rules use your configured timezone. Check your settings if rules are firing at unexpected times.
- Are notifications enabled? If you want push notifications, make sure you've enabled them in your device settings and in Aura.
- Check the rule history. The rule history shows when rules were evaluated and whether they fired. This can help identify issues with conditions.