Documentation: Modify Object State Node

Overview

The Modify Object State action node allows you to change the main state and/or specific properties of any object or device registered in the platform (such as sensors, lights, locks, alarm panels, etc.) during flow execution.

When this action is executed, the changes propagate immediately to the core of the system. This allows the new state and its modified properties to be reflected in real-time on dashboards, Synoptics, Maps, and centrally within the Configuration Module (under Settings ▸ Objects), as well as being recorded in the system's event log.

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When to use this node?

Use this node when you need to:

• Programmatically change the operational state of a device (for example: marking a temperature sensor as ACTIVE or an alarm panel as ARMED).
• Update secondary properties or telemetry values of an object manually or dynamically (for example: setting a thermostat's target temperature to 21 or updating a sensor's battery level).
• Synchronize virtual states based on environmental conditions (for example, changing a virtual zone's state to ALERT when multiple physical sensors detect motion).
• Propagate state changes so that other automation flows or dashboards can react to them.

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Node Configuration

The node has two configuration tabs at the top: Form and JSON Editor.

Form View

1. Object *Required

Allows you to select the specific object whose state and/or properties will be modified. - Click the Select button to open the system's object selector modal. - In the modal, you can search and filter by name or object type to make your selection. - Once selected, the object's name will be displayed in the interface, and its unique ID will be associated internally with the node.

2. State *Required

Defines the new value of the main state that will be assigned to the object.

This field supports two configuration methods:

• Static Value (Fixed): Enter the state text directly. This value depends on the type of object you are modifying (for example: ON or OFF for switches, ACTIVE or INACTIVE for sensors, COOLING for air conditioners, ARMED_AWAY for alarm panels).
• Dynamic Value (Template Expressions): If you type double curly braces {{, the autocomplete menu for the Netsocs template helper will be activated. This allows you to:
  • Inherit states from other nodes: For example, using {{trigger.state.state}} (which represents the state value of the device that triggered the automation) to replicate its state in the current object.
  • Transform values at runtime: You can use helper functions like {{lower(trigger.state.state)}} to convert the incoming state to lowercase (for example, if the trigger sends "ACTIVE", the function will convert it to "active" before saving) or other text functions like trim, upper, replace, etc.

3. Properties *Optional

Allows you to add or edit additional properties or metadata of the object's state. - Click the Add Property button to display a new key-value row. - Key: The name of the property you want to create or modify (for example: temperature, humidity, battery_level). - Value: The value to be assigned to that property. This field supports static values and template expressions.

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JSON Editor View

In the JSON Editor tab, you can view and directly edit the structured code representation of the node. This is useful for quick configurations, parameterizing with complex dynamic variables, or copying configurations between nodes:

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JSON Structure (Input parameters)

The following details the JSON structure generated in the JSON Editor tab when configuring the node:

{
  "object_id": "onvif_standard.video_channel.27.videosource_cam1",
  "state": "ACTIVE",
  "properties": {
    "temperature": "20"
  }
}

JSON Fields

Field	Type	Description
object_id	string	Unique ID of the selected object in the platform. Can be a static UUID or a template expression (e.g. {{trigger.object_id}}).
state	string	The new main state to be applied to the object.
properties	object	A flat JSON object containing key-value pairs with the additional properties to be updated on the object.

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Output: Where the node's data comes from

When the action executes successfully, the node returns a response with the result of the operation in its Output panel, which can be viewed in the results drawer during testing:

Output Example

The node's response upon completing the state modification is structured as follows:

{
  "datetime": "2026-06-18T12:27:45.236650307Z",
  "domain": "onvif_standard.video_channel",
  "id": "6a33e441f999067372818807",
  "object_id": "onvif_standard.video_channel.27.videosource_cam1",
  "new_state": {
    "state": "ACTIVE",
    "state_additional_properties": {
      "driver_snapshot_supported": true,
      "ptz": true,
      "snapshot_url": "/public/onvif_standard.video_channel.27.videosource_cam1.jpg",
      "stream_id": "profile_cam1_stream1",
      "sub_stream_id": "",
      "temperature": 20,
      "video_engine_id": "netsocs_native.video_engine.site_d888db49bb064d02b94bed64ecf709f7",
      "video_push": true
    }
  },
  "prev_state": {
    "state": "ON",
    "state_additional_properties": {
      "driver_snapshot_supported": true,
      "ptz": true,
      "snapshot_url": "/public/onvif_standard.video_channel.27.videosource_cam1.jpg",
      "stream_id": "profile_cam1_stream1",
      "sub_stream_id": "",
      "temperature": 20,
      "video_engine_id": "netsocs_native.video_engine.site_d888db49bb064d02b94bed64ecf709f7",
      "video_push": true
    }
  }
}

Output Fields

Field	Type	Description
datetime	string	Date and time when the state change was applied (in RFC 3339 format).
domain	string	Domain to which the modified object belongs.
id	string	Database ID assigned to the object.
object_id	string	Unique hardware ID of the modified object.
new_state	object	Block containing the new state data assigned to the object after execution.
new_state.state	string	The new main state of the object (e.g. ACTIVE, ON).
new_state.state_additional_properties	object	Additional properties of the object after the update, including the modified ones (e.g. temperature).
prev_state	object	Block containing the previous state data of the object before this modification.
prev_state.state	string	The previous main state of the object (e.g. ON).
prev_state.state_additional_properties	object	Previous additional properties of the object before the update.

Using Output in Subsequent Nodes

To reference the results in subsequent nodes, use the node's key (node_key) in your flow:

{{node_key.new_state.state}}
{{node_key.new_state.state_additional_properties.temperature}}
{{node_key.object_id}}
{{node_key.prev_state.state}}

(Remember to replace node_key with the actual key assigned to the node on the canvas).

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Usage Examples

Example 1: Update smart thermostat setting (IoT)

Use case: Change a thermostat's state to COOLING mode and set the target temperature after a high heat detection event.

• Object: Main Thermostat (climatizacion_principal)
• State: COOLING
• Properties:
• Key: temperature_target | Value: 21
• Key: fan_speed | Value: high

Configuration JSON:

{
  "object_id": "a3b12c5d-89ef-4701-b2c3-4d5e6f7a8b9c",
  "state": "COOLING",
  "properties": {
    "temperature_target": "21",
    "fan_speed": "high"
  }
}

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Example 2: Automatically arm an alarm panel

Use case: When closing hours are reached in a warehouse, set the alarm panel's state to ARMED_AWAY mode and set an exit delay.

• Object: Warehouse Alarm Panel (panel_alarma_principal)
• State: ARMED_AWAY
• Properties:
• Key: exit_delay | Value: 30
• Key: armed_by | Value: System Automation

Configuration JSON:

{
  "object_id": "f8e7d6c5-b4a3-2109-87fe-dcba98765432",
  "state": "ARMED_AWAY",
  "properties": {
    "exit_delay": "30",
    "armed_by": "System Automation"
  }
}

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Validation and Errors

The node performs automatic validations before sending the state modification request:

1. Required fields validation: Checks that both object_id and state parameters are not empty.
2. Object existence: Verifies if the provided object ID exists in the platform's database.

Common Errors

Condition	Cause / Common Solution
Missing or empty object_id	Ensure you have selected a valid object in the form or entered the "object_id" key in the JSON tab.
Missing state	The main state cannot be left blank. Make sure to configure a plain text value in the "State" field.
Object not found	The object ID is incorrect or has been deleted from the system. Confirm the object exists in the object management section.
Permission / Communication error	Temporary connection failure between the automation engine and the system core. Try running the test again.

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Best Practices

• Name the node descriptively: Rename the node on the canvas to something readable (e.g., "Activate Living Room Thermostat") to easily identify it when using its variables in subsequent nodes.
• Use dynamic templates: In dynamic flows, you can assign the object_id using {{trigger.object_id}} so that the automation works generically for multiple devices.
• Monitor in configuration section: To verify if the changes were successfully applied outside the automation editor, go to Settings ▸ Objects and search for the modified object to view its updated properties.