alexa app doesn't show device state with auto ack

[smcgann99]

Hi,

In alexa pc app for example the state is grey - its not on or off

I tried just sending payload true to response node, but should there be something in msg.extra ?

eg for a light / switch etc do I need to send the actual state somehow ?

[hardillb]

If auto acknowledge is enabled you should not be using the response node at all.

The service does not support changing the status outside of a response to a command and the following section from the docs is important:

Messages passed to this (response) node need to have orginated from a Alexa Home node

[smcgann99]

Just to clarify please -

If I ask Alexa to turn off a light, there is no way to feed back the state so it shows as off in alexa app ?

[hardillb]

As I said, when auto acknowledge is enabled (which is what you asked) you should not be using the response node at all. All commands will be assumed to have succeeded.

If auto acknowledge is not checked, then you must use a response node, the message that arrives at the response node must be the same message that left the device node. For lights the only thing you change is set msg.payload to true or false. And that should reflect of the command succeded or failed.

If any of the nodes between the device node and the response node replace the msg object then none of this week work

[smcgann99]

I guess I'm not making myself clear -

Alexa responds OK with auto ack or if I send true via response node, but the state of device shown in alexa app doesn't show the actual device state. So from app I cannot tell if a device is on or not. I'm asking if this is possible.

[hardillb]

Device state was not included in the version of the API the skill is written against, if Amazon are not keep track based on command acknowledgement then no there is no way to update in the phone app.

[smcgann99]

OK thanks for your help