Trying to create virtual switch/contact for Alexa routines

I am trying to set up alexa to speak after an automation & if I understand correctly, I have to create a virtual switch & contact sensor, when the automation runs at night I have to include turn on switch then I can setup alexa to make the announcement based on the switch turning on the contact sensor? I’m totally confused by this.

Just follow the steps in the community FAQ exactly in the order given and it should work. :sunglasses:

Do all the steps as shown even if you think you have done some of them before, the sequence matters also.

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_use_SmartThings_to_have_Alexa_do_something_without_speaking_to_it

I have been reading it over & over but thier is no set of instructions to follow.

In this particular case, the OP needs a virtual device which is both a switch and a sensor. There is code for one linked to in the wiki article. And if you don’t know how to add a virtual device to your account, the wiki article has a link to step-by-step instructions for doing that.

Once that virtual device has been created, there is a numbered set of instructions in the wiki article in the section “Activating your virtual device.”

Not sure if this will help more, but it’s the link I used to get Alexa set up with my SmartThings, and it helped a ton with the pictures and all: https://thesmartcave.com/smartthings-with-any-alexa-device/

The screenshots of the SmartThings app are outdated visually, but the same concepts apply. :slight_smile:

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