How to Fix Ring and IFTTT Integration Issues
Connecting your Ring devices to IFTTT (If This Then That) opens up a world of powerful smart home automations. You can make your lights flash when the doorbell is pressed, log every motion event to a spreadsheet, or pause your music when you answer a call. However, it can be very frustrating when these carefully crafted automations, known as 'applets', suddenly stop working.
This guide will help you troubleshoot and resolve the common issues that prevent your Ring IFTTT applets from running, using a professional and helpful tone. This article is written in British English.
## Understanding the Connection
It's important to remember that IFTTT is a third-party service. The connection works like a bridge: Ring sends a signal to IFTTT when an event happens (like motion), and IFTTT then tells another service (like Philips Hue) to perform an action. A break can happen on either side of this bridge, or on the bridge itself.
## Step 1: The Most Common Fix - Reconnect Your Ring Service
For security reasons, the authorisation token that links IFTTT to your Ring account can expire. Refreshing this connection is the most common and effective solution.
- Log in to your IFTTT account on the IFTTT website or in the mobile app.
- Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- From the dropdown menu, select My Services.
- You will see a list of all the services you have connected to IFTTT. Find Ring in this list and click on it.
- Click on the Settings or gear icon.
- You will see an option that says Reconnect. Click this button.
- A new window will pop up asking you to log in with your Ring account credentials. Log in and grant authorisation for IFTTT to access your Ring devices again.
After you have done this, try triggering one of your applets (e.g., by pressing your doorbell) to see if it is now working. This single step solves over 90% of Ring-IFTTT issues.
## Step 2: Check the Applet's Activity Log
IFTTT keeps a log for each applet, which can provide valuable clues if there is an error.
- In your IFTTT account, navigate to My Applets.
- Click on the specific applet that is not working.
- Below the applet's main toggle, you will see an Activity feed.
- Look for any error messages. It might say "Applet failed" or provide a more specific error like "Connection to Ring failed." This confirms that the issue is with the service connection (see Step 1). If there are no entries at all in the log when you trigger the event, it means IFTTT is not even receiving the initial signal from Ring.
## Step 3: Verify the Applet's Configuration
It's easy to make a small mistake when setting up an applet. Double-check how it is configured.
- Correct Device: Do you have more than one Ring device? When you created the applet, you would have chosen a specific device to act as the trigger (e.g., 'Front Door' or 'Garden Camera'). Make sure the applet is linked to the correct device where the motion is occurring.
- Correct Trigger: Ring offers several triggers, such as 'New Motion Detected' and 'New Ring Detected'. Ensure you have selected the correct one for your desired automation.
## Step 4: Check for Service Outages
Sometimes, the problem isn't with your account at all, but a widespread issue with either Ring or IFTTT.
- Ring Status Page: Search online for the "Ring Status" page. This official page will report any ongoing outages or maintenance on Ring's servers. If the Ring API is down, it cannot send signals to IFTTT.
- IFTTT Status Page: Similarly, search for the "IFTTT Status" page. This will tell you if IFTTT itself is experiencing any problems.
If either service is reporting an outage, you will simply have to wait for their engineers to resolve the issue.
## Step 5: Recreate the Applet
If a specific applet is still failing and all your other applets are working, it may have become corrupted.
- Disable and then delete the problematic applet in your IFTTT account.
- Create a brand new applet from scratch with the same trigger and action.
- Test the new applet.
This can often resolve issues that are specific to a single, buggy applet rather than a service-wide connection problem. By following these steps, you can systematically get your Ring and IFTTT automations back on track.