--- title: Leveraging Asset Variables in Workflow Actions description: Insert asset details, contacts, and telemetry into Email/SMS actions using Variable Inspector and recipient attributes. --- [Skip to content](https://help.perspio.io/help/leveraging-asset-variables-in-workflow-actions#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![Screenshot_3-4-2025_17232_](https://help.perspio.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot_3-4-2025_17232_.jpeg?width=200&height=53&name=Screenshot_3-4-2025_17232_.jpeg) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - [Contact us](mailto:servicedesk@perspio.io) [Contact us](mailto:servicedesk@perspio.io) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Perspio Help Centre](https://help.perspio.io/help?hsLang=en) 2. [Workflows](https://help.perspio.io/help/workflows?hsLang=en) # Leveraging Asset Variables in Workflow Actions ## Learn how to leverage asset variables in Perspio workflow actions. Use Variable Inspector to copy asset details, configuration and telemetry into Email/SMS content, and pull Contact Email or Phone from the asset master as recipients so alerts are clear, consistent, and maintainable without hardcoding. #### Overview In Perspio Workflows, **asset variables** let you build Email and SMS actions that automatically include the **right asset information at the moment the workflow fires**—without manually typing (and maintaining) asset names, IDs, contact details, or telemetry values. This article explains how to: - Insert **asset identifiers** (e.g., Asset Name, Perspio ID, Customer Asset ID) into Email/SMS content so recipients can quickly identify the impacted asset. - Use **asset contact fields** (email/phone) as recipients so you don’t have to hardcode addresses or numbers. - Add **configuration and telemetry values** into notifications to provide immediate context. --- #### Why use asset variables in Actions Using variables in Actions improves: - **Speed to understand**: recipients instantly know which asset triggered the alert. - **Consistency**: every notification follows the same format. - **Maintainability**: when asset details/contacts change in the asset master, notifications automatically use the updated values. - **Operational context**: include telemetry/config details (where available) to reduce back-and-forth investigation. --- #### Where this is configured Asset variables are most commonly used in: - **Actions → Send SMS → Message** - **Actions → Send Email → Subject and Body** - **Actions → Recipients** (via attribute selection, such as Contact Email/Phone) Variables are accessed via the **Variable Inspector** and/or via **Select attribute** pickers inside recipient fields. --- #### Before you start - Your workflow should already have: - a defined **Type** - a defined **Scope** - a built **Condition** - a configured **Schedule / Suppression** (if required) - Asset records should contain the information you intend to use (e.g., contacts, asset identifiers). If a field is not populated, it may appear as **NA** in Variable Inspector and may resolve as blank when the workflow fires. --- #### Step 1 – Navigate to the Actions step In the **Add Workflow Wizard**, go to **Step 5: Actions**. ### What you see on the Actions step - An **Actions** page header with a **Variable inspector** button (top-right). - Action blocks such as **Send SMS** and **Send Email**. - Each action block includes a **remove (X)** control in the top-right corner to delete that action. - A dropdown (e.g., **Select an action to add**) to add more action types. --- #### Step 2 – Understand action fields you can populate with variables ### Send SMS **Key fields** - **Recipient(s)** (required) - Country selector (e.g., AU) - Phone number entry - **Add** button (to add the typed number to recipients) - **Select attribute** dropdown (to add dynamic recipients) - **Add** button (to add the selected attribute as a recipient) - **Message** (required) - Message content box - Character counter (e.g., “Characters remaining: 320”) ### Send Email **Key fields** - **Recipient(s)** (required) - Email entry - **Add** button (to add typed address) - **Select attribute** dropdown (to add dynamic recipients) - **Add** button (to add the selected attribute) - **Subject** (required) - **Body** (required) **Best practice:** Treat **Recipients** as “where the message goes” and **Subject/Body/Message** as “what the message says”, and use variables in both to make alerts actionable. --- #### Step 3 – Add recipients dynamically using asset contact attributes If your asset master includes contact information, you can select it as a recipient attribute rather than typing phone numbers/emails. ### How it works 1. In **Recipient(s)**, open **Select attribute**. 2. Choose the relevant contact field (e.g., a “Contact Email” or “Contact Phone” field). 3. Select **Add** to include it as a recipient. This means the workflow will send notifications to the contact details stored against the asset—reducing manual maintenance. ![](https://help.perspio.io/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Feb-17-2026-04-18-01-8694-AM.png?width=670&height=384&name=image-png-Feb-17-2026-04-18-01-8694-AM.png) **Best practice** - Prefer attribute-driven recipients when the workflow should notify a customer/driver/site contact tied to the asset. - Prefer static recipients when the workflow should notify an internal team mailbox or on-call group. --- #### Step 4 – Open Variable Inspector to view and copy available variables Select **Variable Inspector** (top-right of Actions). ### Variable Inspector screen controls - **Asset selector dropdown** (top): pick a sample asset to preview available fields and current values. - Expandable categories: - **Asset Details** - **Asset Telemetry** - **Asset Configuration** - **Asset Reminders** - **Close (X)** (top-right) and **Close** button (bottom-right) ![](https://help.perspio.io/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Feb-17-2026-04-20-11-9887-AM.png?width=1013&height=663&name=image-png-Feb-17-2026-04-20-11-9887-AM.png)   --- #### Step 5 – Copy a variable and paste it into an action (SMS or Email) Expand a category (commonly **Asset Details**) and locate the field you want to insert. ### How to copy a variable 1. Expand the relevant category (e.g., **Asset Details**). 2. Find the field (e.g., Asset Name, Perspio ID, Customer Asset ID). 3. Click the **copy** icon next to the field name. - Tooltip may appear (e.g., “Copy to clipboard”). 4. Paste into: - **SMS → Message** - **Email → Subject** - **Email → Body** ![](https://help.perspio.io/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Feb-17-2026-04-21-06-3604-AM.png?width=302&height=175&name=image-png-Feb-17-2026-04-21-06-3604-AM.png) **Important:** Paste the token **exactly as copied**. Perspio resolves it at runtime using the asset that triggered the workflow. It looks like --- #### Recommended patterns for Action content ### 1) Always include asset identity At minimum, include: - **Asset Name** - A stable identifier (e.g., **Perspio ID** or **Customer Asset ID**) This ensures recipients can identify the asset even if names are similar. ### 2) Include “what happened” + “why you’re receiving this” Add: - A short incident summary (e.g., “Temperature out of range”, “Device offline”, “Door open”) - The key value that triggered it (from telemetry/config where relevant) ### 3) Include operational context (when available) Common helpful fields include: - Last known telemetry value (e.g., temperature, voltage, speed) - Last update timestamp - Key configuration values relevant to the condition ### Example message structures (use copied variables) **SMS structure** - `ALERT: () – . Value: .` **Email subject structure** - `Workflow Alert – – ` **Email body structure** - Asset identifiers (name + IDs) - Trigger summary and key values - Timestamp / last update - Any useful configuration/reminder fields (Replace the `<… variable>` placeholders above by pasting the real variable tokens copied from Variable Inspector.) --- #### How variables resolve when the workflow fires When a workflow triggers: - Perspio selects the **asset(s) that met the condition** within scope. - Any variable tokens in Actions resolve using that asset’s: - **Details** (master data) - **Configuration** - **Telemetry** - **Reminders** - If a field is not available or not populated, it may resolve as blank (or equivalent behaviour depending on tenant configuration). --- #### Troubleshooting - **Variable shows NA in Variable Inspector**: the field isn’t populated for the selected asset. Try another asset or update the asset master. - **Emails/SMS missing key info**: confirm you pasted the variable token into the action fields (subject/body/message), not only viewed it. - **Recipients not being pulled correctly**: verify the asset contact fields are populated and you added them via **Select attribute → Add**. - **Too much noise**: review **Scheduling and Suppression** settings so actions don’t trigger repeatedly. - [Introduction](https://help.perspio.io/help/introduction?hsLang=en#main-content) - [How to's](https://help.perspio.io/help/introduction?hsLang=en#how-tos) - [Assets](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Asset Inspector](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#asset-inspector) - [Utilisation Module](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#utilisation-module) - [Configuration](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#configuration) - [Events](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#events) - [Servicing](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#servicing) - [Asset Configuration](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#asset-configuration) - [Device Configuration](https://help.perspio.io/help/assets?hsLang=en#device-configuration) - [Explorer](https://help.perspio.io/help/explorer?hsLang=en) - [Dashboards](https://help.perspio.io/help/dashboards?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Configuration](https://help.perspio.io/help/dashboards?hsLang=en#configuration) - [Reports](https://help.perspio.io/help/reports?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Available Reports](https://help.perspio.io/help/reports?hsLang=en#available-reports) - [Groups](https://help.perspio.io/help/groups?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Security Groups](https://help.perspio.io/help/groups?hsLang=en#security-groups) - [Asset Groups](https://help.perspio.io/help/groups?hsLang=en#asset-groups) - [Geofences](https://help.perspio.io/help/geofences?hsLang=en) - [Workflows](https://help.perspio.io/help/workflows?hsLang=en) - [Administration](https://help.perspio.io/help/administration?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Settings Module](https://help.perspio.io/help/administration?hsLang=en#settings-module) - [Admin Panel](https://help.perspio.io/help/administration?hsLang=en#admin-panel) - [Devices](https://help.perspio.io/help/devices?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Troubleshooting](https://help.perspio.io/help/devices?hsLang=en#troubleshooting) - [Installation Guides](https://help.perspio.io/help/devices?hsLang=en#installation-guides) [![](https://help.perspio.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Perspio%20Logo%20%E2%80%93%20Colour%20White%20%E2%80%93%20large%20%20RGB.png?width=786&height=177&name=Perspio%20Logo%20%E2%80%93%20Colour%20White%20%E2%80%93%20large%20%20RGB.png)](https://perspio.io) 2/50 Yeo St, Neutral Bay NSW 2089 [mailto:servicedesk@perspio.io](mailto:servicedesk@perspio.io) Copyright © 2026 Inauro