Nest Thermostat Ambient Temperature Reading Not working as automation trigger

[zepelinkid]

I am trying to setup a household routine in Google Home Automations where the starter is my Nest Thermostat. In the Google Home app, I have created a new automation where the starter is "Nest temperature is between 0 and 65 F" and the action is to turn on a smart outlet.

It seems like using the ambient temperature reading on the Nest as a starter for an automation does not work. I have experimented with many permutations of this. The devices I am trying to action will work with other starters like time of day or when someone rings my nest doorbell. The Nest temperature starter seems to be the issue.

Anyone have any experience with this where you have had similar issues or gotten it to work?

[nickfromgoogle]

Hey @zepelinkid - Sorry to hear your automation isn't working as expected. Mind checking / clarifying a few things for me?

• Is your automation failing to run entirely or is it not performing the actions you expect? Your best bet is to check the Activity tab in the Home app to see if your automation ran. Alternatively, you can check the automation logs in the script editor UI (the little clock/rewind icon at the bottom of the script editor window).
• It seems like you're trying to get a device to stay on when your thermostat ambient temp is within a certain range. Has the ambient temp crossed the upper threshold of 65F during your testing?
• If you don't mind, can you share a redacted version of your script with sensitive device names, PII, etc removed? You can use the code formatting shortcut in the reply UI on the forum to help show your code in formatted text. In the reply box on the forum, tap 3 dots > Insert/Edit code sample > Language - CSS.

[zepelinkid]

Hi Nick,

The issue is that automation fails to run entirely. When I look in the activity tab, it's not showing has having been triggered. As soon as I trigger the automation manually, it will show as expected in the activity tab and all actions are performed as expected.

The temperature is definitely crossing the desired threshold. The automation is meant to turn on an axuliiary heater and a fan to circulate the warm air. Most of the time I notice the automation hasn't worked because it's cold in the room, so I check the temperature and can see it's below 65.

There is no code invovled here. I have set this all up in the Automation screen in the Google Home App on my phone.

[nickfromgoogle]

Got it, thanks for clarifying. Do you observe any difference if you remove the time condition and/or change the starter type to "Falls below"?

[zepelinkid]

Nope - tried both over the past few days and did not see an impact.

[07MC07]

This is still an exact problem in June of 2025.  To a tea to what this other person has talked about is an issue, it only seems to sometimes trigger if I am actively in the house like as if the thermostat to text that I'm home and that's not even always.  It's completely sporadic and not turning on my Smart switch for my manual AC when the temperature goes above a certain temperature.  I've even added a second routine between two temperatures but still running into problems whether one or the other or both are turned on.  Somebody please tell me what is going on.

P.S.  I have tried this with and without the time conditions that I'm normally trying to have set up so that the AC is not running for hours before somebody gets home.  And yes it is not activating under the activity tab.  This is really frustrating as this is basically a smart home version of central air that I'm trying to do and this should work with Google products.  Everything can be manually done no problem with no connectivity issues It's simply not activating as it should.