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Weather datasource

Weather datasources allow you to fetch and display real-time weather data including current conditions, forecasts, and weather alerts from meteorological services. The system automatically processes weather data and makes it available to your widgets and templates for digital signage displays.

Prerequisites​

Before creating a Weather datasource, ensure you have:

  • Valid location information (city name, ZIP code, coordinates, or country code)
  • Understanding of your preferred units (metric/imperial)
  • Network access to weather service APIs
  • Knowledge of your display refresh requirements
  • Awareness of weather service rate limits and terms of use
  • Consideration for timezone differences if displaying in multiple locations

Create datasource​

Go to Datasources > Click Add new in the External datasource tab > Choose the Weather type.

Basic Configuration​

1. Location Configuration Configure the weather location using one of two methods:

1. Add by city

City Name:

  • Enter city name: New York, London, Tokyo
  • Include state/region for clarity: Springfield, Illinois, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Use international names: São Paulo, München, 北京

ZIP Code/Postal Code:

  • US ZIP codes: 10001, 90210, 33101
  • Canadian postal codes: M5V 3A1, V6B 1A1
  • UK postal codes: SW1A 1AA, M1 1AA

Country Code:

  • ISO country codes: US, CA, GB, DE, JP
  • Useful for country-wide general conditions

2. Add by geo position:

  • Latitude/Longitude: 40.7128,-74.0060 (New York)
  • Format: latitude,longitude (decimal degrees)
  • Most precise location method for specific venues
Location Selection Best Practices
  • Use specific city names or ZIP codes for local displays
  • Consider using coordinates for precise locations (airports, venues)
  • Test location accuracy with preview before deployment
  • Use local language city names when appropriate for international displays

Advanced Configuration Options​

2. Datasource Settings Configure weather datasource behavior:

  • Active: Enable/disable the datasource without deletion. Useful for seasonal displays or temporary weather information

3. Update Schedule Determine how frequently your weather data updates:

  • Select a Refresh Frequency for regular intervals (every 15 minutes, hour, etc.)
  • Specify a Cron Expression for custom scheduling based on your display needs
Example Cron Expressions for Weather
  • 0 */15 * * * * - Every 15 minutes for current conditions displays
  • 0 0 */3 * * * - Every 3 hours for general weather information
  • 0 0 6,12,18 * * * - Three times daily (6 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM) for basic updates
  • 0 30 7 * * * - Daily at 7:30 AM for morning briefings
Weather Update Frequency

Weather services typically update every 15-60 minutes. More frequent updates may not provide new data and could impact API rate limits. Consider your audience needs - lobby displays may need hourly updates, while outdoor event displays might need 15-minute intervals.

For more information about external datasource refresh options, see the External Datasource Refreshing documentation.

4. Editor Settings Configure advanced weather data processing:

  • Ignore Error counter: Continue operation during weather service outages or API issues. Recommended for critical displays that need to show last known conditions
  • Cache external resources: Store weather icons, images, and related media locally for faster loading and offline availability
    • Remove broken external resource references: Clean up invalid weather icon links or missing imagery automatically
    • Rotate cache on every update: Refresh all cached weather resources with each update to ensure current imagery
    • Exchange internal resource references: Update paths to custom weather icons when moved or reorganized
  • Respect cache-control header: Datasource refresh time will be adjusted by the response cache control header

5. Weather Data Options

Enable Randomize arrays for forecast data to:

  • Rotate through different forecast periods for variety
  • Highlight different weather aspects on each update
  • Create dynamic weather presentations
  • Show varied forecast timeframes automatically
Weather Service Integration

Most weather datasources work with standard weather APIs. Check your weather service provider's documentation for specific authentication requirements and rate limits.

7. Save Configuration After configuring location, units, and update frequency, click Save to create the datasource.

Weather Datasource Testing

After saving, verify the weather data preview shows correct location and expected data structure. Test during different weather conditions to ensure proper data handling.