Resources · Make integration

Arduino Make integrationAutomate Arduino with Make.

Can Make manage your Arduino boards while you work elsewhere? The Arduino Make integration offers 28 modules: 22 actions and 6 searches on devices, things, properties, sketches and certificates. This page shows how to connect your account and build a first scenario.

Try the Arduino integration on MakeSee the 28 modules

Verified Trustpilot reviews · AI, automation & growth agency

What you can automate

What does the Arduino Make integration do?

The Arduino Make integration lets a Make scenario (the automation you build, a chain of modules) read and change what lives in your Arduino account. Each module is one brick: an action that creates, updates or deletes something, or a search that returns a list. Make links your account once through a connection and reuses it everywhere.

Keep a device fleet in sync with your records. A teacher running a classroom kit program can start from a spreadsheet row, then let Create a Device and Create a Thing prepare each new board, so the Arduino side always matches the inventory.

Send new settings to a board. When a target value changes in another tool, Update a Thing Property stores it and Publish a Thing Property sends it to the device. Nobody has to touch the board.

Report on what the boards did. List Device Events and List Device Time Series return what a device recorded, as bundles (one item per result) that the next module can write into a report or a message.

Arduino has no trigger module in Make: something else must start the scenario, a schedule or another app. The official documentation is also marked as limited, so test each module with care. If a need goes past the 28 modules, Make an API Call reuses the same connection. Weighing another tool? The n8n vs Make comparison sets out the criteria, Make training covers the editor from scratch, and Make troubleshooting helps when a run fails.

Connect

How do you connect Arduino to Make?

  1. 01

    Add an Arduino module

    In your scenario, click the + and search for Arduino. Pick any of its modules, then click Create a connection. The documentation lists no prerequisite, so your usual Arduino account is the starting point.

  2. 02

    Name the connection

    Giving the connection a name is optional, but it helps once you manage several accounts. Something like "Arduino lab" tells you at a glance which account a module is writing to.

  3. 03

    Authorize and save

    Approve Make on the Arduino page that opens, or paste the key Arduino gives you, depending on what the window asks. Click Save. Every Arduino module of your scenarios can now reuse this connection.

First scenario

Your first scenario: push a new value to an Arduino board

GoalWhen a new value shows up in another app, Make updates the matching Arduino thing property and sends it to the device.

  1. 01

    Create the scenario

    On the Scenarios page, create a new scenario and click the +. Choose the module of the app where your values start, a form or a spreadsheet for instance, and connect that app.

  2. 02

    Add Update a Thing Property

    Click the + on the right of the first module, search for Arduino and choose Update a Thing Property. Click Create a connection to link your Arduino account.

  3. 03

    Map the incoming data

    Once the connection exists, Make lists the things and properties it can read. Pick the right ones, then drag the data from the first module into the fields Make shows.

  4. 04

    Send it to the device

    Add Publish a Thing Property after it and point it at the same thing and property. This is the module that sends the stored property on to the board.

  5. 05

    Test with Run once

    Click Run once, then trigger a change in the first app. Open each module's bubble to read the bundle it received and check the property on the Arduino side.

  6. 06

    Schedule and switch on

    Open the clock on the first module: a new scenario runs every 15 minutes by default, and the Free plan cannot go below that. Adjust it, then switch the scenario on.

Modules

What can Make do with Arduino?

Arduino gives you 28 modules. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

Arduino1

Create a Device

Action

In Make“Creates a new device.”

You get a new device registered in your Arduino account from inside a scenario, so a fresh board has its cloud entry without anyone adding it by hand.

When to use it
a board is logged in your inventory and should exist in Arduino at the same moment.
Watch out
each run creates one more device, so search with List User Devices first if a retry could produce a duplicate.
Arduino2

Create a Device Cert

Action

In Make“Creates a cert for an existing device.”

This module gives an existing device a new certificate, which spares you a manual step every time a board joins your setup.

When to use it
right after Create a Device, in the same scenario, so the new board comes out of the flow complete.
Watch out
the device must already exist; map its identifier from the previous module rather than typing it.
Arduino3

Create a Thing

Action

In Make“Creates a new thing.”

A new thing appears in your Arduino account, ready to receive properties, which lets a scenario prepare the cloud side of a project in one pass.

When to use it
a new project or a new room is added in your planning tool and needs its own thing.
Watch out
nothing else is set up for you; chain Create a Thing Property in the same flow when the thing needs properties.
Arduino4

Create a Thing Property

Action

In Make“Creates a new thing property.”

With this module a thing gains a new property, so the list of values a project tracks can grow from your records instead of from manual edits.

When to use it
a new sensor or setting is added to a project and the matching thing needs a property for it.
Watch out
map the thing from Create a Thing or Get a Thing so the property lands on the right one.
Arduino5

Create a Thing Sketch

Action

In Make“Creates a new thing sketch.”

Your thing receives a new sketch, which saves you from preparing it by hand whenever the scenario creates a project.

When to use it
at the end of a setup chain, after the thing and its properties exist, so the project is fully laid out.
Watch out
the documentation is limited on what a sketch holds here; run it once on a test thing before using it on a live one.
Arduino6

Delete a Device

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing device.”

This removes a device from your Arduino account, keeping the list of boards clean when hardware leaves service.

When to use it
a board is marked as retired or lost in your asset tracker and should disappear from Arduino as well.
Watch out
treat the deletion as final, since the brief lists no module to bring a device back; add a filter before this module so only the intended device ever reaches it.
Arduino7

Delete a Device Cert

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing cert from device.”

You can strip a certificate from a device automatically, which helps when access for a board has to end without delay.

When to use it
after List Device Certs shows a certificate that should no longer be there.
Watch out
removing the wrong certificate can cut a working board off; test with Run once on a spare device before switching the scenario on.
Arduino8

Delete a Thing

Action

In Make“Deletes an exising thing.”

Delete a Thing clears a thing out of your account, so finished projects stop cluttering the list.

When to use it
a project is closed in your planning tool and its Arduino counterpart has no reason to stay.
Watch out
there is no undo; read the thing with Get a Thing first and keep a copy of what matters in a sheet before the delete runs.
Arduino9

Delete a Thing Property

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing thing property.”

This drops a single property from a thing while leaving the rest untouched, handy when a sensor is taken off a project.

When to use it
a setting is removed from your project records and the thing should match.
Watch out
the property and whatever it held are gone for good; use List Thing Properties to confirm you target the right one.
Arduino10

Delete a Thing Sketch

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing thing sketch.”

You remove the sketch attached to a thing, leaving the thing itself in place for a new one later.

When to use it
a project is being reset and the old sketch should go before Create a Thing Sketch adds a replacement.
Watch out
no module brings a sketch back. Keep your code somewhere safe first.
Arduino11

Get a Device

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing device.”

Get a Device returns the details of one board you already know, so later modules can use its data without a search.

When to use it
another app hands you a device identifier and the scenario needs the rest of that device's record.
Watch out
it reads one device only; to find boards you cannot identify yet, start with List User Devices.
Arduino12

Get a Device Cert

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing certificate assigned to device.”

The certificate assigned to a device comes back as one bundle, which lets you check it or copy its details into another tool.

When to use it
an audit sheet should record which certificate each board carries.
Watch out
you need both the device and the certificate; List Device Certs gives you the certificate when you only know the device.
Arduino13

Get a Thing

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing thing.”

This fetches one existing thing, giving the rest of the scenario a reliable source for its data.

When to use it
before an update or a delete, to read the current state and decide with a filter whether to go on.
Watch out
to see every value the thing tracks, List Thing Properties is the module built for that.
Arduino14

Get a Thing Property

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing thing property.”

One property of one thing comes back, so you can read a single value without pulling the whole list.

When to use it
a message or a report needs the current state of one setting, for instance the target a board is working towards.
Watch out
a property belongs to a thing, so choose the thing first, then the property inside it.
Arduino15

Make an API Call

Action

In Make“Performs an arbitrary authorized API call.”

This module reaches any endpoint of the Arduino API with the connection you already have, covering what the listed modules leave out.

When to use it
you need an operation that no listed module offers and you know which endpoint handles it.
Watch out
you write the request yourself, so keep the Arduino API reference open and test with Run once before activating.
Arduino16

Publish a Thing Property

Action

In Make“Sends an existing peoperty to a device.”

Publish a Thing Property sends an existing property on to a device, which is how a value set in Make actually reaches the board.

When to use it
right after Update a Thing Property, when the new value must go out to the hardware.
Watch out
update first, publish second. Swap them and the board gets the old value.
Arduino17

Update a Device

Action

In Make“Updates an existing device.”

You change the record of an existing device from a scenario, keeping Arduino aligned with the information your team maintains elsewhere.

When to use it
a board moves to another site or changes owner in your inventory and the device entry should follow.
Watch out
map only the fields you mean to change; review what Make shows before you run it on a real device.
Arduino18

Update a Device Cert

Action

In Make“Updates an existing cert.”

This edits a certificate already attached to a device, so you adjust it in place rather than deleting and recreating it.

When to use it
your records show a certificate that needs a change and the board itself should stay untouched.
Watch out
identify the certificate with List Device Certs or Get a Device Cert first, since the module expects an existing one.
Arduino19

Update a Thing

Action

In Make“Updates an existing thing.”

An existing thing gets new details, which keeps your project list in Arduino consistent with the tool where projects are managed.

When to use it
a project is renamed or reassigned and the thing should carry the same information.
Watch out
this touches the thing, not its values; use Update a Thing Property to change what a property holds.
Arduino20

Update a Thing Property

Action

In Make“Updates an existing thing property.”

You store a new state for a property of a thing, the first half of changing what a board works with.

When to use it
a target changes in another app, a threshold in a form for example, and the thing should hold it.
Watch out
sending the value to the board is the job of a separate module, Publish a Thing Property, so add it right after.
Arduino21

Update a Thing Sketch

Action

In Make“Updates an existing thing sketch.”

This replaces or adjusts the sketch attached to a thing, so a scenario can roll a change out without anyone opening each project.

When to use it
a new version is approved in your process and every related thing should receive it.
Watch out
documentation is limited for this module; try it on one test thing and check the result before looping over many.
Arduino22

Update Device Properties

Action

In Make“Updates properties of an existing device.”

Several properties of one device change in a single step, which spares you a chain of separate updates.

When to use it
a batch of readings or settings arrives for one board and should be written all together.
Watch out
this works on the device side, unlike Update a Thing Property; pick the module that matches where your values live.
Arduino23

List Device Certs

Search

In Make“Lists certs assigned to a device.”

Every certificate assigned to one device comes back, one bundle each, giving you a clear view before any change.

When to use it
to audit a board, or to find the certificate that Update a Device Cert or Delete a Device Cert should act on.
Watch out
the search can return zero, one or several bundles, and each one runs the modules that follow.
Arduino24

List Device Events

Search

In Make“Lists device events.”

You receive the events recorded for a device, which turns board activity into data you can log or share.

When to use it
a support request mentions a faulty board and you want its recent activity copied into the ticket.
Watch out
several events mean several bundles; add an aggregator if you want one message instead of one per event.
Arduino25

List Device Properties

Search

In Make“Lists device properties.”

This returns the properties of one device as a list, so you see its state without checking each value by hand.

When to use it
a status report should show every setting of a board at once, written into a sheet row per property.
Watch out
each property counts as a bundle, and each bundle that goes through a later module uses an operation.
Arduino26

List Device Time Series

Search

In Make“Retrieves a time series of an existing device.”

The history of values an existing device recorded comes back as a time series, ready for a chart or a spreadsheet.

When to use it
a report or a dashboard in another tool needs what a sensor measured, not only its last value.
Watch out
a long history returns many bundles; aggregate them before writing, or the next module runs once per point.
Arduino27

List Thing Properties

Search

In Make“Lists properties of an existing thing.”

You get all the properties of an existing thing, which shows what a project tracks before you change anything.

When to use it
ahead of Delete a Thing Property or Update a Thing Property, to pick the right target with a filter.
Watch out
the search can return nothing when a thing is new; plan a route in the scenario for that empty result.
Arduino28

List User Devices

Search

In Make“Returns the list of devices associated to the user.”

List User Devices returns every device tied to your account, a starting point when you do not know identifiers yet.

When to use it
to sync your inventory with Arduino, or to check that a board exists before Create a Device adds it again.
Watch out
each device is a separate bundle, so every module after it runs once per board.
Need help

Need help automating Arduino with Make?

A person reads every message.

FAQ

Arduino and Make: common questions

01Is the Arduino Make integration free?
Yes. Arduino is a standard app in Make, available from the Free plan. The Free plan has limits worth knowing: 2 active scenarios, at least 15 minutes between two scheduled runs, 5 minutes of execution per run, files up to 5 MB and 512 MB of data transfer. Paid plans (Core, Pro, Teams and Enterprise) lift the interval to 1 minute and allow unlimited active scenarios. Usage is counted in operations, one per module run on one bundle, so a search returning many devices consumes more.
02What do you need to connect Arduino to Make?
An Arduino account and a Make account are enough to start, since the documentation lists no other prerequisite. Add any Arduino module, click Create a connection, name it if you like, then approve Make on the Arduino page or paste the key Arduino gives you, and click Save. The connection is reused by every Arduino module afterwards. The official documentation is marked as limited, so if authorization fails, rebuild the connection from a fresh module before digging further.
03Does Arduino trigger Make scenarios in real time?
No. Arduino has no trigger module in Make, neither scheduled nor instant. A scenario that uses Arduino therefore starts another way. The first option is a schedule: the clock on the first module runs the scenario every 15 minutes by default, and a search such as List Device Events or List Device Time Series collects what changed. The second option is to open the scenario with a trigger from another app, a form or a spreadsheet for example, and then call the Arduino modules.
04What if the Arduino module you need is missing in Make?
Use Make an API Call. It calls any endpoint of the Arduino API with the connection you already set up, so you are not limited to the 22 actions and 6 searches listed. You write the request yourself, which means keeping the Arduino API reference at hand and testing with Run once. Keep in mind that Make describes its Arduino documentation as limited because little public information exists, so expect to confirm behavior by testing rather than by reading a guide.
05Should you use Make or n8n for Arduino?
It depends on your criteria rather than on a winner. On Make, Arduino comes with 28 modules plus Make an API Call, and a visual editor where each module shows up as a bubble. Apps covered by Make often have an n8n node too, so check whether n8n covers the Arduino modules you need before deciding. The tool your other automations already run on usually weighs more than any single app. The comparison linked in the section above lays out the other criteria side by side.
Same platform

Other docs you might need on this stack.

Browse all integrations