This article will explain how to find a device’s sensor index.
The sensor index is an identifying number unique to each sensor. It is 4-6 characters long and is used in making API calls to download data.
Public Sensors
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To find the sensor index, locate your sensor on the PurpleAir map and click or tap its Map Marker. Then view the URL in your browser. You will find the sensor index after the text “select=”.
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The index can also be found in the registration confirmation email received after your sensor was registered. To locate it, open your registration confirmation email and scroll down until you see “Useful links”. In the “Download data” link, the sensor index is the number that follows the text “show=”.
Offline Sensors
If a sensor is no longer online, you are still able to access the sensor index and download any data that had been collected while the sensor was online and public. You can either find it in your registration confirmation email or by using the map.
- To find the sensor index in your registration confirmation email, you’ll want to find the registration confirmation email received after your sensor was registered. Scroll down until you see “Useful links”. In the “Download data” link, the sensor index is the character code that follows the text “show=”.
To find the sensor index on the map:
- Go to the location of the offline sensor
- Adjust your map settings. Ensure that the appropriate boxes are selected to show either inside or outside sensors. Under “Reporting or modified within,” select “All-Time.”
- Click on your sensor’s grey map marker. In the URL, the sensor index is the number following “select=”.
Private Sensors
You will not have access to a private sensor’s index number unless you have access to the registration confirmation email, the private or custom link, or the map login information for the account the sensor is registered to. This applies to both offline and online private sensors.
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To find the sensor index in your registration confirmation email, you’ll want to find the registration confirmation email received after your sensor was registered. Scroll down until you see “Useful links”. In the “Download data” link, the sensor index is the character code that follows the text “show=”.
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To find the sensor index on the map, you will have to either log into the map or use the private or custom link. Then follow the steps shown under “To find the sensor index on the map” found above.
If you are using the sensor index to download data, you will also need to have the private read key associated with each sensor. Learn more information about collecting data from a private sensor here.
Archived Sensors
Once a sensor is archived, the sensor index changes. Learn more about archiving sensors here.
- If you need to access data prior to a sensor being archived, you will need to find the previous registration confirmation email. Scroll down until you see “Useful links”. In the “Download data” link, the sensor index is the character code that follows the text “show=”.
To find the sensor index on the map:
- Go to the sensor’s previous location.
- Adjust your map settings. Ensure that the appropriate boxes are selected to show either inside or outside sensors. Under “Reporting or modified within,” select “All-Time.”
- Click on your sensor’s grey map marker. In the URL the sensor index is the number following “select=”.