Locations / OwnTracks Connector

The OwnTracks connector imports GPS location history from a self-hosted OwnTracks recorder instance.

Auth type: API Key (HTTP basic auth) Trust score: 0.85 Source types: location

What It Syncs

• Location points -- GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude) with timestamps
• Accuracy -- GPS accuracy in meters
• Battery level -- device battery percentage at the time of the report
• Velocity -- speed in km/h (when available)
• Altitude -- elevation in meters (when available)

Setup

1. OwnTracks Recorder

You need a running OwnTracks Recorder instance. The recorder collects location data from the OwnTracks mobile app and provides an HTTP API.

2. Configure in Botmem

Navigate to the Connectors page and click Add on the Locations / OwnTracks connector. Enter:

Field	Value
Base URL	Your OwnTracks recorder URL (e.g., https://owntracks.example.com)
OwnTracks User	The username configured in the OwnTracks mobile app
Device	Device identifier configured in the app (e.g., iphone)
Recorder HTTP Username	Basic auth username for the recorder's HTTP API
Recorder HTTP Password	Basic auth password for the recorder's HTTP API

Username vs HTTP auth

OwnTracks User is the identifier used to organize location data inside the recorder (the user in /api/0/list). Recorder HTTP Username/Password are the credentials for authenticating HTTP requests to the recorder API. They may or may not be the same values.

TIP

The Base URL should not include the /pub suffix. The connector builds the correct API paths automatically.

How Sync Works

1. Queries the OwnTracks recorder API for location points
2. Fetches data for the configured user and device
3. For each location point, emits a ConnectorDataEvent with:
   • sourceType: 'location'
   • text: human-readable description (e.g., "Location: 37.7749, -122.4194")
   • metadata.lat: latitude
   • metadata.lon: longitude
   • metadata.acc: accuracy in meters
   • metadata.batt: battery percentage
   • metadata.vel: velocity
   • metadata.alt: altitude
4. Uses timestamps as cursors for incremental sync

Location Memories

Each location point becomes a memory in the store. During the embed phase, GPS coordinates are resolved offline to city/state/country using the GeoNames cities500 dataset (~200k cities). No external API calls are made — all geocoding happens locally via PostgreSQL's earthdistance extension.

Location memories are useful for:

• Answering "where was I on Tuesday?"
• Cross-referencing with photos taken at the same time
• Building timelines that include physical movement

Limitations

• OwnTracks Recorder required -- the connector reads from the recorder's HTTP API, not directly from the mobile app
• City-level geocoding only -- location names are resolved to city/state/country level (no street addresses). Uses the GeoNames cities500 dataset with ~200k cities worldwide
• No regions/waypoints -- OwnTracks region enter/exit events are not currently imported

Troubleshooting

"401 Unauthorized" error

Check your HTTP basic auth credentials. The OwnTracks recorder requires authentication for API access.

No location data returned

Make sure the OwnTracks mobile app is configured to report to your recorder, and that the username and device match what you entered in Botmem.

Gaps in location history

OwnTracks reports locations based on significant movement. If the device was stationary, there may be gaps. This is normal behavior.