Uplink message from AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk to rules engine Configuring the position of your devices using the console Configuring the position of your devices using the API or CLI Resolved location metadata parameters

Configuring the position of Sidewalk devices

When you add your device to AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk, you can enable positioning and specify a destination for the location data. After you configure your device position, you can retrieve the location data using the AWS IoT Wireless API, the AWS CLI, or by subscribing to an MQTT topic.

You can configure the position of your devices using the AWS Management Console, the AWS IoT Wireless API, or the AWS CLI.

Uplink message from AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk to rules engine

You can subscribe to an MQTT topic to receive location data as it becomes available from your Sidewalk device. This method allows you to process location data in real-time using AWS IoT rules.

Create a destination for location data

Create a destination with an AWS IoT rule that processes location data. For information about creating destinations, see Add a destination for your Sidewalk end device.
Subscribe to the MQTT topic

Go to the AWS IoT console, then navigate to Test > the MQTT test client. Enter the topic name that you specified in your location destination rule (for example, project/sensor/location), and then choose Subscribe.
View location messages

When your device sends location data, you'll see messages published to the topic. The following shows an example of a location message:

Contents of deviceposition.json
```
{
    "coordinates": [
        11.11,
        22.22,
        33.33
    ],
    "WirelessDeviceId": "a1b2c3d4-5e6f-7a8b-9c0d-ef1234abcd56",
    "type": "Point",
    "properties": {
        "measurementType": "GNSS" | "Wi-Fi" | "BLE",
        "verticalAccuracy": 35.2,
        "horizontalAccuracy": 40.5,
        "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"
    }
}
```
Note
The coordinates (position information for a device in GeoJSON format) are ordered as [longitude, latitude, altitude], and altitude is optional if vertical accuracy information is unavailable. Please see more details on Resolved location metadata parameters.

Configuring the position of your devices using the console

To configure and manage the position of your Sidewalk devices by using the AWS Management Console, first sign in to the console and then go to the Sidewalk devices hub.

Add position information

To create a new Sidewalk device with location capabilities:

Go to the Sidewalk devices hub and choose Provision device.
In the Specify device details section, enter the device name, choose a device profile, and specify the uplink destination name.
In the Geolocation section, select Activate positioning to enable location capabilities for the device.
In the Position data destination field, select the name of the destination where location data will be sent.
Complete the remaining steps to create your device, and then choose Create.

Update an existing device to enable location

To enable location capabilities for an existing Sidewalk device:

Go to the Sidewalk devices hub.
Choose the device that you want to update to view its details.
In the device details page, select Activate positioning to enable location capabilities.
In the Position data destination field, select the name of the destination where location data will be sent.
Choose Save to apply the changes.

Configuring the position of your devices using the API or CLI

You can enable positioning, specify position information, and retrieve the device position using the AWS IoT Wireless API or the AWS CLI.

Important

The API actions UpdatePosition, GetPosition, PutPositionConfiguration, GetPositionConfiguration, and ListPositionConfigurations are no longer supported. Calls to update and retrieve the position information should use the GetResourcePosition and UpdateResourcePosition API operations instead.

Enable positioning (API)

You can enable positioning when creating a new Sidewalk device or when updating an existing device.

Create a new device with positioning enabled

To create a new Sidewalk device with positioning enabled, use the CreateWirelessDevice API operation. Set Positioning to "Enabled" and provide the location destination name in the Sidewalk.Positioning parameter.

Sample CreateWirelessDevice request


POST /wireless-devices HTTP/1.1
Content-type: application/json

{
    "Type": "Sidewalk",
    "Name": "sidewalk_device",
    "DestinationName": "UplinkDestination",
    "Positioning": "Enabled",
    "Sidewalk": {
        "DeviceProfileId": "12345678-a1b2-3c45-67d8-e90fa1b2c34d",
        "Positioning": {
            "DestinationName": "LocationDestination"
        }
    }
}

Update an existing device to enable positioning

To enable positioning for an existing Sidewalk device, use the UpdateWirelessDevice API operation. Set Positioning to "Enabled" and provide the location destination name.

Sample UpdateWirelessDevice request


PATCH /wireless-devices/{Id} HTTP/1.1
Content-type: application/json

{
    "Positioning": "Enabled",
    "Sidewalk": {
        "Positioning": {
            "DestinationName": "LocationDestination"
        }
    }
}

Note

This command returns no response body (204 No Content). To verify that positioning was enabled, use the GetWirelessDevice API operation or the get-wireless-device CLI command.

Enable positioning (CLI)

You can enable location capabilities using the AWS CLI when creating a new device or updating an existing device.

Create a new device with location enabled

To create a Sidewalk device with location enabled, use the CreateWirelessDevice API operation or the create-wireless-device CLI command with the --positioning parameter set to Enabled.


aws iotwireless create-wireless-device \
    --type "Sidewalk" \
    --name "sidewalk_device" \
    --destination-name "UplinkDestination" \
    --positioning "Enabled" \
    --sidewalk DeviceProfileId="12345678-a1b2-3c45-67d8-e90fa1b2c34d",Positioning={DestinationName="LocationDestination"}

Update an existing device to enable location

To enable location for an existing Sidewalk device, use the UpdateWirelessDevice API operation or the update-wireless-device CLI command.


aws iotwireless update-wireless-device \
    --id "23456789-abcd-0123-bcde-fabc012345678" \
    --positioning "Enabled" \
    --sidewalk Positioning={DestinationName="LocationDestination"}

Update position information

To update the position information for a given wireless device, specify the coordinates using the UpdateResourcePosition API operation or the update-resource-position CLI command. Specify WirelessDevice as the ResourceType, the ID of the wireless device to be updated as the ResourceIdentifier, and the position information as a GeoJSON payload.

Sample of the UpdateResourcePosition API operation


PATCH /resource-positions/ResourceIdentifier?resourceType=WirelessDevice HTTP/1.1
{
    "coordinates": [
        33.33,
        -22.22,
        11.11
    ],
    "type": "Point"
}

Sample of the update-resource-position CLI command


echo '{"coordinates": [33.33, -22.22, 11.11], "type": "Point"}' > /tmp/position.json
aws iotwireless update-resource-position \
    --resource-type WirelessDevice \
    --resource-id "a1b2c3d4-5e6f-7a8b-9c0d-ef1234abcd56" \
    --geo-json-payload fileb:///tmp/position.json

The following shows the contents of the deviceposition.json file, which is the uplink message from AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk to rules engine

Contents of deviceposition.json


{
    "coordinates": [
        33.33,
        -22.22,
        11.11
    ],
    "WirelessDeviceId": "a1b2c3d4-5e6f-7a8b-9c0d-ef1234abcd56",
    "type": "Point",
    "properties": {
        "measurementType": "UserInput",
        "verticalAccuracy": 0,
        "horizontalAccuracy": 0,
        "timestamp": "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"
    }
}

Note

This command returns no response body (204 No Content), so the update-resource-position-api-response.json file will be empty. To verify the updated position, use the GetResourcePosition API operation.

Get position information

To get the position information for a given wireless device, use the GetResourcePosition API operation or the get-resource-position CLI command. Specify WirelessDevice as the resourceType and provide the ID of the wireless device as the resourceIdentifier.

Sample of the GetResourcePosition API operation


GET /resource-positions/ResourceIdentifier?resourceType=WirelessDevice HTTP/1.1

Sample of the get-resource-position CLI command


aws iotwireless get-resource-position \
    --resource-type WirelessDevice \
    --resource-id "a1b2c3d4-5e6f-7a8b-9c0d-ef1234abcd56"

Note

This command returns the position information of your wireless device as a GeoJSON payload (200 OK). The contents of the get-resource-position-api-response.json file includes the position coordinates, geolocation type, and properties such as measurement type, accuracy, and the timestamp when the device position was resolved. The wireless device ID is not included in the API response.

Contents of get-resource-position-api-response.json


{
    "coordinates": [
        33.33,
        -22.22,
        11.11
    ],
    "type": "Point",
    "properties": {
        "measurementType": "GNSS" | "Wi-Fi" | "BLE" | "UserInput",
        "horizontalAccuracy": 389,
        "verticalAccuracy": 707,
        "timestamp": "Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2026"
    }
}

Resolved location metadata parameters

The following table shows a definition of the different parameters in the resolved location metadata.

Sidewalk resolved location metadata parameters
Parameter	Description	Type
`coordinates`	The resolved coordinates of the Sidewalk device. Coordinates are ordered as `[longitude, latitude, altitude]`.	Array
`WirelessDeviceId`	The identifier of the wireless device that sends the location uplink data.	String
`type`	GeoJSON type. Currently supports the `"Point"` type.	String
`measurementType`	The measurement type for resolved location metadata. For Sidewalk devices, the supported values are `"GNSS"`, `"Wi-Fi"`, and `"BLE"`. If triggered by update-resource-position API or CLI, it would be `"UserInput"`.	String
`horizontalAccuracy`	The horizontal accuracy of the resolved position, in meters.	Number
`verticalAccuracy`	The vertical accuracy of the resolved position, in meters.	Number
`timestamp`	The timestamp when the Sidewalk device location was resolved.	Timestamp

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Document Conventions

Configuring the position for Sidewalk resources

Bulk provisioning Sidewalk devices

Configuring the position of Sidewalk devices

Uplink message from AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk to rules engine

Create a destination for location data

Subscribe to the MQTT topic

View location messages

Note

Configuring the position of your devices using the console

Add position information

Update an existing device to enable location

Configuring the position of your devices using the API or CLI

Important

Enable positioning (API)

Create a new device with positioning enabled

Update an existing device to enable positioning

Note

Enable positioning (CLI)

Create a new device with location enabled

Update an existing device to enable location

Update position information

Note

Get position information

Note

Resolved location metadata parameters