Short answer: Somfy publishes the manual for each motor under its seven-digit reference number. Read that number off the motor label, open the motor's page on somfysystems.com, and look under Documents and links for the installation instructions, spec sheet and programming guides. Our spec library holds the same Somfy install guides and databooks, searchable by motor name or part number.
A search for a Somfy manual by family name alone ("Sonesse manual", "Altus instructions") brings up a pile of PDFs for motors in other countries, other voltages and other generations. Somfy files its documents by product reference, and a US motor needs the US document. Start from the label and the right manual is two clicks away.
Start with the reference number on the motor label
The label on the motor body carries the seven-digit Somfy reference, such as 1241142 or 1043423, plus a model code such as 506S2 or 525A2. The reference is the key that unlocks the manual. The model code tells you torque and speed, but Somfy builds one model code in RTS, RS485 and plain wired versions, and each version has its own programming document.
The label sits on the motor body inside the roller tube, so you often read it after the motor comes out of the shade. Our guide to the 74300 on a Somfy motor label shows each mark and how to read a faded one. The 74300 itself is Somfy's postal code in Cluses, France. It names the maker and points to no single manual.
Remotes and sensors carry Somfy references of their own. A Situo 5 RTS Pure II remote, for example, answers to 1870575.
The documents Somfy publishes for each motor
Somfy's documentation library sorts its files by application: shades, blinds and draperies on the interior side, plus rolling shutters, retractable awnings, exterior solar screens, pergolas and projection screens. Within a product, Somfy splits the files by job. This table shows the documents you will meet and the question each one answers.
| Instructions or installation guide | Mounting the motor, wiring it, first power-up and setting the upper and lower limits |
| Spec sheet | Torque, speed, voltage, minimum tube inside diameter, head type, cable and certifications |
| Programming guide | Pairing a remote, adding or deleting a control, the favorite "my" position and resets |
| Wiring drawing | Conductor colors and terminal layout for wired, DCT and RS485 motors |
| Databook | A whole family in one file, such as the WireFree, Drapery or Low Voltage databooks, with sizing and accessory tables |
| Consumer instructions | Day-to-day use of a remote or sensor, including battery type and replacement |
| Integration guide | Connecting Somfy controls to Control4, Crestron or Savant systems |
Most homeowners need two of these. The instructions cover the install and limits, and the programming guide covers the remote. Installers sizing a new job lean on the spec sheet and the databook.
Find the manual on Somfy's product page
Somfy's US site gives each product its own page, and the page lists its files under a "Documents and links" heading. The steps below follow the layout Somfy uses on somfysystems.com.
- Open somfysystems.com and search for the seven-digit reference from the label.
- Open the product page and scroll to Documents and links.
- Use the Product presentation group for brochures and fact sheets.
- Use the Installation group for the instructions, spec sheet and programming guides, each offered as a PDF download.
- Check Other documents and links for short procedure cards that Somfy codes by task.
Those procedure cards save time. On the page for the Sonesse 30 WireFree Li-ion RTS, Somfy lists separate cards for Initial Programming and Limit Setting (R-01), Add/Delete Transmitter (U-01), Setting the "My Favorite" position (U-02), Speed Adjustment (R-06) and Factory Reset for WireFree motors (R-17), among others. You can open the one task you need and skip the full manual.
Somfy's site also runs a general Documentation section under Support. It filters by application and holds brochures, installation guides, wiring drawings, spec sheets, programming guides and integration guides in one list. Use it if you know the product family but have not found the label.
Read the manual and shop the part in our spec library
Our Somfy spec sheets, manuals and databooks library collects Somfy's own spec sheets, installation guides, RTS and Zigbee programming guides, wiring diagrams and databooks. Search by motor name or by part number, read the document on the page, and open the matching genuine Somfy part from the same screen.
The library helps most in the middle of a repair. Suppose the label on an interior shade reads 1241142. The spec sheet for the Somfy Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC Motor (1241142) confirms 2 Nm (18 in-lb) at 25 rpm and a minimum tube inside diameter of 1.13 in (28.7 mm), and Somfy powers it from a 24V DC supply. For an exterior job, the Somfy 525A2 Altus RTS 120V Motor (1043423) runs on the LT50 platform at 25 Nm (221 in-lb) and 20 rpm, and needs a 1.85 in (47 mm) minimum tube.
Our full range of genuine Somfy motors lists the Somfy reference in each product title, so the number from the label leads straight to the matching listing.
Remote and sensor manuals
Controls carry their own documents, separate from the motor. Somfy's page for the Somfy Situo 5 Channel RTS Pure Remote (1870575) lists the Situo 1 and 5 RTS Consumer Instructions, the Situo RTS spec sheet, safety instructions and the RTS Pocket Programming Guide. The same page names the battery: one CR2032 coin cell.
The RTS Pocket Programming Guide covers Somfy's RTS motors as a group, which makes it the best single file for pairing questions. Our walkthrough on how to pair, add and delete a Somfy RTS remote follows Somfy's published steps.
Sensors follow the same pattern. The Somfy Eolis 3D WireFree RTS Wind Sensor (1816081) runs on two LR3 (AAA) batteries, carries an IP 44 rating, and has its own instructions for pairing to the awning motor and setting its sensitivity. Pull the sensor manual by its reference, not the awning motor's.
Older motors and the "Replaced by" note
Somfy keeps pages up for products it no longer sells and adds a "Replaced by" block that names the current part. The Sonesse 30 WireFree Li-ion RTS (1003128) page, for example, points to the Somfy Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree 12V Li-ion RTS Motor (1003310), while its documents stay available on the original page.
That arrangement gives an owner of an older motor two things at once. The original manual still explains the motor in the shade, and the "Replaced by" reference names the part to order if the motor needs replacing. Check the replacement's own spec sheet for tube size, head type and control family before you order, and our guide to finding the right Somfy replacement part covers the crowns, drives and brackets that go with it.
Programming steps change by motor generation
Two motors with the same name can use different button sequences. Somfy's battery motors, for instance, carry procedure cards for sleep mode and battery charging that a 120V motor does not need. A WireFree motor also has its own factory reset card (R-17).
Read the manual for the exact reference on your label before you press PROG or start a reset. If the label is gone and the document is unclear, call our team at 859-414-6872, 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM ET, with photos of the motor head, the cable and any part of the label you can read.
Sources: somfysystems.com product pages for references 1003128 (Documents and links, Replaced by 1003310) and 1870575 (Situo 5 RTS Pure II documents, CR2032 battery); the somfysystems.com Support Documentation library; Somfy product records for 1241142, 1043423 and 1816081 on somfypro.com and somfysystems.com.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I download a Somfy motor manual?
Search the seven-digit reference from the motor label on somfysystems.com and open the product page. Its Documents and links section offers the instructions, spec sheet and programming guides as PDF downloads. Our Somfy spec library holds the same install guides and databooks, searchable by motor name or part number, beside the matching genuine Somfy part.
How do I find my Somfy motor model number?
Remove the motor from the roller tube if needed and read the label on the motor body. Look for the seven-digit Somfy reference, such as 1241142, and a model code such as 506S2 or 525A2. The 74300 on the label is Somfy's postal code in Cluses, France, so it identifies the maker and not the model.
Does Somfy have a separate manual for the remote?
Yes. Remotes and sensors carry their own references and documents. The Situo 5 RTS Pure II (1870575) page lists consumer instructions, a spec sheet, safety instructions and the RTS Pocket Programming Guide, and names its CR2032 battery. Pair the motor's programming guide with the remote's instructions when you add or delete a control.
My Somfy motor is discontinued. Can I still get its manual?
Somfy keeps product pages online after a part leaves the range and adds a Replaced by note naming the current part. The original documents stay on the old page. The Sonesse 30 WireFree Li-ion RTS (1003128), for example, points to the Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS (1003310) while keeping its own instructions available.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
