automation-management

Home Assistant Automation Management

Use the homeassistant-manager MCP server to create, update, and manage Home Assistant automations.

Creating Automations

When the user describes an automation in natural language, translate it into HA automation structure and call ha_create_automation.

Gather requirements

Ask (if not already clear):

• Trigger: What starts this automation? (time, state change, event, sun, etc.)
• Conditions: Any conditions that must be true? (optional)
• Actions: What should happen?
• Mode: How to handle re-triggers? (single = ignore, restart, queued, parallel)

Automation structure

{
  "alias": "Human-readable name",
  "description": "What this does",
  "mode": "single",
  "trigger": [...],
  "condition": [...],
  "action": [...]
}

See references/trigger-types.md for trigger syntax. See references/action-types.md for action syntax.

Managing Existing Automations

• List: ha_list_automations — shows all automations with enabled/disabled state
• View: ha_get_automation — full config of a specific automation
• Edit: ha_update_automation — modify any field
• Enable/Disable: ha_toggle_automation
• Trigger manually: ha_trigger_automation
• Delete: ha_delete_automation (always confirm first)

Common Automation Examples

Turn off lights at bedtime

trigger: [{ platform: "time", at: "23:00:00" }]
action: [{ service: "light.turn_off", target: { entity_id: "all" } }]

Motion-activated light

trigger: [{ platform: "state", entity_id: "binary_sensor.hallway_motion", to: "on" }]
action: [{ service: "light.turn_on", target: { entity_id: "light.hallway" } }]

Notify when door unlocked

trigger: [{ platform: "state", entity_id: "lock.front_door", to: "unlocked" }]
action: [{ service: "notify.mobile_app_iphone", data: { message: "Front door unlocked" } }]

Sunrise/sunset

trigger: [{ platform: "sun", event: "sunset", offset: "-00:30:00" }]
action: [{ service: "light.turn_on", target: { entity_id: "light.outdoor" }, data: { brightness_pct: 80 } }]

Temperature alert

trigger: [{ platform: "numeric_state", entity_id: "sensor.temperature", above: 80 }]
action: [{ service: "notify.notify", data: { message: "Temperature too high: {{ trigger.to_state.state }}°F" } }]

Best Practices

• Always use descriptive aliases — they appear in the HA UI and logs
• Add descriptions explaining the purpose
• Use mode: restart for state-based automations that should restart if triggered again
• Use mode: queued for sequential actions that shouldn't overlap
• Test with ha_trigger_automation before relying on the trigger
• Use conditions to prevent unwanted triggers (e.g. only run if someone is home)
• Templates in action data use {{ }} syntax for dynamic values