Home Assistant Configuration Skill

Create and manage Home Assistant YAML configuration files including automations, scripts, templates, blueprints, and file organization.

Slash Commands

Command Description

/ha-find-duplicates [path]

Find duplicate automations and scripts in configuration

/ha-find-duplicates

Scans Home Assistant configuration files to find:

• Exact duplicates: Automations/scripts with identical triggers and actions

• Similar items: Items with 80%+ similarity (name, entities, structure)

• Trigger conflicts: Multiple automations responding to the same trigger

Usage: /ha-find-duplicates /path/to/config or /ha-find-duplicates for current directory.

Subagents

Agent Description

ha-suggestions

Smart home improvement advisor for automations, scenes, and device recommendations

ha-suggestions

A proactive smart home consultant that analyzes your Home Assistant configuration and provides personalized suggestions for:

• New Automations: Motion lighting, presence detection, time-based routines, energy saving

• New Scenes: Movie night, morning energy, dinner time, work from home, party mode

• Script Improvements: Reusable sequences and parameterized routines

• Device Recommendations: Sensors, switches, and integrations to enhance your setup

• Optimization: Consolidation, trigger efficiency, mode usage, blueprint conversion

The agent automatically discovers your configuration files, inventories entities by domain (lights, sensors, climate, etc.), and generates prioritized suggestions with complete, ready-to-use YAML code.

Validation Scripts

This skill includes scripts to validate and analyze Home Assistant configurations.

YAML Validator

Validates YAML syntax and checks for common HA issues (tabs, unquoted booleans, deprecated syntax):

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/validate_yaml.py /path/to/config.yaml python3 {baseDir}/scripts/validate_yaml.py /path/to/config.yaml --strict

Configuration Checker

Analyzes HA configuration structure, finds entities, tracks includes and secrets:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/check_config.py /path/to/config/directory python3 {baseDir}/scripts/check_config.py /path/to/config.yaml --verbose

Lovelace Validator

Validates Lovelace dashboard configurations (YAML and JSON .storage format):

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/lovelace_validator.py /path/to/ui-lovelace.yaml python3 {baseDir}/scripts/lovelace_validator.py /path/to/.storage/lovelace --strict

Features:

• Validates card types (built-in and custom)

• Checks entity ID formats

• Validates actions (tap_action, hold_action)

• Detects custom cards (HACS)

• Supports both YAML and JSON storage formats

Duplicate Finder

Finds duplicate and similar automations/scripts across configuration files:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/find_duplicates.py /path/to/config/directory python3 {baseDir}/scripts/find_duplicates.py /path/to/automations.yaml --verbose

Features:

• Exact duplicate detection (identical triggers + actions)

• Similar item detection (80% threshold for names, entities, structure)

• Trigger conflict detection (multiple automations on same trigger)

• Entity overlap analysis between automations

• JSON output with detailed findings

Pre-Save Validation Hook

This plugin includes a pre-save hook that automatically validates YAML files before saving. It checks for:

• Tab characters (HA requires spaces)

• Basic YAML syntax errors

The hook runs automatically on Write/Edit operations for .yaml and .yml files.

YAML Requirements

• Indentation: 2 spaces per level (never tabs)

• Strings: Quote boolean-like values ("on", "off", "yes", "no")

• Lists: Use - prefix with proper indentation

• Comments: Use # for inline documentation

• Key Terms: Use action: (not service: ), triggers: (not trigger: ), actions: (not action: for sequences)

File Organization

Basic Includes

configuration.yaml

automation: !include automations.yaml script: !include scripts.yaml sensor: !include sensors.yaml

Directory Includes

Merge all files in directory

automation: !include_dir_merge_list automations/ sensor: !include_dir_merge_list sensors/

Secrets Management

secrets.yaml

mqtt_password: "super_secret_password" api_key: "your-api-key-here"

configuration.yaml

mqtt: password: !secret mqtt_password

Automations (2024+ Syntax)

Basic Structure

automation:

• alias: "Descriptive Name" id: unique_automation_id description: "What this automation does" mode: single # single, restart, queued, parallel triggers:
  • trigger: state entity_id: binary_sensor.motion to: "on" conditions:
  • condition: time after: "sunset" actions:
  • action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.living_room

Common Triggers

State Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: state entity_id: sensor.temperature from: "off" to: "on" for: minutes: 5

Time Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: time at: "07:00:00"

Numeric State Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: numeric_state entity_id: sensor.temperature above: 25 below: 30

Sun Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: sun event: sunset offset: "-00:30:00"

Template Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: template value_template: "{{ states('sensor.power') | float > 1000 }}"

Calendar Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: calendar entity_id: calendar.work event: start offset: "-00:15:00" # 15 min before event

Device Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: device device_id: abc123 domain: zwave_js type: event.value_notification.entry_control

Event Trigger

triggers:

• trigger: event event_type: mobile_app_notification_action event_data: action: "CONFIRM_ACTION"

Trigger IDs (for multi-trigger automations)

triggers:

• trigger: state id: "motion_detected" entity_id: binary_sensor.motion to: "on"
• trigger: state id: "door_opened" entity_id: binary_sensor.door to: "on" actions:
• choose:
  • conditions:
    • condition: trigger id: "motion_detected" sequence:
    • action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.hallway

Common Actions

Service Call

actions:

• action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.bedroom data: brightness_pct: 50 color_temp: 350

Delay

actions:

• delay: seconds: 30

Conditional (Choose)

actions:

• choose:
  • conditions:
    • condition: state entity_id: sun.sun state: "below_horizon" sequence:
    • action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.porch default:
  • action: light.turn_off target: entity_id: light.porch

Repeat

actions:

• repeat: count: 3 sequence: - action: notify.mobile_app data: message: "Alert!" - delay: minutes: 1

If-Then-Else

actions:

• if:
  • condition: state entity_id: sun.sun state: "below_horizon" then:
  • action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.porch else:
  • action: light.turn_off target: entity_id: light.porch

Parallel Actions

actions:

• parallel:
  • action: notify.person1 data: message: "Alert sent simultaneously!"
  • action: notify.person2 data: message: "Alert sent simultaneously!"
  • sequence:
    • action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.alarm
    • delay: seconds: 5
    • action: light.turn_off target: entity_id: light.alarm

Wait for Trigger

actions:

• action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.porch
• wait_for_trigger:
  • trigger: state entity_id: binary_sensor.motion to: "off" timeout: minutes: 10 continue_on_timeout: true
• action: light.turn_off target: entity_id: light.porch

Response Variables (get data from actions)

actions:

• action: calendar.get_events target: entity_id: calendar.work data: duration: hours: 24 response_variable: agenda
• action: notify.mobile_app data: message: "You have {{ agenda['calendar.work'].events | count }} events today"

Continue on Error

actions:

• action: notify.unreliable_service data: message: "This might fail" continue_on_error: true
• action: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.bedroom

Stop with Response

actions:

• if:
  • condition: state entity_id: input_boolean.enabled state: "off" then:
  • stop: "Feature is disabled" error: true
• action: script.do_something

Scripts

script: morning_routine: alias: "Morning Routine" description: "Start the day" fields: brightness: description: "Light brightness" example: 80 default: 100 selector: number: min: 0 max: 100 sequence: - action: light.turn_on target: area_id: bedroom data: brightness_pct: "{{ brightness }}" - action: media_player.play_media target: entity_id: media_player.speaker data: media_content_id: "morning_news" media_content_type: "music"

Jinja2 Templates

State Functions

Get state

{{ states('sensor.temperature') }}

Get attribute

{{ state_attr('climate.thermostat', 'current_temperature') }}

Check if entity exists

{{ states.sensor.temperature is defined }}

Filters and Tests

Convert types

{{ states('sensor.temp') | float(0) }} {{ states('sensor.count') | int(0) }}

Math operations

{{ states('sensor.power') | float * 0.15 | round(2) }}

Date/time

{{ now().strftime('%H:%M') }} {{ as_timestamp(now()) }}

Template Sensors

template:

• sensor:
  • name: "Total Power Usage" unit_of_measurement: "W" state: > {{ states('sensor.plug_1_power') | float(0) + states('sensor.plug_2_power') | float(0) }} availability: > {{ states('sensor.plug_1_power') not in ['unknown', 'unavailable'] }}

Lovelace Dashboards

Enable YAML Mode

configuration.yaml

lovelace: mode: yaml

Basic Dashboard Structure

ui-lovelace.yaml

title: My Home views:

• title: Home path: home icon: mdi:home cards:
  • type: entities title: Living Room entities:
    • light.living_room
    • switch.fan

Common Card Types

Entities Card

type: entities title: Room Controls state_color: true entities:

• entity: light.ceiling name: Ceiling Light
• type: divider
• entity: climate.thermostat

Button Card

type: button entity: light.bedroom name: Bedroom icon: mdi:lightbulb tap_action: action: toggle hold_action: action: more-info

Grid Layout

type: grid columns: 3 square: true cards:

• type: button entity: light.1
• type: button entity: light.2
• type: button entity: light.3

Area Card

type: area area: living_room display_type: compact navigation_path: /lovelace/living-room sensor_classes:

• temperature
• humidity

Conditional Card

type: conditional conditions:

• condition: state entity: person.john state: home card: type: entities entities:
  • light.johns_room

Card Actions

tap_action: action: toggle # Toggle entity

action: more-info # Show details

action: navigate # Go to view

navigation_path: /lovelace/lights

action: call-service # Call action

service: light.turn_on

target:

entity_id: light.all

Popular Custom Cards (via HACS)

Mushroom Cards

type: custom:mushroom-light-card entity: light.bedroom show_brightness_control: true use_light_color: true

Button Card (Custom)

type: custom:button-card entity: light.bedroom name: Bedroom styles: card: - border-radius: 12px state:

• value: "on" styles: icon: - color: amber

Validation Tools

• Developer Tools > YAML: Check configuration syntax

• Developer Tools > Template: Test Jinja2 templates

• Developer Tools > States: Verify entity states

• Logs: Enable debug logging for troubleshooting

logger: default: info logs: homeassistant.components.automation: debug

Common Issues

Problem Solution

Tab characters Replace with 2 spaces

Unquoted booleans Quote "on", "off", "yes", "no"

Template errors Test in Developer Tools first

Entity not found Check entity_id spelling

Automation not firing Verify trigger conditions in trace

Blueprints

Reusable automation templates with configurable inputs:

blueprint: name: Motion-activated Light description: Turn on a light when motion is detected domain: automation input: motion_sensor: name: Motion Sensor selector: entity: filter: - domain: binary_sensor device_class: motion target_light: name: Light selector: target: entity: - domain: light delay_time: name: Delay default: 120 selector: number: min: 0 max: 3600 unit_of_measurement: seconds

triggers:

• trigger: state entity_id: !input motion_sensor to: "on"

actions:

• action: light.turn_on target: !input target_light
• wait_for_trigger:
  • trigger: state entity_id: !input motion_sensor to: "off" for: seconds: !input delay_time
• action: light.turn_off target: !input target_light

Reference Files

For detailed patterns and examples, see:

• references/patterns.md

• Common automation patterns

• references/templates.md

• Template sensor examples

• references/lovelace.md

• Dashboard cards and layouts

• references/troubleshooting.md

• Error solutions

• references/best-practices.md

• Optimization tips

• references/blueprints.md

• Blueprint creation guide

• examples/

• Complete working configurations