Automation examples

Starting points for automations. They use the MQTT engine's entities of a computer whose device name is Laptop; replace the entity IDs with your own, which you find on the device's page in Home Assistant. They are examples to adapt, not tested recipes for your home.

Light follows the screen

A desk lamp that is on while the computer's screen is on.

automation:
  - alias: Desk lamp follows the screen
    triggers:
      - trigger: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.laptop_display
        to: ["on", "off"]
    actions:
      - action: light.turn_{{ trigger.to_state.state }}
        target:
          entity_id: light.desk_lamp

When the computer goes to sleep the sensor becomes unavailable, not off. To switch the lamp off then as well, add unavailable to the trigger and map it to off.

Do not disturb while in a call

microphone_in_use is on while any app uses the microphone, which is a good sign of a call.

automation:
  - alias: Call in progress
    triggers:
      - trigger: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.laptop_microphone_in_use
    actions:
      - action: light.turn_{{ 'on' if trigger.to_state.state == 'on' else 'off' }}
        target:
          entity_id: light.on_air_sign

Lock the computer when everyone has left

automation:
  - alias: Lock the laptop when nobody is home
    triggers:
      - trigger: state
        entity_id: zone.home
        to: "0"
    actions:
      - action: button.press
        target:
          entity_id: button.laptop_lock_screen

Pause what is playing when the doorbell rings

automation:
  - alias: Pause media for the doorbell
    triggers:
      - trigger: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.doorbell
        to: "on"
    conditions:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: sensor.laptop_media_playback
        state: playing
    actions:
      - action: button.press
        target:
          entity_id: button.laptop_media_play_pause
      - action: notify.send_message
        target:
          entity_id: notify.laptop_notification
        data:
          message: Someone is at the door.

Tell me on the computer

Any message can be sent to the computer; see Notifications.

actions:
  - action: notify.send_message
    target:
      entity_id: notify.laptop_notification
    data:
      message: The washing machine is done.

Monitor power follows the docked laptop

A monitor on a smart plug that should be powered only while the laptop sits in its dock with the screen on. This needs a custom sensor for the dock; the whole example is under Custom sensors and buttons.

Shut the computer down at night

shutdown is one of the buttons that are off by default; turn it on first, see Controls.

automation:
  - alias: Shut the laptop down at night
    triggers:
      - trigger: time
        at: "01:00:00"
    conditions:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.laptop_user_active
        state: "off"
    actions:
      - action: button.press
        target:
          entity_id: button.laptop_shut_down

An app with unsaved work can still hold the shutdown up, as it would when shutting down by hand.