Smart Home Control: OpenClaw + Home Assistant

Imagine walking into your home and saying "I'm home" and having your lights adjust, music play, temperature set, and doors unlock—all based on your preferences. This is possible when you connect OpenClaw to Home Assistant. Instead of separate apps for lights, temperature, security, and music, you have one unified AI that orchestrates everything through natural conversation.

Why OpenClaw + Home Assistant?

Home Assistant is the de facto open-source smart home platform. OpenClaw adds AI to it.

Without OpenClaw: You tap individual app icons for each device. "Adjust light to 60%," "Set temperature to 72," "Play music," "Lock door." Four separate interactions. With OpenClaw: You say, "Goodnight" and OpenClaw:

Dims all lights to 10%
Sets temperature to 68°F
Locks front and back doors
Closes all blinds
Disables doorbell notifications
Activates night mode on security system

All from one command.

Prerequisites & Setup

What You Need

Home Assistant running (local network or cloud with remote access)
OpenClaw installed and accessible
Smart home devices (any brand that Home Assistant supports)
Admin access to both Home Assistant and OpenClaw

Installing Home Assistant (If Needed)

If you already have Home Assistant running, skip this section.

Option 1: Docker (Easiest)

docker run -d --restart=always \ -v /PATH/TO/homeassistant:/config \ -e TZ=America/New_York \ -p 8123:8123 \ --name homeassistant \

homeassistant/home-assistant:latest

Access at: http://localhost:8123

Option 2: Raspberry Pi

Download Home Assistant OS from homeassistant.io and flash to a microSD card. Works on any Raspberry Pi 4+.

Option 3: Supervised (Linux)

Follow the official installation guide at homeassistant.io/installation

Integrating Home Assistant with OpenClaw

Step 1: Generate Home Assistant API Token

Log into Home Assistant at http://localhost:8123
Click your user profile icon (bottom left)
Scroll to Long-Lived Access Tokens
Click Create Token
Name it: "OpenClaw Integration"
Copy the entire token (long string starting with eyJ0eXAi...)
Keep this secret—it grants full Home Assistant access

Step 2: Install the Home Assistant Skill in OpenClaw

Go to Settings > Skills Marketplace
Search for "Home Assistant"
Click Install
Wait for installation (usually 10-20 seconds)
Once installed, go to Settings > Skills > Installed
Find "Home Assistant" and click Configure

Step 3: Configure the Home Assistant Integration

A configuration form appears with these fields:

Home Assistant URL: http://192.168.1.50:8123
  (If remote: https://yourha.duckdns.org:8123)

API Token: [Paste your long-lived access token]

Device Names: [Auto-populated list of your devices]

Default Zone: Home  (for location-based automations)

Enable Voice Control: [Toggle ON]

Temperature Unit: Fahrenheit (or Celsius)

Update Interval: 30 seconds

Fill in each field:

Home Assistant URL: The address where Home Assistant runs

- Local: http://192.168.1.50:8123

- Remote: https://yourname.duckdns.org:8123 (with port forwarding)

API Token: Paste the token from Step 1
Device Names: The list of devices in your Home Assistant should auto-populate
Click Test Connection

If successful, you'll see: "Connected to Home Assistant. Found X devices."

Step 4: Activate the Skill

Toggle the Home Assistant skill to Enabled in your skills list.

Congratulations! OpenClaw can now control your home.

Controlling Devices: Examples

Lights

Turn on/off:

"Turn on the living room lights" "Turn off bedroom lights"

"Turn off all lights"

Brightness:

"Set living room light to 50% brightness" "Dim the kitchen light"

"Brighten the hallway"

Colors (if RGB bulbs):

"Set bedroom light to red" "Change kitchen light to warm white"

"Make the porch light blue"

Temperature & Climate

"Set temperature to 72 degrees" "Turn on the AC" "Lower the heat by 2 degrees" "What's the current temperature?"

"Is the AC running?"

Doors & Locks

"Lock the front door" "Unlock the garage door" "Check if the front door is locked"

"Lock all doors"

Media & Entertainment

"Play music in the living room" "Play NPR on the kitchen speaker" "Pause the TV"

"Volume to 50%"

Blinds & Shades

"Open the living room blinds" "Close all blinds"

"Set office blinds to 75%"

Multi-Device Scenes

Instead of controlling individual devices, trigger entire scenes:

"Goodnight" → Locks doors, dims lights, sets AC to 68°F "Movie time" → Closes blinds, dims lights to 5%, sets surround sound "Movie done" → Restores all settings "I'm leaving" → Turns off all lights, locks doors, enables security

"I'm home" → Turns on entry lights, unlocks door (if trusted)

Setting Up Scenes in Home Assistant

Scenes are groups of device states that trigger together. Set them up in Home Assistant, then control them with OpenClaw.

Creating a Scene

In Home Assistant:

Go to Settings > Automations & Scenes > Scenes
Click Create Scene
Name: "Goodnight"
Add devices:

- Front door lock: Locked

- Bedroom light: Off

- Living room light: Off

- Kitchen light: Off

- Thermostat: 68°F

- Bedroom blinds: Closed

Click Save

Now in OpenClaw:

"Goodnight"  → Activates the Goodnight scene

Common Scenes to Create

Morning

Lights: 100% brightness, warm white
Music: Radio starts playing
Coffee maker: Turns on
Temperature: 70°F
Curtains: Open

Work

Lights: 75% brightness
Music: Off
Door locks: Enabled
Thermostat: Set to eco mode
All non-essential devices: Off

Movie

Lights: 10% brightness, red accent lighting
Curtains: Closed
Door locks: Enabled
TV: On, HDMI input set
Surround sound: Activated

Sleep

All lights: Off
Door locks: All locked
Temperature: 68°F
Security system: Armed
Guest notifications: Silenced

Away

All lights: Off
All doors: Locked
Thermostat: Eco mode (68°F)
Security cameras: Recording
Door sensors: Armed

Voice Automation Workflows

Combine multiple commands into a single voice automation:

Voice Command: "I'm Going to Bed"

When you say this to OpenClaw:

Actions: 1. Set all lights to 5% brightness (mood lighting) 2. Lock all doors 3. Check all doors/windows are closed (notify if not) 4. Set temperature to 66°F 5. Close all blinds 6. Disable exterior lights 7. Activate "Do Not Disturb" on phone

8. Say: "Goodnight. Doors locked, temperature set, sleep well."

Voice Command: "Movie Time"

Actions: 1. Close all living room blinds 2. Dim lights to 15% 3. Set accent lighting to red 4. Turn on TV 5. Switch to streaming app input 6. Activate surround sound 7. Set temperature to 72°F (for comfort during long movie) 8. Lock doors (for security during movie)

9. Mute doorbell notifications

Voice Command: "I'm Leaving"

Actions: 1. Turn off all lights 2. Lock all doors 3. Close all blinds 4. Set temperature to eco mode (68°F) 5. Arm security system 6. Check that all doors/windows are locked 7. If any door unlocked: Alert user "Garage door is open" 8. Enable security camera recording

9. Send confirmation: "Home secured, cameras armed"

Energy Monitoring & Optimization

Use OpenClaw to understand and optimize your home's energy consumption:

Track Energy Usage

Ask OpenClaw:

"What's our current energy usage?" "Which device is using the most power?" "Show energy usage by room"

"What was our power bill last month?"

OpenClaw reads data from Home Assistant sensors and presents it naturally.

Optimization Automations

Create automations that reduce energy waste:

Automation: "Off-Peak Energy Saver" Trigger: Time = 11pm (off-peak hours start) Actions: 1. Set water heater to maximum (cheaper power) 2. Schedule charging of EV for overnight (off-peak rates) 3. Pre-cool house to 70°F (use off-peak power for AC) 4. Notify: "Off-peak hours started. Running energy-optimized schedule." Automation: "Peak Hours Conservation" Trigger: Time = 2pm (peak hours, expensive power) Actions: 1. Reduce AC from 72°F to 74°F 2. Disable non-essential devices (pool pump, water heater) 3. Defer dishwasher run to evening

4. Notify: "Peak hours active. Running conservation mode."

Security & Access Control

Controlling Who Can Do What

Set granular permissions:

OpenClaw Settings > Security > Smart Home Permissions
Set rules:

- Lock/unlock doors: Require authentication

- Arm/disarm security: Require authentication

- View camera feeds: Allow

- Control lights: Allow

Save

Audit Trail

Every action through OpenClaw is logged:

Settings > Audit Log
Filter: "Smart Home"
See every device control with timestamp and who initiated it

This is critical for security—you can detect unauthorized access.

Disable Remote Control During Vacation

For added security while away:

Create automation: "Vacation Mode"
Triggers: When all family members marked "Away" for >24 hours
Actions:

- Disable remote lock/unlock (only allow security system arm/disarm)

- Restrict light control to security-relevant scenes only

- Enable camera recording with cloud backup

- Alert: "Vacation mode activated"

Troubleshooting Home Assistant Integration

OpenClaw Can't Connect to Home Assistant

Verify Home Assistant is running: Visit http://localhost:8123
Check firewall isn't blocking the port
Verify API token is still valid (tokens can expire)
Generate a new token and update OpenClaw settings
Ensure network connectivity between OpenClaw and Home Assistant

Devices Not Showing in OpenClaw

Devices must be added to Home Assistant first
In Home Assistant, verify devices appear in Settings > Devices
If devices are there but not in OpenClaw:

- Restart the Home Assistant skill: Settings > Skills > Home Assistant > Restart

- Refresh OpenClaw dashboard

Voice Commands Not Working

Ensure Home Assistant skill is Enabled
Verify device names match exactly (case-sensitive)
Try alternative commands:

- Instead of: "Set temperature to 72"

- Try: "Adjust thermostat to 72 degrees"

Check skill logs: Settings > Logs > Filter: "home assistant"

Delays in Device Response

Reduce update interval in Home Assistant config (smaller number = faster updates)
Check network latency between OpenClaw and Home Assistant
If OpenClaw is on slow VPS, upgrade or optimize other skills
Simplify automations (fewer actions per command)

Advanced: Custom Device Integrations

Home Assistant supports 1000+ device types. Some advanced examples:

Pool/Spa Management

"What's the pool temperature?" "Turn on the pool heater"

"Balance pH and chlorine" (if connected to smart pool system)

Solar & Battery Management

"How much solar power are we generating?" "Store power in battery until 2pm"

"Switch to battery power during peak hours"

Garden/Outdoor

"Water the lawn at sunset" "Is the soil moisture OK?"

"Run sprinklers for 20 minutes"

Pet Care

"Did Fluffy's feeder dispense food today?" "Show pet camera feed"

"Is the pet door open?"

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Home Assistant need a fancy setup?

A: No. A Raspberry Pi 4 ($75) runs Home Assistant perfectly. Add a few smart bulbs and you have a complete smart home for <$300.

Q: What if I lose internet connection?

A: Local automations still work (lights, thermostats, locks). Remote access via OpenClaw requires internet.

Q: Can I use non-Home Assistant devices?

A: If they integrate with Home Assistant, yes. Home Assistant supports 1000+ device types.

Q: Is my home secure with remote access enabled?

A: Yes, if you follow security practices: strong tokens, rate limiting, audit logs. More secure than most IoT vendor apps.

Q: What if I want to disable OpenClaw access temporarily?

A: Go to Settings > Skills > Home Assistant > Disable. OpenClaw can't control anything until re-enabled.

Next Steps

Your home is getting smart. Next, automate your personal productivity:

Social Media Automation — Extend automation beyond your home
Email Automation — Get smarter about communications
Build Your First Custom Skill — Create home automation tailored to your needs