Home Assistant AI Bot Integration

Overview

Integrating an AI chatbot with Home Assistant transforms how you interact with your smart home. Instead of navigating apps or remembering commands, simply message your bot: "Turn off the living room lights" or "What's the temperature downstairs?"

Architecture

User Message (Discord/Telegram/WhatsApp)
    ↓
[Your VPS - OpenClaw/OpenClaw]
    ↓
[Home Assistant API]
    ↓
Smart Home Devices

Your VPS acts as the AI gateway, processing natural language and translating it to Home Assistant commands.

Prerequisites

• VPS running OpenClaw or OpenClaw
• Home Assistant instance (local or cloud)
• Home Assistant Long-Lived Access Token
• Basic familiarity with Home Assistant entities

Setup Options

Option 1: Home Assistant on Same VPS

Run Home Assistant alongside your bot:

# Install Home Assistant Container
docker run -d \
  --name homeassistant \
  --privileged \
  --restart=unless-stopped \
  -v /opt/homeassistant:/config \
  -p 8123:8123 \
  ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable

Pros: Single server, low latency Cons: More resource usage, limited device access

Option 2: Connect to Existing Home Assistant

Connect your VPS bot to Home Assistant running elsewhere:

# In your bot's .env file
HOME_ASSISTANT_URL=https://your-ha-instance.duckdns.org:8123
HOME_ASSISTANT_TOKEN=your-long-lived-access-token

Pros: Full device access, existing setup preserved Cons: Requires port forwarding or Nabu Casa

Getting Your Home Assistant Token

1. Open Home Assistant
2. Click your profile (bottom left)
3. Scroll to "Long-Lived Access Tokens"
4. Create Token → Name it "OpenClaw Bot"
5. Copy and save the token immediately

Bot Configuration

System Prompt for Home Assistant

You are a helpful smart home assistant. You can control devices through Home Assistant.

Available commands:
- Turn on/off lights: Use entity IDs like light.living_room
- Adjust temperature: Use climate.thermostat
- Check sensors: Use sensor.temperature_living_room
- Control media: Use media_player.living_room_tv

Always confirm actions you take. If unsure about an entity, ask for clarification.

Example .env Configuration

# AI Provider
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key

# Home Assistant
HOME_ASSISTANT_ENABLED=true
HOME_ASSISTANT_URL=http://homeassistant.local:8123
HOME_ASSISTANT_TOKEN=eyJ0...long-token...

# Allowed entities (security)
HA_ALLOWED_DOMAINS=light,switch,climate,sensor
HA_BLOCKED_ENTITIES=lock.front_door,alarm_control_panel

Security Considerations

Never Allow Unrestricted Access

Limit which entities the bot can control:

# Only allow specific domains
HA_ALLOWED_DOMAINS=light,switch,climate,media_player,sensor

# Block sensitive entities
HA_BLOCKED_ENTITIES=lock.*,alarm_control_panel.*,cover.garage_*

Use a Dedicated User

Create a Home Assistant user specifically for the bot with limited permissions.

Network Security

If Home Assistant is local:

• Use VPN (WireGuard/Tailscale) to connect VPS
• Never expose HA directly to internet without Nabu Casa
• Use HTTPS with valid certificates

Example Interactions

Lighting Control

User: "Turn off all the lights downstairs" Bot: "I've turned off 4 lights in the downstairs area: living room ceiling, living room lamp, kitchen main, and hallway."

Climate Check

User: "Is it too hot upstairs?" Bot: "The upstairs temperature is currently 24°C. The thermostat is set to 21°C. Would you like me to turn on the AC?"

Status Report

User: "Give me a house status" Bot: "Here's your home status:

• Temperature: Living room 21°C, Bedroom 19°C
• Lights: 3 on (office, porch, bathroom)
• Doors: All locked
• Energy today: 12.4 kWh"

Automation Ideas

Natural Language Scenes

Instead of buttons, use natural language:

• "Movie time" → Dims lights, turns on TV, closes blinds
• "Goodnight" → Locks doors, turns off lights, sets alarm
• "Working from home" → Adjusts office temperature, turns on desk lamp

Proactive Notifications

Set up automations to notify via your bot:

# Home Assistant automation
automation:
  - alias: "Notify bot of motion"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.front_door_motion
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: notify.discord_bot
        data:
          message: "Motion detected at front door"

Voice Control Chain

Voice Assistant → Discord → Your VPS → Home Assistant → Devices

This allows voice control from anywhere, not just at home.

VPS Requirements

Running Home Assistant integration:

| Component | Minimum | Recommended | |-----------|---------|-------------| | RAM | 2GB | 4GB | | CPU | 2 cores | 4 cores | | Storage | 40GB | 60GB |

If running HA on same VPS, add:

• +1GB RAM for Home Assistant
• +10GB storage for HA database

Troubleshooting

Bot can't connect to Home Assistant

# Test connection from VPS
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  http://homeassistant.local:8123/api/states

Commands not working

1. Check entity IDs are correct
2. Verify token has permissions
3. Check HA logs for errors

Slow responses

• Use local API when possible
• Cache frequently-used states
• Limit entity polling frequency

Related Guides

• Install OpenClaw
• Security hardening
• Bot automation

Need Help?

Setting up Home Assistant integration can be complex. Our premium setup service includes Home Assistant configuration and testing.