With Home Assistant, automating your home lighting with motion sensors has never been easier. Instead of creating a full automation from scratch, you can use pre-built blueprints to streamline the process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up the “Motion-activated light” blueprint using the Home Assistant UI.
This is a quick way to set up a motion-activated light that turns on when motion is detected and off when motion stops, all without writing any YAML code.
🧾 What You’ll Need
- A Zigbee motion sensor added to Home Assistant (refer to our previous guide for this).
- At least one Zigbee smart light already paired.
- Home Assistant running and set up.
🧩 Using the “Motion-activated light” Blueprint
The “Motion-activated light” blueprint is available out-of-the-box in Home Assistant and allows you to create a simple motion-triggered automation without any manual YAML configuration. Here’s how to use it.
1. Navigate to Automations & Blueprints
- In Home Assistant, go to Settings → Automations & Scenes.
- Click on Blueprints in the top tab.
- Scroll down or search for “Motion-activated light” in the search bar.
2. Select the Blueprint
- Choose the “Motion-activated light” blueprint. This blueprint is designed for simplicity, and it will allow you to automate the light with just a few clicks.
3. Fill in the Blueprint Configuration
Once you select the blueprint, you’ll be prompted to fill in a few details:
- Motion Sensor: Select the motion sensor you want to use (e.g.,
binary_sensor.hallway_motion_sensor). - Light to Control: Select the light(s) you want to be turned on (e.g.,
light.living_room_light). - Delay: Set the time you want the light to stay on after no motion is detected (e.g., 5 minutes).
You can also set other options such as:
- Entity to turn off after delay (to turn off another light or group of lights).
- Invert motion sensor (if the motion sensor has an inverted state).
4. Save the Automation
- After filling in the required fields, click Create Automation.
- Give the automation a name, such as “Motion-activated Living Room Light”.
- Click Save.
Now, your lights will automatically turn on when motion is detected and off after the set delay. No additional configuration is required!
⚙️ More Advanced Automation: The “Sensor Light” Blueprint
While the “Motion-activated light” blueprint is simple and quick, there’s a more advanced “Sensor light” blueprint available that offers more customization options.
The “Sensor light” blueprint gives you full control over:
- Multiple motion sensors (for larger spaces or different angles)
- Light brightness and color control
- Motion delay settings and the ability to control multiple lights
- Conditions like only activating during certain times or conditions (e.g., only after sunset)
We’ll go over the “Sensor light” blueprint in more detail in an upcoming guide, where you can fine-tune your automations for even more advanced setups.
✅ Wrapping Up
You’ve just set up a simple motion-activated light using the Home Assistant UI and a blueprint. It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t require any YAML, making it accessible for beginners.
For those who want more control, keep an eye out for the next guide on “Sensor light”, where we will delve into more advanced automations using the power of Home Assistant’s blueprint system.
Would you like me to generate a visual or example screenshot for this guide as well?