When is 'mode: restart' better than 'mode: single'?

Restart is ideal for motion-controlled lighting. If new motion is detected while the light is still on, 'restart' resets the timer, whereas 'single' would ignore the event and let the light turn off.

Why does the skill discourage using device_id?

Device IDs are often tied to specific hardware instances. If you replace a device or re-pair it, the ID changes, breaking all associated automations. Entity IDs are easier to remap and manage.

Why should I use native conditions instead of Jinja2 templates?

Native conditions are validated by Home Assistant at load time, providing immediate feedback on errors. Templates fail silently at runtime and bypass built-in validation, making them harder to maintain.

Does this skill help with Zigbee2MQTT and ZHA?

Yes, it includes specific best practices for both integrations, focusing on persistent event triggers and autodiscovered device patterns for buttons and remotes.

Home Assistant Configuration Expert

Name: Home Assistant Configuration Expert
Author: homeassistant-ai

byhomeassistant-ai

•

Productivity & Workflow

Optimizes Home Assistant configurations by enforcing native constructs, reliable entity referencing, and robust automation patterns.

This skill equips Claude with the specialized knowledge required to build maintainable and efficient Home Assistant environments. It prioritizes native triggers, conditions, and helpers over complex Jinja2 templates to ensure YAML configurations are validated at load-time and remain easy to debug. The skill provides guided workflows for safe refactoring, selecting the correct automation modes (like 'restart' for motion sensors), and implementing resilient Zigbee control patterns, ensuring your smart home logic survives hardware changes and updates.

Key Features

01Prioritizes native HA conditions and triggers over brittle Jinja2 templates

02Provides safe refactoring workflows for renaming entities without breaking dashboards

03Guides migration from device_id to entity_id for hardware-independent configurations

04Automates the selection of optimal automation modes for specific hardware behaviors

0581 GitHub stars

06Implements standardized patterns for ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT remote controls

Use Cases

01Safely replacing manual template sensors with built-in helpers like min/max or utility meters

02Converting complex template-based conditions into native numeric_state or time-based triggers

03Restructuring motion-activated lighting to use the correct 'restart' mode for reliable timeouts

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add homeassistant-ai/skills home-assistant-best-practices

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill