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+---
+layout: default
+title: "Automating Your Smart Home with Google Home YAML Scripts"
+date: 2025-12-16
+description: "Learn how to create powerful smart home automations using Google Home's YAML script editor with practical examples for cinema mode and night light scenes."
+categories: [smart-home, automation, yaml]
+---
+
+# Automating Your Smart Home with Google Home YAML Scripts
+
+Google Home's script editor offers a powerful way to create custom automations for your smart home using YAML. While the web interface provides a visual editor, understanding the YAML structure gives you more control and makes it easier to version control your automations.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+To create Google Home scripts:
+
+1. Go to [home.google.com](https://home.google.com)
+2. Navigate to the **Automations** tab
+3. Press **+ Add new** to create a new script
+
+The script editor uses YAML, which gives you full control over your automations. While it might look intimidating at first, the structured format is actually quite intuitive once you understand the basics.
+
+## Understanding the YAML Structure
+
+Every Google Home automation script follows this basic structure:
+
+```yaml
+metadata:
+  name: Script Name
+  description: What this script does.
+
+automations:
+  - starters:
+      - type: starter.type.here
+    
+    condition:  # optional
+      type: condition.type.here
+    
+    actions:
+      - type: action.type.here
+```
+
+**Key points to remember:**
+
+- `automations:` is a list (each automation starts with `-`)
+- `starters:` is a list (each starter starts with `-`)
+- `condition:` is **NOT** a list (no `-` before it)
+- `actions:` is a list (each action starts with `-`)
+
+## Starters: Triggering Your Automations
+
+### Voice Commands
+
+The most common trigger is a voice command:
+
+```yaml
+starters:
+  - type: assistant.event.OkGoogle
+    eventData: query
+    is: "activate cinema mode"
+```
+
+This allows you to say "Hey Google, activate cinema mode" to trigger the automation. You can also run it manually from the Google Home app.
+
+### Time-Based Triggers
+
+Schedule automations to run at specific times:
+
+```yaml
+starters:
+  - type: time.schedule
+    at: 07:30
+    weekdays:
+      - MONDAY
+      - TUESDAY
+      - WEDNESDAY
+      - THURSDAY
+      - FRIDAY
+```
+
+### Device State Triggers
+
+React when a device changes state:
+
+```yaml
+starters:
+  - type: device.state.OnOff
+    device: Samsung The Frame 50 - Living Room
+    state: on
+    is: true
+```
+
+This triggers when the TV turns on, perfect for creating automatic ambiance adjustments.
+
+## Conditions: Adding Intelligence
+
+Conditions make your automations context-aware. Only after sunset should your cinema mode activate automatically:
+
+```yaml
+condition:
+  type: time.between
+  after: sunset
+  before: sunrise
+```
+
+You can also check device states:
+
+```yaml
+condition:
+  type: device.state.OnOff
+  device: Samsung TV - Living Room
+  state: on
+  is: false
+```
+
+### Complex Conditions
+
+Combine multiple conditions with logical operators:
+
+```yaml
+condition:
+  type: and
+  conditions:
+    - type: device.state.OnOff
+      device: Samsung TV - Living Room
+      state: on
+      is: true
+    - type: or
+      conditions:
+        - type: time.between
+          after: 20:00
+        - type: time.between
+          weekdays:
+            - SATURDAY
+            - SUNDAY
+```
+
+## Actions: Making Things Happen
+
+### Controlling Lights
+
+Turn lights on or off:
+
+```yaml
+- type: device.command.OnOff
+  devices:
+    - Living Room Lights - Living Room
+  on: true
+```
+
+Set brightness (0-100):
+
+```yaml
+- type: device.command.BrightnessAbsolute
+  devices:
+    - Living Room Light - Living Room
+  brightness: 25
+```
+
+Set color temperature for the perfect ambiance:
+
+```yaml
+- type: device.command.ColorAbsolute
+  devices:
+    - Living Room Light - Living Room
+  color:
+    temperature: 2202K
+```
+
+### Adding Delays
+
+Create sequences with pauses between actions:
+
+```yaml
+- type: time.delay
+  for: 5min
+```
+
+Formats supported: `30sec`, `5min`, `2hours`
+
+### Voice Announcements
+
+Broadcast messages to your speakers:
+
+```yaml
+- type: assistant.command.Broadcast
+  devices:
+    - Kitchen Speaker - Kitchen
+  message: "Dinner is ready!"
+```
+
+### Media and Volume Control
+
+```yaml
+- type: device.command.SetVolume
+  devices:
+    - Living Room Speaker
+  volumeLevel: 30
+
+- type: device.command.MediaPause
+  devices:
+    - Living Room Speaker
+```
+
+## Real-World Example: Cinema Mode
+
+Let's look at a practical automation that creates the perfect movie-watching atmosphere. This script automatically dims your lights when you turn on the TV after sunset:
+
+```yaml
+metadata:
+  name: TV Cinema Auto
+  description: Automatically dim lights to cinema mode when TV turns on after sunset.
+
+automations:
+  - starters:
+      - type: device.state.OnOff
+        device: Samsung The Frame 50 - Living Room
+        state: on
+        is: true
+
+    condition:
+      type: time.between
+      after: sunset
+      before: sunrise
+
+    actions:
+      # Turn off main lights to reduce glare
+      - type: device.command.OnOff
+        devices:
+          - Ceiling Light - Living Room
+          - Desk Light - Living Room
+        on: false
+
+      # Set ambient lights to very low warm glow
+      - type: device.command.BrightnessAbsolute
+        devices:
+          - Sofa Light - Living Room
+          - Window Light - Living Room
+        brightness: 10
+
+      - type: device.command.ColorAbsolute
+        devices:
+          - Sofa Light - Living Room
+          - Window Light - Living Room
+        color:
+          name: "warm white"
+
+      # Turn on lava lamp for ambient effect
+      - type: device.command.OnOff
+        devices:
+          - Lava Lamp - Living Room
+        on: true
+```
+
+## Real-World Example: Night Light
+
+Safe navigation at night without blinding yourself:
+
+```yaml
+metadata:
+  name: Night Light Mode
+  description: Very dim hallway light for nighttime navigation without blinding.
+
+automations:
+  - starters:
+      - type: assistant.event.OkGoogle
+        eventData: query
+        is: "night light"
+
+    condition:
+      type: time.between
+      after: 22:00
+      before: 06:00
+
+    actions:
+      # Hallway lights at minimal brightness
+      - type: device.command.BrightnessAbsolute
+        devices:
+          - Hallway Light 1 - Hallway
+          - Hallway Light 2 - Hallway
+        brightness: 5
+
+      - type: device.command.ColorAbsolute
+        devices:
+          - Hallway Light 1 - Hallway
+          - Hallway Light 2 - Hallway
+        color:
+          name: "warm white"
+```
+
+## Important Notes on Device Naming
+
+Device names in Google Home scripts must **exactly match** how they appear in your Google Home app. The format is always:
+
+```
+Device Name - Room Name
+```
+
+For example:
+- `Ceiling Light - Living Room`
+- `Kitchen Speaker - Kitchen`
+- `Front Door Lock - Front Porch`
+
+## Common Pitfalls and Fixes
+
+| Error | Cause | Fix |
+|-------|-------|-----|
+| `Expected subfields: [is]` | OkGoogle starter missing required field | Add both `eventData: query` and `is: "phrase"` |
+| `Expected subfields: [devices]` | Used `device:` (singular) | Use `devices:` (plural) as a list |
+| `Expected subfields: [on]` | Wrong OnOff syntax | Use `on: true` or `on: false` (boolean) |
+| `value should be [FieldPath] but is [Map]` | Nested object where simple value expected | Use `eventData: query` not `eventData: {query: ...}` |
+
+## Advanced Features
+
+### Light Effects
+
+Create gradual transitions with sleep and wake effects:
+
+```yaml
+# Gradual dim over 30 minutes
+- type: device.command.LightEffectSleep
+  devices:
+    - Bedroom Lights
+  duration: 30min
+  sleepBrightness: 0
+
+# Gradual brighten over 15 minutes
+- type: device.command.LightEffectWake
+  devices:
+    - Bedroom Lights
+  duration: 15min
+  wakeBrightness: 100
+```
+
+### Robot Vacuum Control
+
+Automate your robot vacuum:
+
+```yaml
+- type: device.command.StartStop
+  devices:
+    - Robot Vacuum - Kitchen
+  start: true
+
+# Or send it back to dock
+- type: device.command.Dock
+  devices:
+    - Robot Vacuum - Kitchen
+```
+
+## Tips for Success
+
+1. **Start simple**: Begin with a basic voice-triggered automation before adding conditions and complex sequences
+2. **Test incrementally**: Add one action at a time and test to ensure each works correctly
+3. **Use descriptive names**: Your future self will thank you for clear metadata names and descriptions
+4. **Version control**: Keep your YAML files in a Git repository to track changes
+5. **Check device names**: The most common error is mismatched device names - always verify in the Google Home app
+
+## Conclusion
+
+Google Home's YAML script editor unlocks powerful automation capabilities for your smart home. By understanding the structure and available commands, you can create sophisticated routines that make your home truly intelligent. Start with simple automations and gradually build more complex scenarios as you become comfortable with the syntax.
+
+Whether you're creating the perfect movie-watching ambiance, automating your morning routine, or simply making your home more convenient, YAML scripts give you the flexibility to design exactly what you need.
+
+Happy automating! 🏠✨