Lesson 2 of 5 5 min read

Triggers, Conditions, and Actions

Now that you understand how automation works at a high level, let's get into the three components you'll use to build every single automation.

Triggers: What Starts the Automation

A trigger is the event that kicks off your automation. Without a trigger, nothing happens. Here are the most common types:

Time-Based Triggers

  • Specific time: "At 7:00 AM every weekday"
  • Sunrise/sunset: "30 minutes before sunset" (adjusts automatically with seasons)
  • Recurring: "Every 4 hours"

Device-Based Triggers

  • Sensor: "When the motion sensor detects movement"
  • Door/window sensor: "When the front door opens"
  • Smart lock: "When the door is unlocked with code #3"
  • Button: "When the smart button is pressed"

Location-Based Triggers

  • Geofencing: "When I leave home" or "When I arrive at home"
  • Proximity: "When my phone is within 100 feet of the house"

Voice Triggers

  • Custom phrase: "When I say 'Movie time'"

Conditions: The "Only If" Rules

Conditions are optional filters that prevent an automation from running at the wrong time. They answer the question: "Should this automation actually run right now?"

Without conditions, a motion-activated light would turn on at 2 PM on a sunny day - not very useful. With a condition ("only if it's after sunset"), it becomes practical.

Common Conditions

  • Time of day: "Only between 10 PM and 6 AM"
  • Day of week: "Only on weekdays"
  • Device state: "Only if the alarm is set to Away"
  • Presence: "Only if nobody is home"
  • Weather: "Only if the temperature is below 60°F" (limited platform support)

Pro tip: If an automation keeps running when you don't want it to, you probably need a condition - not a different trigger.

Actions: What Happens

Actions are the commands that execute when your trigger fires and all conditions are met. Most automations have multiple actions.

Common Actions

  • Control devices: Turn on/off, set brightness, adjust temperature
  • Delays: "Wait 5 minutes, then turn off the light"
  • Notifications: Send a push notification to your phone
  • Run another automation: Chain automations together
  • Scenes: Activate a predefined scene (more on this in the next lesson)

Putting It All Together

Here's a well-designed automation using all three components:

Automation: Secure Goodnight

  • Trigger: I say "Goodnight" to my voice assistant
  • Conditions: It's after 8 PM (prevents accidental activation during the day)
  • Actions:
    1. Turn off all lights
    2. Lock all doors
    3. Set thermostat to 68°F
    4. Set alarm system to "Home" mode
    5. Turn on bedroom fan (via smart plug)

Five actions, triggered by a single phrase, with a safety condition. That's a well-built automation.

Lesson Complete