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Home Assistant Best Practices
Core principle: Use native Home Assistant constructs wherever possible. Templates bypass validation, fail silently at runtime, and make debugging opaque.
Decision Workflow
Follow this sequence when creating any automation:
0. Gate: modifying existing config?
If your change affects entity IDs or cross-component references — renaming entities, replacing template sensors with helpers, converting device triggers, or restructuring automations — read references/safe-refactoring.md first. That reference covers impact analysis, device-sibling discovery, and post-change verification. Complete its workflow before proceeding.
Steps 1-5 below apply to new config or pattern evaluation.
1. Check for native condition/trigger
Before writing any template, check references/automation-patterns.md for native alternatives.
Common substitutions:
{{ states('x') | float > 25 }} → numeric_state condition with above: 25{{ is_state('x', 'on') and is_state('y', 'on') }} → condition: and with state conditions{{ now().hour >= 9 }} → condition: time with after: "09:00:00"wait_template: "{{ is_state(...) }}" → wait_for_trigger with state trigger (caveat: different behavior when state is already true — see references/safe-refactoring.md#trigger-restructuring)
2. Check for built-in helper or Template Helper
Before creating a template sensor, check references/helper-selection.md.
Common substitutions:
- Sum/average multiple sensors →
min_max integration
- Binary any-on/all-on logic →
group helper
- Rate of change →
derivative integration
- Cross threshold detection →
threshold integration
- Consumption tracking →
utility_meter helper
If no built-in helper fits, use a Template Helper — not YAML. Create it via the HA config flow (MCP tool or API) or via the UI: Settings → Devices & Services → Helpers → Create Helper → Template. Only write template: YAML if explicitly requested or if neither path is available.
3. Select correct automation mode
Default single mode is often wrong. See references/automation-patterns.md#automation-modes.
| Scenario | Mode |
|---|
| Motion light with timeout | restart |
| Sequential processing (door locks) | queued |
| Independent per-entity actions | parallel |
| One-shot notifications | single |
4. Use entity_id over device_id
device_id breaks when devices are re-added. See references/device-control.md.
Exception: Zigbee2MQTT autodiscovered device triggers are acceptable.
5. For Zigbee buttons/remotes
- ZHA: Use
event trigger with device_ieee (persistent)
- Z2M: Use
device trigger (autodiscovered) or mqtt trigger
See references/device-control.md#zigbee-buttonremote-patterns.
Critical Anti-Patterns
| Anti-pattern | Use instead | Why | Reference |
|---|
condition: template with float > 25 | condition: numeric_state | Validated at load, not runtime | references/automation-patterns.md#native-conditions |
wait_template: "{{ is_state(...) }}" | wait_for_trigger with state trigger | Event-driven, not polling; waits for change (see references/safe-refactoring.md#trigger-restructuring for semantic differences) |
Reference Files
Read these when you need detailed information:
| File | When to read | Key sections |
|---|
references/safe-refactoring.md | Renaming entities, replacing helpers, restructuring automations, or any modification to existing config | #universal-workflow, #entity-renames, #helper-replacements, #trigger-restructuring |
references/automation-patterns.md | Writing triggers, conditions, waits, or choosing automation modes | #native-conditions, , , , , |
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