Can I ask an AI to switch on a light, but also to create an automation or a dashboard inside Home Assistant? In this video I try it with Claude, describing what I want in chat and checking the results in my installation.
The aim is to make smart home configuration more accessible. After experimenting with AI agents, here I choose a route using Claude Desktop and the ha-mcp project. In this test I use a free Claude account: that describes the experience shown in the video dated 3 May 2026, rather than guaranteeing the plans or conditions available today.
What you need to follow the test
- A Home Assistant installation reachable from your computer.
- Claude Desktop and an account to use it with.
- The ha-mcp project and its Setup Wizard, linked in Resources.
- Your installation’s address and a Home Assistant access token.
- Some entities already configured, such as the lights for the first test.
The connection uses MCP, the protocol that allows an AI application to use external tools. In the video I distinguish the standard MCP access configurable in Home Assistant from the alternative ha-mcp solution, which I choose for the operations shown. I go beyond reading states: I also test changing automations and creating a dashboard.
1. Install the connection with the Setup Wizard
From the ha-mcp GitHub repository, I open the Setup Wizard. The procedure lets you choose the client to configure: for this demonstration I select Claude Desktop and my computer’s operating system.
On the Mac, I copy the command provided by the Wizard and run it in Terminal. For Windows I show the same approach using PowerShell. I wait for installation to finish and restart Claude Desktop to apply the changes.
To follow this part, open the Setup Wizard link in Resources, select your operating system and use the command provided by the procedure.
2. Configure the Home Assistant address and token
In Claude Desktop I open settings, enter the developer section and access the JSON configuration file. I enter my Home Assistant installation’s address and the token needed for the connection. In the video, the computer and Home Assistant are on the same network.
To obtain the token, I open Home Assistant, go to my profile, reach the Security section and create an access token. I enter it in the configuration, save and restart Claude Desktop again.
The token grants access to the installation: do not paste it into a public chat or share it with the configuration. In the video I explain that the token shown will be revoked and replaced; it is not a value to reuse when following the guide.
3. Check the connection and control a light
After restarting, I check the Home Assistant connector in Claude’s settings. The screen lists tools for both reading and making changes. I then open a new chat and ask Claude to connect to Home Assistant and describe what it can see.
During the test an authorization request appears. I also encounter an initial error on the Mac: after identifying the issue, I retry and the connection proceeds.
Once Claude recognizes the lights prepared for the demonstration, I ask it to turn on the desk light. The command is executed, and I also show the light in the video to check the real effect rather than relying only on the chat response.
4. Disable and create an automation
Next I move on to automations. I ask Claude to find the existing ones, identify the test automation and ask it to disable it. I open Home Assistant to check that the change has been applied.
The next request is to create a new automation: when I switch on the main light, the desk light should switch on too. After the authorization request, I see the automation appear in Home Assistant and check its contents. It matches the relationship between the two lights that I described.
This is the central part of the experiment: a sentence in chat becomes a configuration that can be inspected. Checking inside Home Assistant remains part of the test, even when the AI’s response already sounds convincing.
5. Prepare a dashboard from chat
For a more involved request, I try creating a dashboard with the lights, some sun entities and the iPhone entities. I explicitly ask Claude to ask me questions if information is missing.
Claude finds 22 entities associated with the phone and asks about my preferences. In the demonstration I choose to include them all; for the sun, I select its state and the next sunset. I also request a layout with charts.
After the authorizations and a wait, the dashboard appears with entities, charts and icons suited to the content. I like the result, but in the video I also point out that I do not know exactly what some sensors represent: an attractive layout does not replace understanding the data shown.
Results and limitations of the test
With this connection I can control a light, disable an automation, create a new one and obtain a dashboard by describing requests in natural language. Not every operation happens instantly: there are authorization prompts, clarifications and waiting times.
This test uses a particular installation with existing entities. Device names and results depend on your own configuration. The method I demonstrate is to request a concrete operation and then verify it in Home Assistant, especially when moving from reading data to changing the smart home.
Resources
- Configuration support document on Google Drive: the folder linked in the video description, containing material to help an AI guide you through setup.
- ha-mcp GitHub repository: the project used to connect Claude to Home Assistant.
- ha-mcp Setup Wizard: the guided procedure for selecting a client and operating system.