Build Your First Smart Home Flow in Node-RED: A Beginner Walkthrough

Installing the Node-RED Add-on

1. Go to Settings → Add-ons → Add-on Store
2. Search for Node-RED (by the community add-on store)
3. Click Install — wait for it to download (~2 minutes)
4. In the Configuration tab, set a credential_secret:
   Node-RED add-on configuration

   credential_secret: "your-random-secret-here"
   log_level: info
   ssl: false
   certfile: fullchain.pem
   keyfile: privkey.pem

5. Enable Start on boot and Show in sidebar
6. Click Start → Open Web UI

Connecting to Home Assistant

First, install the HA companion nodes inside Node-RED:

1. In Node-RED: Menu (≡) → Manage palette → Install tab
2. Search for node-red-contrib-home-assistant-websocket
3. Click Install and wait for it to complete

Now configure the HA server connection:

1. Drag any HA node (e.g., "call service") onto the canvas
2. Double-click it → click the pencil icon next to Server
3. Set Base URL: http://homeassistant.local:8123
4. In HA: Profile page → Long-Lived Access Tokens → Create Token → copy it
5. Paste the token in Node-RED's server config → Save
6. You should see "Connected" in the server node status

First Flow: Inject → Debug

Import this JSON to create a simple test flow. Click Menu → Import, paste the JSON, and click Import:

[
  {
    "id": "n1",
    "type": "inject",
    "name": "Click me!",
    "props": [{"p": "payload"}],
    "repeat": "",
    "once": false,
    "payload": "Hello from Node-RED at {{date}}",
    "payloadType": "str",
    "x": 150,
    "y": 100,
    "wires": [["n2"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "n2",
    "type": "debug",
    "name": "Output",
    "active": true,
    "tosidebar": true,
    "console": false,
    "tostatus": false,
    "complete": "payload",
    "x": 350,
    "y": 100,
    "wires": []
  }
]

Click Deploy (top right button). Then click the button on the inject node. You'll see the message appear in the Debug sidebar (🐛 icon, top right). Congratulations — your first Node-RED flow works!

Turning On a Light via HA REST API

This flow calls the HA REST API to turn on a light. Import the JSON below (replace YOUR_TOKEN and light.your_light):

[
  {
    "id": "btn",
    "type": "inject",
    "name": "Turn on light",
    "props": [{"p": "payload"}],
    "payload": "{\"entity_id\": \"light.living_room\"}",
    "payloadType": "json",
    "x": 160,
    "y": 200,
    "wires": [["http_req"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "http_req",
    "type": "http request",
    "name": "HA API",
    "method": "POST",
    "ret": "txt",
    "url": "http://homeassistant.local:8123/api/services/light/turn_on",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN",
      "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    "x": 380,
    "y": 200,
    "wires": [["result"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "result",
    "type": "debug",
    "name": "Result",
    "active": true,
    "x": 580,
    "y": 200,
    "wires": []
  }
]

Sunset-Based Light Flow

This flow turns on a light every day at sunset. It uses the ha-time node which knows your HA location's sunrise/sunset times.

[
  {
    "id": "sun_trigger",
    "type": "ha-time",
    "name": "At sunset",
    "server": "YOUR_SERVER_ID",
    "entityId": "sun.sun",
    "property": "next_setting",
    "offset": 0,
    "x": 160,
    "y": 300,
    "wires": [["light_on"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "light_on",
    "type": "api-call-service",
    "name": "Turn on porch",
    "server": "YOUR_SERVER_ID",
    "domain": "light",
    "service": "turn_on",
    "data": "{\"entity_id\": \"light.porch\", \"brightness_pct\": 80, \"color_temp\": 2700}",
    "x": 400,
    "y": 300,
    "wires": []
  }
]

Replace YOUR_SERVER_ID with the ID shown in your server config node (visible when you open any HA node and look at the server dropdown). The flow automatically adjusts sunset time daily based on your HA home location.

Importing and Exporting Flows

To export: Select nodes on the canvas (Ctrl+A for all) → Menu → Export → Clipboard. Copy the JSON to save or share.

To import: Menu → Import → Clipboard → paste JSON → Import.

Your flows are stored at /config/node-red/flows.json inside HA. They're automatically included in HA's backup system. Back up your HA regularly and your Node-RED flows come with it.

Troubleshooting

• Entities don’t appear in Home Assistant: Confirm the integration is loaded correctly and double-check that the device is supported by the platform you chose.
• Commands feel delayed: This is usually caused by cloud polling, weak Wi-Fi, or a slow Zigbee mesh rather than Home Assistant itself.
• Things work in the vendor app but not in HA: Re-check credentials, local API permissions, and whether the device is using the correct network path.
• Automations misfire: Open the automation trace in Home Assistant and verify the exact entity IDs and state changes being used.

FAQ

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