Automation recipes

Start with the household job, not the app. Choose something you want to stop remembering, checking, or adjusting. Each recipe then explains what triggers the automation, what conditions must be true, what ends it, and what should happen when a device stops reporting.

You can copy a recipe, change it to fit your household, or use its logic as a starting point for a routine that is entirely your own.

Find a recipe by what you need

Not sure where an idea belongs? Search by a room, device, or burden such as “laundry,” “bathroom,” “guest,” or “window.”

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Notifications and alerts

Build a home maintenance reminder dashboard

A platform-neutral recipe that tracks recurring home maintenance tasks, such as filter changes, on a shared dashboard instead of relying on memory.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Safety and security

Close a garage safely after an open-door alert

Alert first, keep people in control, and allow unattended closing only through equipment designed for it with working entrapment protection and warnings.

Type
Alert or supplemental action
Needs
A purpose-fit sensor plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Control music in any room from one shared dashboard

Stop switching between manufacturer apps just to pause a speaker or change its volume in another room.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Entertainment

Dim lights when the TV turns on

A platform-neutral recipe that dims the living room lights when the TV turns on, using either power monitoring or a smart TV signal, and restores them afterward.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A tested media trigger plus a speaker or light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Get a heads-up when there is movement near your front door

Use an outdoor motion sensor to prompt a quick check when someone or something moves near the entrance, without claiming that every alert is a delivery.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Get a phone notification when a traditional doorbell rings

A platform-neutral recipe that wires a contact sensor in parallel with an existing wired doorbell chime so ringing it sends a phone notification.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Climate and comfort

Get an alert before a cold room drifts outside its safe range

Know when a cold room needs attention, then respond through heating controls approved for unattended thermostat operation rather than a general-purpose smart plug.

Type
Comfort control or alert
Needs
A condition sensor plus approved controls
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Appliances

Get an alert when the fridge or freezer door is left open

A platform-neutral recipe that alerts when a refrigerator or freezer door has been open too long, with a shorter delay for the freezer and conservative handling of missing sensor data.

Type
Observation or reminder
Needs
An appliance signal plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Safety and security

Get an immediate alert when water is detected

A platform-neutral leak recipe that identifies the wet sensor, alerts the household immediately, and adds automatic water shutoff only after verified testing.

Type
Alert or supplemental action
Needs
A purpose-fit sensor plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Get low battery alerts for smart home devices

A platform-neutral recipe that notifies when a battery-powered sensor, lock, or button drops below a set level, before it fails silently.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Good first automation

View recipe

Appliances

Get notified when the dishwasher finishes

A platform-neutral dishwasher recipe that learns the dishwasher's own power or vibration pattern and sends one reliable completion alert without controlling appliance power.

Type
Observation or reminder
Needs
An appliance signal plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Appliances

Get notified when the dryer finishes

A platform-neutral laundry recipe that detects sustained dryer vibration and sends one completion alert without controlling appliance power.

Type
Observation or reminder
Needs
An appliance signal plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Safety and security

Get notified when the garage door is left open

A platform-neutral recipe that alerts when a garage door has been left open too long. Alerting only; closing stays manual or with equipment built for it.

Type
Alert or supplemental action
Needs
A purpose-fit sensor plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Appliances

Get notified when the washer finishes

A platform-neutral laundry recipe that learns the washer's power pattern and sends one reliable completion alert without controlling appliance power.

Type
Observation or reminder
Needs
An appliance signal plus a notification path
Starting point
Good first automation

View recipe

Climate and comfort

Get notified when to open or close windows

A platform-neutral recipe that compares indoor and outdoor temperature and notifies the household when opening or closing windows would save energy.

Type
Comfort control or alert
Needs
A condition sensor plus approved controls
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Daily routines

Make the smart home predictable for guests

A platform-neutral guest mode that keeps lights and physical controls simple, prevents false Away mode, and quiets only non-urgent personal automation.

Type
Routine coordination
Needs
Household modes plus a deliberate or tested trigger
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Climate and comfort

Open and close blinds with sunrise and sunset

A platform-neutral recipe that opens motorized blinds near sunrise and closes them near sunset, with a fixed bedtime close for privacy and physical control always available.

Type
Comfort control or alert
Needs
A condition sensor plus approved controls
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Climate and comfort

Pause heating or cooling when a window stays open

A platform-neutral climate recipe that pauses HVAC after a window remains open and resumes only when every monitored opening is closed.

Type
Comfort control or alert
Needs
A condition sensor plus approved controls
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Safety and security

Play dog barking sounds as an intruder deterrent

A platform-neutral recipe that plays a dog barking sound through a speaker when motion is detected while away, as a supplementary deterrent layer.

Type
Alert or supplemental action
Needs
A purpose-fit sensor plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Entertainment

Play music when a shower starts

A platform-neutral recipe that starts music or a podcast in the bathroom when a shower begins, using a light or door sensor as the trigger.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A tested media trigger plus a speaker or light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Entertainment

Play music when arriving home

A platform-neutral recipe that starts music on arrival, using a tested presence signal, to create a consistent welcome-home moment.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A tested media trigger plus a speaker or light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Entertainment

Play or pause music with a physical switch

A platform-neutral recipe that uses a wall switch or button to start, stop, or adjust music instead of relying on a voice assistant.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A tested media trigger plus a speaker or light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Appliances

Prepare morning coffee with a deliberate ready step

Prepare the coffee maker the night before and get a clear morning result without wondering whether it was actually made ready.

Type
Observation or reminder
Needs
An appliance signal plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Daily routines

Prepare the house when someone arrives (without automatic unlocking)

Restore Home mode, light a safe path, and return the house to its normal comfort settings without treating phone location as proof that the right person is at the door.

Type
Routine coordination
Needs
Household modes plus a deliberate or tested trigger
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Daily routines

Run a bedtime routine without surprising the household

A platform-neutral bedtime routine that separates a gentle wind-down from an intentional good-night action and preserves occupied rooms, safety alerts, and manual control.

Type
Routine coordination
Needs
Household modes plus a deliberate or tested trigger
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Climate and comfort

Run the air purifier when indoor air quality drops

A platform-neutral recipe that runs a plug-controlled air purifier when an air quality sensor reports a sustained drop, and stops nagging once the air clears.

Type
Comfort control or alert
Needs
A condition sensor plus approved controls
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Appliances

Run the vacuum only while the house stays empty

A platform-neutral recipe that starts a robot vacuum only after confirming the home is empty and sends it back to the dock the moment anyone returns.

Type
Observation or reminder
Needs
An appliance signal plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Safety and security

Set a cooking reminder that stays visible until you clear it

Keep a visible cooking reminder active until someone clears it, using a deliberate timer or an approved appliance status signal rather than an unsafe workaround.

Type
Alert or supplemental action
Needs
A purpose-fit sensor plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Entertainment

Set every speaker to the right volume with one command

Choose a quiet, normal, or loud preset once instead of adjusting each speaker by hand whenever the household changes activities.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A tested media trigger plus a speaker or light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Set up a garbage day reminder tile

A platform-neutral recipe that turns a dashboard tile red before garbage day and green again once the task is marked done.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Set up a pet feeding reminder

A platform-neutral recipe that uses a smart button or repurposed sensor to track and remind about pet feeding times.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Set up a teeth brushing reminder for kids

A platform-neutral recipe that uses a power-monitoring smart plug on an electric toothbrush charger to confirm brushing happened, with a reminder if it did not.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Lighting

Set up gradual wake-up lighting

A platform-neutral recipe that gradually brightens a bedroom light before a set wake time, simulating a sunrise instead of a jarring alarm.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A trigger plus a controllable light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Entertainment

Set up one-tap pool party mode

A platform-neutral recipe that starts music and lighting for a pool or backyard party with one button press, without touching safety alarms.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A tested media trigger plus a speaker or light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Daily routines

Start a quiet good-morning routine

A platform-neutral morning routine that starts from an intentional signal, lights only the needed path, and leaves sleeping household members undisturbed.

Type
Routine coordination
Needs
Household modes plus a deliberate or tested trigger
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Appliances

Start the robot vacuum when everyone leaves

A platform-neutral recipe that starts a robot vacuum only after a tested presence signal confirms the home is empty, and only during a daytime window.

Type
Observation or reminder
Needs
An appliance signal plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Safety and security

Support a fire evacuation without delaying the alarm

A conservative fire-response recipe that treats listed smoke alarms as primary, turns on useful lighting immediately, and never infers that a fire is over.

Type
Alert or supplemental action
Needs
A purpose-fit sensor plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Lighting

Turn a closet light off after the door closes

A platform-neutral follow-up to door-triggered lighting that turns off only the light the automation turned on and cancels when the door reopens.

Type
Reversible control
Needs
A trigger plus a controllable light
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Safety and security

Turn on away lights to look occupied

A platform-neutral recipe that turns on a few strategic lights while away to make the home look occupied, without an unnatural all-lights-on pattern.

Type
Alert or supplemental action
Needs
A purpose-fit sensor plus a notification path
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Climate and comfort

Turn on the bathroom fan when a shower starts

Run the bathroom fan when a shower starts and turn it off once the steam clears, with nothing to remember and no fan left running all morning.

Type
Comfort control or alert
Needs
A condition sensor plus approved controls
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

Notifications and alerts

Use status tiles instead of notifications

A platform-neutral recipe that replaces one-time push notifications with persistent dashboard tiles for household status information.

Type
Status or reminder
Needs
A source signal plus shared status or notifications
Starting point
Review setup and failure modes first

View recipe

What every recipe includes

Plain-English logic

The trigger, conditions, action, delay, stop condition, and manual override are stated before setup details.

Honest hardware guidance

Named products are limited to devices I have used. Missing recommendations remain clearly identified.

Failure behavior

Recipes account for stale sensors, unavailable devices, hub restarts, internet loss, guests, and manual changes where they matter.

A finish line

The Done when checklist describes behavior the household can verify before depending on the automation.

Good first recipes

Build one, observe it for a week, and add complexity only when normal household use exposes a specific failure.