Home Assistant

RESTful API

Home Assistant runs a web server accessible on port 8123.

  • http://IP_ADDRESS:8123/ is an interface to control Home Assistant.
  • http://IP_ADDRESS:8123/api/ is a Rest API.

The API accepts and returns only JSON encoded objects. All API calls have to be accompanied by the header X-HA-Access: YOUR_PASSWORD (YOUR_PASSWORD as specified in your configuration.yaml file in the http: section).

There are multiple ways to consume the Home Assistant Rest API. One is with curl:

curl -X GET \
    -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" \
    http://IP_ADDRESS:8123/ENDPOINT

Another option is to use Python and the Requests module.

from requests import get

url = 'http://localhost:8123/ENDPOINT'
headers = {'x-ha-access': 'YOUR_PASSWORD',
           'content-type': 'application/json'}

response = get(url, headers=headers)
print(response.text)

You can append ?api_password=YOUR_PASSWORD to any url to log in automatically.

Successful calls will return status code 200 or 201. Other status codes that can return are:

  • 400 (Bad Request)
  • 401 (Unauthorized)
  • 404 (Not Found)
  • 405 (Method not allowed)

Actions

The API supports the following actions:

GET /api/

Returns message if API is up and running.

{
  "message": "API running."
}

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/

GET /api/config

Returns the current configuration as JSON.

{
    "components": [
        "recorder",
        "http",
        "sensor.time_date",
        "api",
        "frontend",
        "sun",
        "logbook",
        "history",
        "group",
        "automation"
    ],
    "latitude": 44.1234,
    "location_name": "Home",
    "longitude": 5.5678,
    "temperature_unit": "\u00b0C",
    "time_zone": "Europe/Zurich",
    "version": "0.8.0.dev0"
}

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/config

GET /api/bootstrap

Returns all data needed to bootstrap Home Assistant.

{
    "config": {...},
    "events": [...],
    "services": [...],
    "states": [...]
}

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/bootstrap

GET /api/events

Returns an array of event objects. Each event object contain event name and listener count.

[
    {
      "event": "state_changed",
      "listener_count": 5
    },
    {
      "event": "time_changed",
      "listener_count": 2
    }
]

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/events

GET /api/services

Returns an array of service objects. Each object contains the domain and which services it contains.

[
    {
      "domain": "browser",
      "services": [
        "browse_url"
      ]
    },
    {
      "domain": "keyboard",
      "services": [
        "volume_up",
        "volume_down"
      ]
    }
]

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/services

GET /api/history

Returns an array of state changes in the past. Each object contains further detail for the entities.

[
    [
        {
            "attributes": {
                "friendly_name": "Weather Temperature",
                "unit_of_measurement": "\u00b0C"
            },
            "entity_id": "sensor.weather_temperature",
            "last_changed": "23:30:00 05-02-2016",
            "last_updated": "23:30:00 05-02-2016",
            "state": "-3.9"
        },
        {
            "attributes": {
                "friendly_name": "Weather Temperature",
                "unit_of_measurement": "\u00b0C"
            },
            "entity_id": "sensor.weather_temperature",
            "last_changed": "07:03:30 06-02-2016",
            "last_updated": "07:03:30 06-02-2016",
            "state": "-1.9"
        },
    ]
]

Sample curl commands:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/history/period/2016-02-06

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/history/period/2016-02-06?filter_entity_id=sensor.temperature

GET /api/states

Returns an array of state objects. Each state has the following attributes: entity_id, state, last_changed and attributes.

[
    {
        "attributes": {
            "next_rising": "07:04:15 29-10-2013",
            "next_setting": "18:00:31 29-10-2013"
        },
        "entity_id": "sun.sun",
        "last_changed": "23:24:33 28-10-2013",
        "state": "below_horizon"
    },
    {
        "attributes": {},
        "entity_id": "process.Dropbox",
        "last_changed": "23:24:33 28-10-2013",
        "state": "on"
    }
]

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" http://localhost:8123/api/states

GET /api/states/<entity_id>

Returns a state object for specified entity_id. Returns 404 if not found.

{
    "attributes": {
        "next_rising": "07:04:15 29-10-2013",
        "next_setting": "18:00:31 29-10-2013"
    },
    "entity_id": "sun.sun",
    "last_changed": "23:24:33 28-10-2013",
    "state": "below_horizon"
}

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" \
        http://localhost:8123/api/states/sensor.kitchen_temperature

GET /api/error_log

Retrieve all errors logged during the current session of Home Assistant as a plaintext response.

15-12-20 11:02:50 homeassistant.components.recorder: Found unfinished sessions
15-12-20 11:03:03 netdisco.ssdp: Error fetching description at http://192.168.1.1:8200/rootDesc.xml
15-12-20 11:04:36 homeassistant.components.alexa: Received unknown intent HelpIntent

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X GET -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" \
       http://localhost:8123/api/error_log

POST /api/states/<entity_id>

Updates or creates the current state of an entity.

Expects a JSON object that has at least a state attribute:

{
    "state": "below_horizon",
    "attributes": {
        "next_rising": "07:04:15 29-10-2013",
        "next_setting": "18:00:31 29-10-2013"
    }
}

Return code is 200 if the entity existed, 201 if the state of a new entity was set. A location header will be returned with the url of the new resource. The response body will contain a JSON encoded State object.

{
    "attributes": {
        "next_rising": "07:04:15 29-10-2013",
        "next_setting": "18:00:31 29-10-2013"
    },
    "entity_id": "weather.sun",
    "last_changed": "23:24:33 28-10-2013",
    "state": "below_horizon"
}

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X POST -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" \
       -d '{"state": "25", "attributes": {"unit_of_measurement": "°C"}}' \
       http://localhost:8123/api/states/sensor.kitchen_temperature

POST /api/events/<event_type>

Fires an event with event_type

You can pass an optional JSON object to be used as event_data.

{
    "next_rising": "18:00:31 29-10-2013"
}

Returns a message if successful.

{
    "message": "Event download_file fired."
}

POST /api/services/<domain>/<service>

Calls a service within a specific domain. Will return when the service has been executed or 10 seconds has past, whichever comes first.

You can pass an optional JSON object to be used as service_data.

{
    "entity_id": "light.Ceiling"
}

Returns a list of states that have changed while the service was being executed.

[
    {
        "attributes": {
            "next_rising": "07:04:15 29-10-2013",
            "next_setting": "18:00:31 29-10-2013"
        },
        "entity_id": "sun.sun",
        "last_changed": "23:24:33 28-10-2013",
        "state": "below_horizon"
    },
    {
        "attributes": {},
        "entity_id": "process.Dropbox",
        "last_changed": "23:24:33 28-10-2013",
        "state": "on"
    }
]

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X POST -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" \
       -d '{"entity_id": "switch.christmas_lights", "state": "on"}' \
       http://localhost:8123/api/services/switch/turn_on

The result will include any changed states that changed while the service was being executed, even if their change was the result of something else happening in the system.

POST /api/template

Render a Home Assistant template. See template docs for more information.

{
    "template": "Paulus is at {{ states('device_tracker.paulus') }}!"
}

Returns the rendered template in plain text.

Paulus is at work!

Sample curl command:

$ curl -X POST -H "x-ha-access: YOUR_PASSWORD" \
      -d '{"template": "It is !"}' \
      http://localhost:8123/api/template

POST /api/event_forwarding

Setup event forwarding to another Home Assistant instance.

Requires a JSON object that represents the API to forward to.

{
    "host": "machine",
    "api_password": "my_super_secret_password",
    "port": 8880 // optional
}

It will return a message if event forwarding was setup successful.

{
    "message": "Event forwarding setup."
}

DELETE /api/event_forwarding

Cancel event forwarding to another Home Assistant instance.

Requires a JSON object that represents the API to cancel forwarding to.

{
    "host": "machine",
    "api_password": "my_super_secret_password",
    "port": 8880 // optional
}

It will return a message if event forwarding was cancelled successful.

{
    "message": "Event forwarding cancelled."
}

If your client does not support DELETE HTTP requests you can add an optional attribute _METHOD and set its value to DELETE.