Smart Home Control with OpenClaw: Chat-Based Home Automation

Introduction

Smart home devices are everywhere—Philips Hue lights, Nest thermostats, air purifiers, Home Assistant setups. But controlling them often requires opening multiple apps or remembering complex voice commands. OpenClaw changes this by letting you control your entire smart home through simple chat messages.

Imagine turning on your lights, adjusting the thermostat, checking air quality, and setting up automated routines—all from WhatsApp or Telegram. One user even set up air quality monitoring tied to their biomarker goals, creating a health-optimized living environment. This guide shows you how to set up comprehensive smart home control with OpenClaw.

Setting Up Smart Home Integration

Home Assistant Integration

Home Assistant is the most powerful integration for smart home control.

Setup:

# Home Assistant configuration
HOME_ASSISTANT_URL=http://homeassistant.local:8123
HOME_ASSISTANT_TOKEN=your_long_lived_access_token

Get Access Token:

1. Open Home Assistant
2. Go to Profile → Long-Lived Access Tokens
3. Create a new token
4. Copy the token to OpenClaw configuration

Philips Hue Integration

Connect to Philips Hue bridge:

# Philips Hue configuration
HUE_BRIDGE_IP=192.168.1.100
HUE_USERNAME=your_hue_username

Initial Setup:

1. Find your Hue bridge IP address
2. Press the bridge button
3. Run Hue discovery in OpenClaw
4. Save the generated username

Generic Smart Home APIs

OpenClaw supports various smart home platforms:

• Home Assistant — Universal smart home platform
• Philips Hue — Smart lighting
• TP-Link Kasa — Smart plugs and switches
• Shelly — Smart home devices
• Tuya — Smart home ecosystem

Basic Smart Home Control

Controlling Lights

Turn Lights On/Off:

You: "Turn on the living room lights"
OpenClaw: "✅ Living room lights turned on
           Brightness: 100%
           Color: Warm white
           
           All 4 lights in living room are now on."

You: "Set bedroom lights to 50% brightness"
OpenClaw: "✅ Bedroom lights adjusted
           Brightness: 50%
           Color: Warm white"

Color Control:

You: "Set the lights to blue"
OpenClaw: "✅ Lights changed to blue
           - Living room: Blue (100%)
           - Kitchen: Blue (80%)
           
           All lights now set to blue theme."

You: "Make the lights warmer"
OpenClaw: "✅ Color temperature adjusted
           Changed from cool white to warm white
           All lights now have warmer tone."

Thermostat Control

Adjust Temperature:

You: "Set the temperature to 72 degrees"
OpenClaw: "✅ Thermostat set to 72°F
           Current temperature: 68°F
           Heating to reach 72°F
           Estimated time: 15 minutes"

You: "What's the current temperature?"
OpenClaw: "🌡️ Current Home Temperature:
           - Living room: 70°F
           - Bedroom: 68°F
           - Target: 72°F
           - Mode: Heat
           - Humidity: 45%"

Schedule Changes:

You: "Set the thermostat to 68 degrees at night"
OpenClaw: "✅ Night schedule updated
           Temperature will drop to 68°F at 10pm
           Will return to 72°F at 7am
           
           Schedule active starting tonight."

Air Purifier Control

Control Air Quality:

You: "Turn on the air purifier"
OpenClaw: "✅ Air purifier turned on
           Mode: Auto
           Current AQI: 45 (Good)
           Fan speed: Medium
           
           Monitoring air quality and adjusting automatically."

You: "What's the air quality?"
OpenClaw: "🌬️ Air Quality Report:
           - PM2.5: 12 µg/m³ (Good)
           - PM10: 18 µg/m³ (Good)
           - AQI: 45 (Good)
           - Humidity: 45%
           - Temperature: 70°F
           
           Air quality is excellent. Purifier running on low."

Advanced Automation Routines

Morning Routine

Create Morning Routine:

You: "Create a morning routine: lights on at 7am, temperature to 70, start coffee maker"
OpenClaw: "✅ Morning routine created:
           
           Schedule: Daily at 7:00 AM
           
           Actions:
           1. Turn on bedroom lights (gradual, 5 min)
           2. Set thermostat to 70°F
           3. Start coffee maker
           4. Open bedroom blinds
           
           Routine will start tomorrow at 7am.
           Test it now?"

Evening Routine

Create Evening Routine:

You: "Evening routine: dim lights at 8pm, set temp to 68, turn on air purifier"
OpenClaw: "✅ Evening routine created:
           
           Schedule: Daily at 8:00 PM
           
           Actions:
           1. Dim all lights to 30%
           2. Set thermostat to 68°F
           3. Turn on air purifier (night mode)
           4. Close all blinds
           
           Routine active starting tonight."

Conditional Automation

Smart Automation Based on Conditions:

You: "If air quality is bad, turn on air purifier and close windows"
OpenClaw: "✅ Air quality automation created:
           
           Condition: AQI > 100 (Unhealthy)
           
           Actions:
           1. Turn on air purifier (high speed)
           2. Close all windows (if smart windows)
           3. Send notification
           4. Log event
           
           Automation active and monitoring air quality."

Health-Optimized Smart Home

One user created a health-optimized setup that monitors air quality and adjusts the environment based on biomarker goals.

Air Quality Monitoring

Set Up Air Quality Goals:

You: "Monitor air quality and alert me if PM2.5 goes above 25"
OpenClaw: "✅ Air quality monitoring active:
           
           Monitoring:
           - PM2.5 levels
           - PM10 levels
           - AQI readings
           
           Alerts:
           - PM2.5 > 25 µg/m³: Alert + auto-purifier
           - AQI > 100: Alert + close windows
           
           Current status: All good (PM2.5: 12)"

Biomarker Integration

Link to Health Tracking:

You: "If my WHOOP recovery is low, adjust lights and temperature for better sleep"
OpenClaw: "✅ Health-based automation created:
           
           Condition: WHOOP recovery < 50%
           
           Actions:
           1. Set lights to warm, dim (sleep mode)
           2. Lower temperature to 65°F (optimal sleep)
           3. Turn on air purifier (quiet mode)
           4. Close blinds completely
           
           Will activate tonight if recovery is low."

Sleep Optimization

Create Sleep Environment:

You: "Optimize bedroom for sleep: dim lights, cool temp, quiet"
OpenClaw: "✅ Sleep optimization active:
           
           Bedroom settings:
           - Lights: 10% warm white
           - Temperature: 65°F
           - Air purifier: Quiet mode
           - Noise machine: On (white noise)
           
           These settings activate at 10pm automatically."

Scene Management

Creating Scenes

Define Custom Scenes:

You: "Create a 'Movie Night' scene: dim lights, close blinds, set temp to 70"
OpenClaw: "✅ Scene 'Movie Night' created:
           
           Settings:
           - All lights: 20% warm white
           - Blinds: Closed
           - Temperature: 70°F
           - TV: On (if connected)
           
           Activate with: 'Set movie night scene'"

You: "Set movie night scene"
OpenClaw: "✅ Movie Night scene activated
           All devices adjusted for optimal viewing."

Quick Scenes

Common Scenes:

• “I’m home” — Lights on, temperature comfortable, music playing
• “I’m leaving” — Lights off, temperature set back, security on
• “Working” — Bright lights, comfortable temperature, quiet
• “Relaxing” — Dim lights, warm temperature, ambient sounds

Multi-Room Control

Room-Specific Commands

Control Specific Rooms:

You: "Turn on all lights in the house"
OpenClaw: "✅ All lights turned on:
           - Living room: 4 lights (100%)
           - Kitchen: 2 lights (100%)
           - Bedroom: 2 lights (100%)
           - Office: 1 light (100%)
           
           Total: 9 lights on"

You: "Turn off bedroom lights"
OpenClaw: "✅ Bedroom lights turned off
           - Bedroom main: Off
           - Bedroom lamp: Off
           
           Other rooms remain on."

Zone Control

Control Zones:

You: "Turn on downstairs lights"
OpenClaw: "✅ Downstairs lights turned on:
           - Living room: On
           - Kitchen: On
           - Dining room: On
           
           Upstairs lights unchanged."

Smart Home Status and Monitoring

Device Status

Check All Devices:

You: "What's the status of my smart home?"
OpenClaw: "🏠 Smart Home Status:
           
           💡 Lights:
           - Living room: On (80% warm)
           - Kitchen: On (100% cool)
           - Bedroom: Off
           
           🌡️ Climate:
           - Temperature: 70°F
           - Target: 72°F
           - Mode: Heat
           
           🌬️ Air Quality:
           - AQI: 45 (Good)
           - Purifier: On (auto)
           
           🔒 Security:
           - Front door: Locked
           - Cameras: Active
           
           All systems operational."

Energy Monitoring

Check Energy Usage:

You: "How much energy am I using?"
OpenClaw: "⚡ Energy Usage Today:
           
           - Lights: 2.5 kWh
           - HVAC: 8.2 kWh
           - Appliances: 3.1 kWh
           - Total: 13.8 kWh
           
           Compared to yesterday: -15% (good!)
           
           Estimated monthly cost: $45"

Troubleshooting

Device Not Responding

Issue: Smart home device not responding

Solutions:

1. Check device power and connectivity
2. Verify Home Assistant/Hue bridge is online
3. Test device in native app first
4. Restart OpenClaw integration
5. Check network connectivity

Integration Errors

Issue: Integration not working

Solutions:

1. Verify API tokens and credentials
2. Check IP addresses are correct
3. Ensure devices are on same network
4. Review OpenClaw logs for errors
5. Test integration separately

Best Practices

Security

• Use strong passwords for smart home hubs
• Enable two-factor authentication
• Regularly update device firmware
• Limit OpenClaw access to necessary devices
• Use local-only integrations when possible

Organization

• Name devices clearly (“Living Room Light” not “Light 1”)
• Group devices by room or function
• Create logical scenes and routines
• Document your setup
• Test automations before relying on them

Efficiency

• Use schedules to save energy
• Set up presence detection
• Optimize temperature schedules
• Monitor energy usage
• Adjust based on patterns

Conclusion

OpenClaw transforms smart home control by letting you manage all your devices through simple chat messages. Control lights, thermostats, air purifiers, and more—all from WhatsApp or Telegram. Create automated routines, optimize for health, and monitor your entire smart home from anywhere.

Start with basic device control, then add automations and routines. The key is identifying repetitive actions that OpenClaw can handle automatically, making your smart home truly intelligent.

For setup instructions, check out our installation guide and integrations page. Explore more smart home use cases or visit our FAQ for common questions.