home-assistant.io/source/_components/light.mqtt.markdown

layout	title	description	date	sidebar	comments	sharing	footer	logo	ha_category	ha_iot_class	redirect_from	ha_release
page	MQTT Light	Instructions on how to setup MQTT lights using default schema within Home Assistant.	2015-11-13 08:30	true	false	true	true	mqtt.png	Light	Configurable	/components/light.mqtt_json/ /components/light.mqtt_template/	0.8

The mqtt light platform with lets you control your MQTT enabled lights through one of the supported message schemas.

Comparison of light MQTT schemas

Function	default	json	template
Brightness	✔	✔	✔
Color temperature	✔	✔	✔
Effects	✔	✔	✔
Flashing	✘	✔	✔
RGB Color	✔	✔	✔
Transitions	✘	✔	✔
XY Color	✔	✔	✘
HS Color	✔	✔	✘
White Value	✔	✔	✔

Default schema

The mqtt light platform with default schema lets you control your MQTT enabled lights. It supports setting brightness, color temperature, effects, flashing, on/off, RGB colors, transitions, XY colors and white values.

Default schema - Configuration

In an ideal scenario, the MQTT device will have a state topic to publish state changes. If these messages are published with a RETAIN flag, the MQTT light will receive an instant state update after subscription and will start with the correct state. Otherwise, the initial state of the switch will be false / off.

When a state topic is not available, the light will work in optimistic mode. In this mode, the light will immediately change state after every command. Otherwise, the light will wait for state confirmation from the device (message from state_topic).

Optimistic mode can be forced, even if the state_topic is available. Try to enable it, if experiencing incorrect light operation.

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    command_topic: "office/rgb1/light/switch"

{% configuration %} name: description: The name of the light. required: false type: string default: MQTT Light unique_id: description: An ID that uniquely identifies this light. If two lights have the same unique ID, Home Assistant will raise an exception. required: false type: string command_topic: description: The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the switch state. required: true type: string brightness_command_topic: description: The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s brightness. required: false type: string brightness_scale: description: "Defines the maximum brightness value (i.e. 100%) of the MQTT device." required: false type: integer default: 255 brightness_state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive brightness state updates. required: false type: string brightness_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the brightness value." required: false type: string color_temp_command_template: description: "Defines a template to compose message which will be sent to color_temp_command_topic. Available variables: value." required: false type: string color_temp_command_topic: description: The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s color temperature state. The color temperature command slider has a range of 153 to 500 mireds (micro reciprocal degrees). required: false type: string color_temp_state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive color temperature state updates. required: false type: string color_temp_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the color temperature value." required: false type: string effect_command_topic: description: "The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light's effect state." required: false type: string effect_state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive effect state updates. required: false type: string effect_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the effect value." required: false type: string effect_list: description: The list of effects the light supports. required: false type: string list hs_command_topic: description: "The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light's color state in HS format (Hue Saturation). Range for Hue: 0° .. 360°, Range of Saturation: 0..100. Note: Brightness is sent separately in the brightness_command_topic." required: false type: string hs_state_topic: description: "The MQTT topic subscribed to receive color state updates in HS format. Note: Brightness is received separately in the brightness_state_topic." required: false type: string hs_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the HS value." required: false type: string on_command_type: description: "Defines when on the payload_on is sent. Using last (the default) will send any style (brightness, color, etc) topics first and then a payload_on to the command_topic. Using first will send the payload_on and then any style topics. Using brightness will only send brightness commands instead of the payload_on to turn the light on." required: false type: string optimistic: description: Flag that defines if switch works in optimistic mode. required: false type: boolean default: "true if no state topic defined, else false." payload_on: description: The payload that represents enabled state. required: false type: string default: "ON" payload_off: description: The payload that represents disabled state. required: false type: string default: "OFF" qos: description: The maximum QoS level of the state topic. required: false type: integer default: 0 retain: description: If the published message should have the retain flag on or not. required: false type: boolean default: false rgb_command_template: description: "Defines a template to compose message which will be sent to rgb_command_topic. Available variables: red, green and blue." required: false type: string rgb_command_topic: description: "The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light's RGB state. Please note that the color value sent by Home Assistant is normalized to full brightness if brightness_command_topic is set. Brightness information is in this case sent separately in the brightness_command_topic. This will cause a light that expects an absolute color value (including brightness) to flicker." required: false type: string rgb_state_topic: description: "The MQTT topic subscribed to receive RGB state updates. The expected payload is the RGB values separated by commas, for example, 255,0,127. Please note that the color value received by Home Assistant is normalized to full brightness. Brightness information is received separately in the brightness_state_topic." required: false type: string rgb_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the RGB value." required: false type: string state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive state updates. required: false type: string state_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the state value. The template should match the payload on and off values, so if your light uses power on to turn on, your state_value_template string should return power on when the switch is on. For example if the message is just on, your state_value_template should be power {{ value }}." required: false type: string white_value_command_topic: description: "The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light's white value." required: false type: string white_value_scale: description: "Defines the maximum white value (i.e. 100%) of the MQTT device." required: false type: integer default: 255 white_value_state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive white value updates. required: false type: string white_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the white value." required: false type: string xy_command_topic: description: "The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light's XY state." required: false type: string xy_state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive XY state updates. required: false type: string xy_value_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the XY value." required: false type: string availability_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive availability (online/offline) updates. required: false type: string payload_available: description: The payload that represents the available state. required: false type: string default: online payload_not_available: description: The payload that represents the unavailable state. required: false type: string default: offline json_attributes_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive a JSON dictionary payload and then set as sensor attributes. Usage example can be found in MQTT sensor documentation. required: false type: string json_attributes_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the JSON dictionary from messages received on the json_attributes_topic. Usage example can be found in MQTT sensor documentation." required: false type: template device: description: 'Information about the device this light is a part of to tie it into the device registry. Only works through MQTT discovery and when unique_id is set.' required: false type: map keys: identifiers: description: 'A list of IDs that uniquely identify the device. For example a serial number.' required: false type: list, string connections: description: 'A list of connections of the device to the outside world as a list of tuples [connection_type, connection_identifier]. For example the MAC address of a network interface: "connections": [["mac", "02:5b:26:a8:dc:12"]].' required: false type: list manufacturer: description: 'The manufacturer of the device.' required: false type: string model: description: 'The model of the device.' required: false type: string name: description: 'The name of the device.' required: false type: string sw_version: description: 'The firmware version of the device.' required: false type: string {% endconfiguration %}

Make sure that your topics match exactly. `some-topic/` and `some-topic` are different topics.

XY and RGB can not be used at the same time. If both are provided, XY overrides RGB.

Default schema - Examples

In this section you will find some real-life examples of how to use this sensor.

Brightness and RGB support

To enable a light with brightness and RGB support in your installation, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

{% raw %}

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    name: "Office Light RGB"
    state_topic: "office/rgb1/light/status"
    command_topic: "office/rgb1/light/switch"
    brightness_state_topic: "office/rgb1/brightness/status"
    brightness_command_topic: "office/rgb1/brightness/set"
    rgb_state_topic: "office/rgb1/rgb/status"
    rgb_command_topic: "office/rgb1/rgb/set"
    state_value_template: "{{ value_json.state }}"
    brightness_value_template: "{{ value_json.brightness }}"
    rgb_value_template: "{{ value_json.rgb | join(',') }}"
    qos: 0
    payload_on: "ON"
    payload_off: "OFF"
    optimistic: false

{% endraw %}

Brightness and no RGB support

To enable a light with brightness (no RGB version) in your installation, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    name: "Office light"
    state_topic: "office/light/status"
    command_topic: "office/light/switch"
    brightness_state_topic: 'office/light/brightness'
    brightness_command_topic: 'office/light/brightness/set'
    qos: 0
    payload_on: "ON"
    payload_off: "OFF"
    optimistic: false

Brightness without on commands

To enable a light that sends only brightness topics to turn it on, add the following to your configuration.yaml file. The command_topic is only used to send an off command in this case:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    name: "Brightness light"
    state_topic: "office/light/status"
    command_topic: "office/light/switch"
    payload_off: "OFF"
    brightness_state_topic: 'office/light/brightness'
    brightness_command_topic: 'office/light/brightness/set'
    on_command_type: 'brightness'

Default schema - Implementations

• A basic example using a nodeMCU board (ESP8266) to control its built-in LED (on/off).
• Another example to control a RGB LED (on/off, brightness, and colors).
• Integration guide for the ESPUrna firmware (ESP8285/ESP8266).

JSON schema

The mqtt light platform with JSON schema lets you control a MQTT-enabled light that can receive JSON messages.

This schema supports on/off, brightness, RGB colors, XY colors, color temperature, transitions, short/long flashing and white values. The messages sent to/from the lights look similar to this, omitting fields when they aren't needed:

{
  "brightness": 255,
  "color_temp": 155,
  "color": {
    "r": 255,
    "g": 180,
    "b": 200,
    "x": 0.406,
    "y": 0.301,
    "h": 344.0,
    "s": 29.412
  },
  "effect": "colorloop",
  "state": "ON",
  "transition": 2,
  "white_value": 150
}

JSON schema - Configuration

In an ideal scenario, the MQTT device will have a state topic to publish state changes. If these messages are published with the RETAIN flag, the MQTT light will receive an instant state update after subscription and will start with the correct state. Otherwise, the initial state of the light will be off.

When a state topic is not available, the light will work in optimistic mode. In this mode, the light will immediately change state after every command. Otherwise, the light will wait for state confirmation from the device (message from state_topic).

Optimistic mode can be forced, even if state topic is available. Try enabling it if the light is operating incorrectly.

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: json
    command_topic: "home/rgb1/set"

{% configuration %} name: description: The name of the light. required: false type: string default: MQTT JSON Light unique_id: description: An ID that uniquely identifies this light. If two lights have the same unique ID, Home Assistant will raise an exception. required: false type: string command_topic: description: The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s state. required: true type: string brightness: description: Flag that defines if the light supports brightness. required: false type: boolean default: false brightness_scale: description: "Defines the maximum brightness value (i.e. 100%) of the MQTT device." required: false type: integer default: 255 color_temp: description: Flag that defines if the light supports color temperature. required: false type: boolean default: false effect: description: Flag that defines if the light supports effects. required: false type: boolean default: false effect_list: description: The list of effects the light supports. required: false type: string list flash_time_long: description: The duration, in seconds, of a “long” flash. required: false type: integer default: 10 flash_time_short: description: The duration, in seconds, of a “short” flash. required: false type: integer default: 2 optimistic: description: Flag that defines if the light works in optimistic mode. required: false type: boolean default: "true if no state topic defined, else false." qos: description: The maximum QoS level of the state topic. required: false type: integer default: 0 retain: description: If the published message should have the retain flag on or not. required: false type: boolean default: false rgb: description: Flag that defines if the light supports RGB colors. required: false type: boolean default: false state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive state updates. required: false type: string white_value: description: Flag that defines if the light supports white values. required: false type: boolean default: false xy: description: Flag that defines if the light supports XY colors. required: false type: boolean default: false hs: description: Flag that defines if the light supports HS colors. required: false type: boolean default: false availability_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive availability (online/offline) updates. required: false type: string payload_available: description: The payload that represents the available state. required: false type: string default: online payload_not_available: description: The payload that represents the unavailable state. required: false type: string default: offline json_attributes_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive a JSON dictionary payload and then set as sensor attributes. Usage example can be found in MQTT sensor documentation. required: false type: string json_attributes_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the JSON dictionary from messages received on the json_attributes_topic. Usage example can be found in MQTT sensor documentation." required: false type: template device: description: 'Information about the device this light is a part of to tie it into the device registry. Only works through MQTT discovery and when unique_id is set.' required: false type: map keys: identifiers: description: 'A list of IDs that uniquely identify the device. For example a serial number.' required: false type: list, string connections: description: 'A list of connections of the device to the outside world as a list of tuples [connection_type, connection_identifier]. For example the MAC address of a network interface: "connections": [["mac", "02:5b:26:a8:dc:12"]].' required: false type: list manufacturer: description: 'The manufacturer of the device.' required: false type: string model: description: 'The model of the device.' required: false type: string name: description: 'The name of the device.' required: false type: string sw_version: description: 'The firmware version of the device.' required: false type: string {% endconfiguration %}

Make sure that your topics match exact. `some-topic/` and `some-topic` are different topics.

RGB, XY and HSV can not be used at the same time in `state_topic` messages. Make sure that only one of the color models is in the "color" section of the state MQTT payload.

JSON schema - Examples

In this section you find some real-life examples of how to use this sensor.

Brightness and RGB support

To enable a light with brightness and RGB support in your installation, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: json
    name: mqtt_json_light_1
    state_topic: "home/rgb1"
    command_topic: "home/rgb1/set"
    brightness: true
    rgb: true

Brightness and no RGB support

To enable a light with brightness (but no color support) in your installation, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: json
    name: mqtt_json_light_1
    state_topic: "home/rgb1"
    command_topic: "home/rgb1/set"
    brightness: true

Brightness Scaled

To enable a light using a brightness scale other than 8bit the brightness_scale option may be added to denote the "fully on" value:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: json
    name: mqtt_json_light_1
    state_topic: "home/light"
    command_topic: "home/light/set"
    brightness: true
    brightness_scale: 4095

Home Assistant will then convert its 8bit value in the message to and from the device:

{
  "brightness": 4095,
  "state": "ON"
}

HS Color

To use a light with hue+saturation as the color model, set hs to true in the platform configuration:

light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: json
    name: mqtt_json_hs_light
    state_topic: "home/light"
    command_topic: "home/light/set"
    hs: true

Home Assistant expects the hue values to be in the range 0 to 360 and the saturation values to be scaled from 0 to 100. For example, the following is a blue color shade:

{
  "state": "ON",
  "color": {
    "h": 24.0,
    "s": 100.0
  }
}

Brightness and RGBW support

To enable a light with brightness, RGB support and a separate white channel (RGBW) in your installation, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: json
    name: mqtt_json_light_1
    state_topic: "home/rgbw1"
    command_topic: "home/rgbw1/set"
    brightness: true
    rgb: true
    white_value: true

Implementations

• A full example of custom lighting using this platform and an ESP8266 microcontroller can be found here. It supports on/off, brightness, transitions, RGB colors, and flashing.

• There is also another implementation forked from the above repo, it supports all the same features but is made for addressable LED strips using FastLED on a NodeMCU V3 it can be found here.

• McLighting is another ESP8266 firmware for WS2812 addressable LEDs.

• MQTT JSON Light is another implementation for ESP8266 including MQTT discovery.

• ESPHome implements the JSON schema for MQTT based installs and supports MQTT discovery.

• AiLight is a custom firmware for the Ai-Thinker (and equivalent) RGBW WiFi light bulbs that has an ESP8266 onboard and controlled by the MY9291 LED driver. It implements the MQTT JSON light platform and supports ON/OFF, RGBW colours, brightness, colour temperature, flashing and transitions. Also it includes MQTT Auto Discovery) and the MQTT Last Will and Testament is enabled as well.

Template schema

The mqtt light platform with template schema lets you control a MQTT-enabled light that receive commands on a command topic and optionally sends status update on a state topic. It is format-agnostic so you can use any data format you want (i.e. string, JSON), just configure it with templating.

This schema supports on/off, brightness, RGB colors, XY colors, color temperature, transitions, short/long flashing, effects and white values.

Template schema - Configuration

In an ideal scenario, the MQTT device will have a state topic to publish state changes. If these messages are published with the RETAIN flag, the MQTT light will receive an instant state update after subscription and will start with the correct state. Otherwise, the initial state of the light will be off.

When a state topic is not available, the light will work in optimistic mode. In this mode, the light will immediately change state after every command. Otherwise, the light will wait for state confirmation from the device (message from state_topic).

Optimistic mode can be forced, even if state topic is available. Try enabling it if the light is operating incorrectly.

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: template
    command_topic: "home/rgb1/set"
    command_on_template: "on"
    command_off_template: "off"

{% configuration %} name: description: The name of the light. required: false type: string default: MQTT Template Light unique_id: description: An ID that uniquely identifies this light. If two lights have the same unique ID, Home Assistant will raise an exception. required: false type: string effect_list: description: List of possible effects. required: false type: string list command_topic: description: The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s state. required: true type: string state_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive state updates. required: false type: string command_on_template: description: "The template for on state changes. Available variables: state, brightness, red, green, blue, white_value, flash, transition and effect." required: true type: string command_off_template: description: "The template for off state changes. Available variables: state and transition." required: true type: string state_template: description: "Template to extract state from the state payload value." required: false type: string brightness_template: description: "Template to extract brightness from the state payload value." required: false type: string red_template: description: "Template to extract red color from the state payload value." required: false type: string green_template: description: "Template to extract green color from the state payload value." required: false type: string blue_template: description: "Template to extract blue color from the state payload value." required: false type: string color_temp_template: description: "Template to extract color temperature from the state payload value." required: false type: string effect_template: description: "Template to extract effect from the state payload value." required: false type: string white_value_template: description: "Template to extract white value from the state payload value." required: false type: string optimistic: description: Flag that defines if the light works in optimistic mode. required: false type: string default: "true if no state topic or state template is defined, else false." qos: description: The maximum QoS level of the state topic. required: false type: integer default: 0 availability_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive availability (online/offline) updates. required: false type: string payload_available: description: The payload that represents the available state. required: false type: string default: online payload_not_available: description: The payload that represents the unavailable state. required: false type: string default: offline json_attributes_topic: description: The MQTT topic subscribed to receive a JSON dictionary payload and then set as sensor attributes. Usage example can be found in MQTT sensor documentation. required: false type: string json_attributes_template: description: "Defines a template to extract the JSON dictionary from messages received on the json_attributes_topic. Usage example can be found in MQTT sensor documentation." required: false device: description: 'Information about the device this light is a part of to tie it into the device registry. Only works through MQTT discovery and when unique_id is set.' required: false type: map keys: identifiers: description: 'A list of IDs that uniquely identify the device. For example a serial number.' required: false type: list, string connections: description: 'A list of connections of the device to the outside world as a list of tuples [connection_type, connection_identifier]. For example the MAC address of a network interface: "connections": [["mac", "02:5b:26:a8:dc:12"]].' required: false type: list manufacturer: description: 'The manufacturer of the device.' required: false type: string model: description: 'The model of the device.' required: false type: string name: description: 'The name of the device.' required: false type: string sw_version: description: 'The firmware version of the device.' required: false type: string {% endconfiguration %}

Make sure that your topics match exact. `some-topic/` and `some-topic` are different topics.

Template schema - Examples

In this section you find some real-life examples of how to use this light.

Simple string payload

For a simple string payload with the format state,brightness,r-g-b (e.g., on,255,255-255-255), add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: template
    command_topic: "home/rgb1/set"
    state_topic: "home/rgb1/status"
    command_on_template: "{% raw %}on,{{ brightness|d }},{{ red|d }}-{{ green|d }}-{{ blue|d }}{% endraw %}"
    command_off_template: "off"
    state_template: "{% raw %}{{ value.split(',')[0] }}{% endraw %}"  # must return `on` or `off`
    brightness_template: "{% raw %}{{ value.split(',')[1] }}{% endraw %}"
    red_template: "{% raw %}{{ value.split(',')[2].split('-')[0] }}{% endraw %}"
    green_template: "{% raw %}{{ value.split(',')[2].split('-')[1] }}{% endraw %}"
    blue_template: "{% raw %}{{ value.split(',')[2].split('-')[2] }}{% endraw %}"

JSON payload

For a JSON payload with the format {"state": "on", "brightness": 255, "color": [255, 255, 255], "effect": "rainbow"}, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    schema: template
    effect_list:
      - rainbow
      - colorloop
    command_topic: "home/rgb1/set"
    state_topic: "home/rgb1/status"
    command_on_template: >{% raw %}
      {"state": "on"
      {%- if brightness is defined -%}
      , "brightness": {{ brightness }}
      {%- endif -%}
      {%- if red is defined and green is defined and blue is defined -%}
      , "color": [{{ red }}, {{ green }}, {{ blue }}]
      {%- endif -%}
      {%- if effect is defined -%}
      , "effect": "{{ effect }}"
      {%- endif -%}
      }{% endraw %}
    command_off_template: '{"state": "off"}'
    state_template: '{% raw %}{{ value_json.state }}{% endraw %}'
    brightness_template: '{% raw %}{{ value_json.brightness }}{% endraw %}'
    red_template: '{% raw %}{{ value_json.color[0] }}{% endraw %}'
    green_template: '{% raw %}{{ value_json.color[1] }}{% endraw %}'
    blue_template: '{% raw %}{{ value_json.color[2] }}{% endraw %}'
    effect_template: '{% raw %}{{ value_json.effect }}{% endraw %}'

Template schema - No brightness or color support

If you don't want brightness, color or effect support, just omit the corresponding configuration sections.