2020.12: Automate with Blueprints! – Home Assistant

Say hello; to the major new feature of Home Assistant 2020.12: Blueprints!

Screenshot of the blueprints configuration panel.

An automation blueprint is a pre-created automation with user-settable options.
This allows for a separation of the logic and inputs of an automation. It
sounds a bit complicated, but as a matter of fact, it will make things
re-usable and easier.

Imagine a blueprint that controls a light based on motion, that allows you to
configure the motion sensor to trigger on, and the light to control.

It is now possible to create two automations that each have their own
configuration for this blueprint and act completely independently, yet are
based on the same automation configuration.

Blueprints are great for sharing your automations and ideas with the community.

We created a Blueprint Exchange forum category where you can
post your created blueprints. For others to use!

We believe that the power of blueprint relies in sharing. You can now share
complex automations that others can use, even if they are using the UI editors.

For example, a blueprint can be shared for a specific Zigbee remote control
that maps all buttons to a light. A blueprint that sends a notification when
it found empty batteries. A blueprint for muting music when you pick up
your Android phone.

The sky is the limit in the ideas and automations blueprints we can share!

Let’s cut a long story short, it sounds exciting, but what does it mean?

You can import blueprints by copying the URL of the forum topic or from GitHub
into the UI. Then you can create automations from these blueprints by filling
out the required inputs.

Screenshot of a blueprint.

It is really easy to deploy a blueprint, even multiple times! Blueprints are
fully functional in both the UI and for YAML.

We created a really nice tutorial on how to make
blueprints.

Essentially, a blueprint is just like an automation, with some added blueprint
metadata. You can convert any existing automation into a blueprint!

As the last step, be sure to share your freshly created blueprint
on the community on the Blueprint Exchange, helping and and
inspiring others.

Areas have been around for a bit already. But, not everything supports
areas yet. And using it in for example YAML-based automations, is not really
an easy task to do.

Today that changes, as this release works towards making areas more useful by
making them more accessible and more universal.

The first change: individual entities can now be assigned to areas.

Previously this was limited to devices only. This also works for entities
without a device (for example, entities provided by Helpers). Devices provide
entities, and thus it is now possible to override the area with a single entity for
a device as well. For example, your in-wall mounted switch controls a light in
another room.

Screenshot of assigning a entity to an area.

Second improvement: The ID of a newly created area will now be based on the name
of the area instead of a random string.

This makes it easier to use areas in service calls, as you can now use
area identifiers that actually make sense for a human! In a YAML automation
or script it will look like this:

action:
  - service: light.turn_on
    target:
      area_id: living_room

To find the area ID for the area you want to target, go to the Configuration
Panel, and edit the area you want to target. In area edit dialog, the ID is
shown.

Do you have your Christmas tree set up in Home Assistant? After the Holidays
are over, you store all those decorations for the next season. But what about
those devices in Home Assistant?

We welcome the following new integrations this release:

The following integration got support for a new platform:

The following integrations are now available via the Home Assistant UI:

Below is a listing of the breaking change for this release, per subject or
integration. Click on one of those to read more about the breaking change
for that specific item.

The following integrations have been removed:

These integrations where using webscraping, which is no longer allowed.