Random effect

The Random effect action plays a generated, ever-changing color effect on a TP-Link light strip. You set the colors, ranges, and timing, and the light keeps cycling through random combinations within those bounds.

This effect is available on devices that support light effects, such as bulbs and light strips, except for Kasa bulbs. Colors are expressed as HSV sequences, where each value is hue, saturation, and brightness.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To play a random effect from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create to start a new one.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. Select what you want to control. Under By target (see Targets), select the light strip you want to control.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Random effect.
7. Set the options you want to use.
8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as tplink.random_effect. A basic example looks like this:

action: tplink.random_effect
target:
  entity_id: light.strip
data:
  init_states: [199, 99, 96]
  backgrounds:
    - [199, 89, 50]
    - [160, 50, 50]
    - [180, 100, 50]
  segments: [0, 2, 4, 6, 8]
  brightness: 90
  transition: 2000
  fadeoff: 2000
  hue_range: [340, 360]
  saturation_range: [40, 95]
  brightness_range: [90, 100]
  transition_range: [2000, 6000]
  random_seed: 80

This plays a random effect on light.strip within the given color and timing ranges.

Options in YAML

Targets of the action

This action requires a target. The target is the object of the action. You can point the action at a single entityAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more], a device, an area, a floor, or a label, and Home Assistant will run the action on every matching light entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific light entity, such as light.living_room.
• Device: every light entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every light entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every light entity on a floor.
• Label: every light entity that shares a label.

You can also select different target types in one action. For example, you can add a specific entity and an area as targets in the same action to run the action on both of them at once.

Good to know

• Light effects are only available on supported devices, such as bulbs and light strips. Kasa bulbs do not support them.
• Colors use HSV sequences, where each value is hue, saturation, and brightness.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one:

• Sequence effect: Sets a sequence light effect on a TP-Link light strip.