MQTT Light

The mqtt light platform lets you control your MQTT enabled lights through one of the supported message schemas, default, json or template.

Comparison of light MQTT schemas

Default schema

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

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.

Home Assistant internally assumes that a light’s state corresponds to a defined color_mode. The state of MQTT lights with default schema and support for both color and color temperature will set the color_mode according to the last received valid color or color temperature. Optionally, a color_mode_state_topic can be configured for explicit control of the color_mode

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

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:

# 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

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 and short/long flashing. The messages sent to/from the lights look similar to this, omitting fields when they aren’t needed. The color_mode will not be present in messages sent to the light. It is optional in messages received from the light, but can be used to disambiguate the current mode in the light. In the example below, color_mode is set to rgb and color_temp, color.c, color.w, color.x, color.y, color.h, color.s will all be ignored by Home Assistant:

{
  "brightness": 255,
  "color_mode": "rgb",
  "color_temp": 155,
  "color": {
    "r": 255,
    "g": 180,
    "b": 200,
    "c": 100,
    "w": 50,
    "x": 0.406,
    "y": 0.301,
    "h": 344.0,
    "s": 29.412
  },
  "effect": "colorloop",
  "state": "ON",
  "transition": 2,
}

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"

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
    color_mode: true
    supported_color_modes: ["rgb"]

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
    color_mode: true
    supported_color_modes: ["brightness"]

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
    color_mode: true
    supported_color_modes: ["brightness"]

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 supported_color_modes to ["hs"] in the platform configuration:

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

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_mode": "hs",
  "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
    color_mode: true
    supported_color_modes: ["rgbw"]

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 repository, 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, color temperature, flashing and transitions. Also it includes MQTT Auto Discovery) and the MQTT Last Will and Testament is enabled as well.

• h801-mqtt-json is a custom firmware for the H801 LED dimmer, a 5 channel (RGBWWCW) WiFi LED strip controller for 12V LED strips. The firmware is meant to control the 5 channels of the H801 to simultaneously control an RGB and a Warm-white/Cold-white LED strip such as a 5050 RGB LED strip and a 5025 Dual White strip. It implements the MQTT JSON light platform and supports ON/OFF, RGBW colours (RGB strip), brightness, color temperature (CW/WW strip) and transitions.

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 and effects.

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"

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: "on,{{ brightness|d }},{{ red|d }}-{{ green|d }}-{{ blue|d }}"
    command_off_template: "off"
    state_template: "{{ value.split(',')[0] }}"  # must return `on` or `off`
    brightness_template: "{{ value.split(',')[1] }}"
    red_template: "{{ value.split(',')[2].split('-')[0] }}"
    green_template: "{{ value.split(',')[2].split('-')[1] }}"
    blue_template: "{{ value.split(',')[2].split('-')[2] }}"

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: >
      {"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 -%}
      }
    command_off_template: '{"state": "off"}'
    state_template: '{{ value_json.state }}'
    brightness_template: '{{ value_json.brightness }}'
    red_template: '{{ value_json.color[0] }}'
    green_template: '{{ value_json.color[1] }}'
    blue_template: '{{ value_json.color[2] }}'
    effect_template: '{{ value_json.effect }}'

Template schema - No brightness or color support

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