{"slug": "home-assistant-ha-mcp-full-smart-home-control-for-claude-chatgpt-and-cursor", "title": "Home Assistant HA-MCP: Full Smart-Home Control for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor", "summary": "The homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp repository ships a full-configuration MCP server that lets Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other clients write automations, edit dashboards, inspect traces and run backups in Home Assistant, rather than only reading or toggling entity states. As of November 9, 2026, the repo shows roughly 5,550 GitHub stars and more than 3,400 commits, with the in-process HA-MCP integration installed via HACS or the Home Assistant 2026.11 Marketplace positioned as the default path and Docker, add-on and uvx options for Container/Core setups. The server exposes 87 tools across search, control, configuration, monitoring and system categories, and its README warns users to run only one server instance per client because duplicate URLs are a known hang cause (issue #1713).", "body_md": "**HA-MCP** is Home Assistant's answer to a narrow problem: most **MCP connectors only flip lights** that Assist already exposes. The [`homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp`](https://github.com/homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp?ref=explainx) repository ships a **full-configuration MCP server** so Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other clients can **write automations**, **edit dashboards**, **inspect traces**, and **run backups**—not just read states.\n\nAs of November 9, 2026, the repo shows roughly **5,550 GitHub stars** and active development (**3,400+ commits**). The README positions the **in-process HA-MCP integration** (HACS or Home Assistant **2026.11 Marketplace**) as the default install, with Docker, add-on, and `uvx` paths for Container/Core setups.\n\n## Why builders care now\n\nSmart-home AI sat in two camps through 2025:\n\n1. **Voice assistants** with rigid intents.\n2. **Cloud vendor MCP demos** that only toggled a few entities.\n\nHA-MCP targets the **third lane**: treat Home Assistant like infrastructure your **coding agent** can refactor. That aligns with how explainx.ai readers already wire [Google Home device control through MCP](https://explainx.ai/blog/google-home-mcp-claude-chatgpt-2026) and how [Meta Muse Gadgets SDK](https://explainx.ai/blog/meta-muse-gadgets-sdk-home-link-2026) examples mention Home Assistant bridges.\n\nThe difference is depth. Google's connector is consumer control. HA-MCP is **DevOps for your house**.\n\n## What the server can do\n\nThe [GitHub README](https://github.com/homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp?ref=explainx) documents natural-language examples:\n\n| You say | HA-MCP action | \n|---|---|\n| Create an automation that turns on the porch light at sunset | Builds triggers and actions | \n| Add a weather card to my dashboard | Edits Lovelace | \n| Debug why a motion automation failed | Pulls execution traces | \n| Create a movie-mode script | Writes a reusable script | \n\nBehind those flows sit **87 tools** grouped into search, control, configuration, monitoring, and system categories. Highlights include:\n\n- **Automations and scripts:**`ha_config_get/set_automation` , script CRUD, blueprint management.\n- **Dashboards:** resource lists, layout edits, optional screenshot beta tool.\n- **Diagnostics:** history, statistics, logs, automation traces, camera snapshots.\n- **Registry work:** areas, zones, labels, device and entity registry edits.\n- **Operations:** backups, updates, HACS, app management, optional YAML beta tools.\n\nOptional **file and YAML tools** moved to beta in v7.3.0 and stay off unless you enable feature flags and add the **File & YAML Tools** integration entry.\n\n## Install paths (pick exactly one)\n\nThe README warns: **run only one server instance per client**. Duplicate URLs (for example `uvx` stdio plus an add-on URL) are a known hang cause ([#1713](https://github.com/homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp/issues/1713?ref=explainx)).\n\n### Recommended: in-process integration\n\nOn **Home Assistant 2026.8+**:\n\n1. Install **HA-MCP** from**HACS** , or from**Settings → Marketplace** on**2026.11+** (catalog entry, no custom repo).\n2. Restart Home Assistant.\n3. Create a **dedicated administrator account** (safer than pasting your personal long-lived token).\n4. Add integration **HA-MCP Server** , choose**Remote webhook** and/or**Local network** access, submit.\n5. Copy the **connect URL** from the integration's Configure screen into your AI client.\n\nRemote clients use `https://<your-domain>/api/webhook/<id>`; LAN clients may hit `http://<ha-ip>:9584/private_<token>`.\n\n### Add-on, Docker, and uvx\n\nHome Assistant OS/Supervised users can install the **Home Assistant MCP Server** app from the same GitHub org. Container/Core users run the published image or `uvx ha-mcp@latest` in HTTP mode with a long-lived token. The [Setup Wizard](https://homeassistant-ai.github.io/ha-mcp/?ref=explainx) generates client-specific configs for **15+ clients**, including Claude Code, Gemini CLI, ChatGPT, Open WebUI, VS Code, and Cursor.\n\n### Demo scripts\n\nmacOS, Linux, and Windows one-liner installers pull a **hosted demo** over stdio so you can test before pointing at your instance. Treat stdio as tinkering only; production setups should use **streamable HTTP**.\n\n## HA-MCP vs built-in Home Assistant MCP\n\nHome Assistant ships its own [**MCP Server integration**](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/mcp_server/?ref=explainx) tied to Assist. The README comparison table is explicit:\n\n| Capability | Built-in MCP | HA-MCP | \n|---|---|---|\n| Control exposed devices | Yes | Yes | \n| Entity scope | Assist exposure only | Full instance | \n| Create/edit automations | No | Yes | \n| Build/edit dashboards | No | Yes | \n| Debug traces, logs | No | Yes | \n| Backups, HACS, registry | No | Yes | \n\n**Rule of thumb:** use built-in MCP for **voice-style control** of a curated subset. Use HA-MCP when an **agent is your co-administrator**.\n\nFor protocol background, see [What is MCP?](https://explainx.ai/blog/what-is-mcp-model-context-protocol-guide) and [Pi's MCP Codemode reversal](https://explainx.ai/blog/pi-adds-mcp-codemode-earendil-reversal-2026) on when HTTP MCP beats local CLIs.\n\n## Client wiring notes\n\n- **Claude Desktop / Claude.ai:** paste the Configure URL; optional`ha_auth` mode requires Home Assistant login instead of secret URLs.\n- **ChatGPT:** normally needs public HTTPS; use Nabu Casa webhook proxy or the community**OpenAI Tunnel** described in the README FAQ.\n- **Cursor / VS Code:** Setup Wizard snippets add the MCP entry to your config JSON.\n- **Read-only exploration:** toggle Read Only Mode before letting a model inspect production.\n\nThe project site at [homeassistant-ai.github.io/ha-mcp](https://homeassistant-ai.github.io/ha-mcp/?ref=explainx) hosts deeper docs than this news post.\n\n## Security: treat it like root on your home\n\nHA-MCP is powerful because it uses **administrator credentials**. Misconfigured remote webhooks or leaked secret URLs are equivalent to handing someone your **Home Assistant owner password**.\n\nMitigations built into the project:\n\n- **Read Only Mode** for audits.\n- **Per-tool enable/disable** and**user-approval security policies** .\n- **Automatic edit backups** before helper and automation changes (with restore rules documented in the README).\n- Guidance to create a **dedicated HA-MCP user** , never your daily login.\n\nFor agent harnesses that can call MCP at scale, pair operational discipline with an agent guardrail product. When an LLM can delete automations or open doors through scripts, use workflow review and tools like [AgentBeam](https://agentbeam.com/?ref=explainx) where they fit your **approval and blocking** layer—especially if you connect the same MCP URL to autonomous coding agents.\n\nCamera pipelines deserve separate hardening. If you expose `ha_get_camera_image`, remember lessons from [Frigate NVR](https://explainx.ai/blog/frigate-nvr-ai-camera-system-2026) deployments: segment VLANs, rotate tokens, and avoid shipping snapshots to cloud models you do not trust.\n\n## Trending signal\n\nGitHub Trending listed **ha-mcp** with a modest daily star gain on November 9, 2026, but the repo already had **thousands of stars** before that bump. The real news is **Marketplace placement on HA 2026.11**, which lowers install friction for mainstream Home Assistant users who do not live in GitHub.\n\nCompare with [Vercel agent-desktop](https://explainx.ai/blog/vercel-agent-desktop-accessibility-tree-computer-use-cli-2026) for desktop automation and [Cloudflare's security-audit skill](https://explainx.ai/blog/cloudflare-security-audit-skill-open-source-agent-vulnerability-hunting-2026) for codebase audits—the pattern is the same: **official org repos** shipping MCP surfaces agents can drive.\n\n## How to evaluate before production\n\n1. **Start read-only** on a snapshot instance or demo environment.\n2. **Script a harmless automation** (test light) and verify trace output.\n3. **Enable destructive tools one category at a time** (dashboards before YAML beta).\n4. **Log every webhook URL** and rotate if it leaks in a chat export.\n5. **Document rollback** using HA-MCP backup tools plus native Home Assistant backups.\n\n## Limitations\n\n- **stdio transport** remains discouraged; use HTTP.\n- **Beta YAML/file tools** can break configs; keep them off until you need them.\n- **ChatGPT without tunnel/proxy** still needs a public URL.\n- **Built-in vs HA-MCP** duplication confuses clients—do not enable both for the same assistant.\n\n## Version and packaging timeline\n\nHA-MCP is not a weekend hack. The repository shows **years of commits** and a formal **CHANGELOG** with semver tags. A breaking note in **v7.3.0** moved `ha_config_set_yaml` to **beta**, reflecting how dangerous raw YAML edits are in production.\n\nThe **v9.0.0** setup flow (October 28, 2026 and later) added the explicit **administrator account** step in the integration UI. Home Assistant **2026.11** then folded HA-MCP into the **default Marketplace catalog**, which matters because most owners never configure custom HACS repos. That distribution shift—not a one-day star bump—is why the project reappeared on GitHub Trending in early November.\n\nIf you still run the legacy **`homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp-integration`** fork, the README says it receives the **same releases**. Search **HA-MCP** in Marketplace regardless of display name quirks.\n\n## Remote access patterns\n\nThree patterns dominate production:\n\n| Pattern | Best for | Notes from README | \n|---|---|---|\n| **Nabu Casa webhook** | Claude.ai, mobile clients | Webhook Proxy app shares URL via logs | \n| **Reverse proxy / Cloudflare Tunnel** | Self-hosted HTTPS | Setup Wizard templates | \n| **OpenAI Tunnel** | ChatGPT without public ports | Outbound-only; community integration | \n\n**OIDC mode** replaces secret URLs with an external IdP (Authentik, Keycloak, Auth0). Every authenticated user shares the server’s Home Assistant credentials—fine for households, risky for multi-tenant hosts.\n\nLocal-only installs can leave **remote access disabled** so **no webhook registers**, while the LAN port and sidebar admin panel still work. That is the right default on VLAN-segmented labs.\n\n## Tooling depth: why 87 tools matter\n\nAssist exposes **intents**; HA-MCP exposes **the configuration graph**. Examples beyond the README’s marketing blurbs:\n\n- **Automation traces** (`ha_get_automation_traces` ) let an agent see**why** a motion sensor pipeline failed without you copying YAML into chat.\n- **Dashboard screenshots (beta)** help vision models verify Lovelace layout before you publish.\n- **ZHA and Matter radios** (`ha_manage_radio` ) move configuration reads into the agent loop for Zigbee debugging—pairs well with hardware posts like[OOMoo DIY vacuums](https://explainx.ai/blog/oomwoo-open-source-diy-robot-vacuum-august-2026) when robots share the same coordinator.\n- **HACS management** means an agent can install integrations you approve—treat that as**supply-chain risk** and keep backups.\n\nThe optional **file/YAML beta tools** are off by default. Enable them only on a **staging** instance cloned from production.\n\n## Pairing HA-MCP with coding agents\n\nCursor and Claude Code users often run **two MCP servers**: one for Git, one for home. Keep URLs separate and document which workspace uses which. The same caution applies when you combine HA-MCP with [Vercel agent-desktop](https://explainx.ai/blog/vercel-agent-desktop-accessibility-tree-computer-use-cli-2026) on a desktop automation host—two agents with **full control planes** on one machine multiply blast radius.\n\nA saner pattern: HA-MCP on a **dedicated admin account** with **approval policies**, Git MCP on developer machines, and **read-only** HA tools for demos.\n\n## Governance and household consent\n\nSmart-home agents touch **physical actuators**: locks, garage doors, irrigation, scenes that imply someone is home. Document who can approve tool calls. If minors or guests share your network, segment IoT VLANs and disable risky services in HA-MCP’s tool policy UI.\n\nWhen cameras are in scope, align with [Frigate NVR hardening](https://explainx.ai/blog/frigate-nvr-ai-camera-system-2026): never stream interior feeds to a cloud model without explicit household consent.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/home-assistant-ha-mcp-full-smart-home-control-for-claude-chatgpt-and-cursor", "canonical_source": "https://explainx.ai/blog/homeassistant-ha-mcp-claude-chatgpt-mcp-server-2026?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=blog", "published_at": "2026-11-09 00:00:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-11-09 12:55:08.759596+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-agents", "agent-protocols", "ai-tools", "artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["Home Assistant", "HA-MCP", "homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp", "Claude", "ChatGPT", "Cursor", "HACS", "GitHub"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/home-assistant-ha-mcp-full-smart-home-control-for-claude-chatgpt-and-cursor", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/home-assistant-ha-mcp-full-smart-home-control-for-claude-chatgpt-and-cursor.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/home-assistant-ha-mcp-full-smart-home-control-for-claude-chatgpt-and-cursor.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/home-assistant-ha-mcp-full-smart-home-control-for-claude-chatgpt-and-cursor.jsonld"}}