Home Assistant Motion Lights with Node-RED | Smart Presence Detection Setup
Welcome back to Chuck Builds!
In this video, I’m setting up motion-based lighting automations using Node-RED and Zigbee motion sensors as part of rebuilding my smart home from scratch here in Florida.
We’ve already set up Zigbee2MQTT and paired all our smart lights — now it’s time to make them react automatically when motion is detected. I’ll show you step-by-step how to build a presence detection flow in Node-RED, from sensor input to light control, using real-world best practices that I rely on every day.
In this video, you’ll learn:
How to automate motion lights in Home Assistant
Why I prefer Node-RED for visual automation design
Setting up Aqara PIR motion sensors with Zigbee2MQTT
Adding timers, delays, and motion cooldowns
Building a reliable presence detection flow
Tips for avoiding false triggers and flicker
Whether you’re new to Node-RED or already running complex Home Assistant automations, this video will help you design smarter, faster, and more stable motion lighting.
Related videos:
Zigbee2MQTT Install Guide: • How to Set Up Zigbee2MQTT in Home Assistan...
Adaptive Lighting Setup Guide: • How to Set Up Adaptive Lighting in Home As...
Node Red Install & Front Porch Automation: • Simple Light Timer Automation (Node-RED In...
Amazon Affiliate Links, I earn a small commission if you purchase via my links. Thanks for supporting Chuck Builds:
Aqara P1 PIR Motion Sensor: https://amzn.to/4oq0qyg
Aqara FP2 mmWave Motion Sensor: https://amzn.to/3L1GYth
SMLIGHT SLZB-06 Zigbee 3.0 POE Coordinator - $65.99 - https://amzn.to/475qRmX
Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle- $39.99 - https://amzn.to/3WfoiZo
Amazon Basics USB Extender for USB Dongle - $7.19 - https://amzn.to/4gRcgid
Innr Color Zigbee Bulb used in this video - $39.99 - https://amzn.to/3IDW0ES
👉 If you found this helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell 🔔 to follow along as I rebuild my smart home automation system from scratch using Home Assistant, Node-RED, and Zigbee2MQTT.
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
01:05 – Required Hardware (Zigbee Lights + Motion Sensors)
02:30 – Why I Use Node-RED for Automations
04:00 – Building the Basic Motion Flow
06:10 – Adding Delays and Motion Timeout
08:00 – Testing the Automation
09:30 – Troubleshooting Motion Sensors
11:00 – Expanding Presence Detection Logic
12:30 – Wrap-Up & Next Steps