Complete guide to integrating Echobell with Home Assistant for instant smart home notifications. Set up webhook-based alerts for security systems, temperature sensors, motion detection, door locks, and automation triggers with push notifications or phone calls.

Home Assistant Integration

Home Assistant is a powerful open-source home automation platform that puts local control and privacy first. By integrating Echobell with Home Assistant, you can receive instant notifications and even phone calls when important events occur in your smart home—whether it's a security alert, temperature threshold breach, or automation trigger.

This guide will walk you through setting up Echobell to receive notifications from your Home Assistant automations using webhooks or the RESTful Notify service.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Echobell app installed on your iOS device
An active Echobell channel (create one in the app if you haven't already)
Home Assistant instance running (version 2023.1 or later recommended)
Access to your Home Assistant configuration

Method 1: Using Webhook Triggers (Recommended)

The webhook method is the most flexible approach, allowing you to send custom data and use template variables in your notifications.

Get Your Echobell Webhook URL

Open the Echobell app and navigate to your channel
Tap on the channel to view details
Find the Webhook URL in the Triggers section
Copy the URL—it will look like: https://hook.echobell.one/t/YOUR_TOKEN

Create a Home Assistant Automation

In Home Assistant, you can trigger Echobell notifications using the rest_command service. First, add the REST command to your configuration.yaml:

rest_command:
  echobell_notify:
    url: "https://hook.echobell.one/t/YOUR_TOKEN"
    method: POST
    content_type: "application/json"
    payload: '{"title": "{{ title }}", "message": "{{ message }}"}'

Replace YOUR_TOKEN with your actual Echobell webhook token.

After adding this, restart Home Assistant to load the new configuration.

Use in Automations

Now you can call this service from any automation. Here's an example that notifies you when a door opens:

automation:
  - alias: "Door Open Alert"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.front_door
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: rest_command.echobell_notify
        data:
          title: "Security Alert"
          message: "Front door opened at {{ now().strftime('%H:%M') }}"

Configure Notification Templates

In your Echobell channel settings, configure the notification templates to display the webhook data:

Title template: {{title}}
Body template: {{message}}

Now when the automation triggers, you'll receive a notification with the custom title and message.

Method 2: Using RESTful Notify Platform

For a more integrated approach, you can set up Echobell as a notify service in Home Assistant.

Configuration

Add the following to your configuration.yaml:

notify:
  - name: echobell
    platform: rest
    resource: https://hook.echobell.one/t/YOUR_TOKEN
    method: POST_JSON
    data:
      title: "{{ title }}"
      message: "{{ message }}"

Replace YOUR_TOKEN with your Echobell webhook token, then restart Home Assistant.

Using the Notify Service

Now you can use Echobell like any other notify service:

automation:
  - alias: "Low Battery Alert"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.phone_battery
        below: 20
    action:
      - service: notify.echobell
        data:
          title: "Low Battery Warning"
          message: "Phone battery is at {{ states('sensor.phone_battery') }}%"

Advanced Use Cases

Temperature Monitoring with Critical Alerts

Use notification types to send critical temperature alerts as calls:

rest_command:
  echobell_critical:
    url: "https://hook.echobell.one/t/YOUR_TOKEN"
    method: POST
    content_type: "application/json"
    payload: '{"temperature": "{{ temperature }}", "location": "{{ location }}", "severity": "critical"}'

In your Echobell channel, set the notification type to "Calling" and use this template:

Title: Critical Temperature Alert
Body: {{location}} temperature is {{temperature}}°C - Immediate attention required!

Security System Integration

Set up comprehensive security monitoring:

automation:
  - alias: "Security Breach Detection"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id:
          - binary_sensor.motion_detector_1
          - binary_sensor.motion_detector_2
          - binary_sensor.window_sensor
        to: "on"
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home_alarm
        state: "armed_away"
    action:
      - service: rest_command.echobell_notify
        data:
          title: "🚨 Security Alert"
          message: "{{ trigger.to_state.attributes.friendly_name }} detected activity while system armed"
          sensor: "{{ trigger.entity_id }}"
          timestamp: "{{ now().isoformat() }}"

Smart Appliance Notifications

Monitor appliance cycles and get notified when they complete:

automation:
  - alias: "Washing Machine Complete"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_power
        to: "0"
        for:
          minutes: 3
    action:
      - service: notify.echobell
        data:
          title: "Washing Machine Done"
          message: "Your laundry is ready to be moved to the dryer"

Environmental Monitoring

Track air quality, humidity, or other environmental factors:

automation:
  - alias: "High CO2 Alert"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.living_room_co2
        above: 1000
    action:
      - service: rest_command.echobell_notify
        data:
          title: "Air Quality Warning"
          message: "CO2 level in living room is {{ states('sensor.living_room_co2') }} ppm. Consider ventilating."

Using Conditions for Smart Filtering

You can use Echobell conditions to filter notifications based on specific criteria. For example, only notify during certain times or when values exceed thresholds:

Set a condition in your Echobell channel:

severity == "critical" || (hour >= 22 || hour <= 7)

This only sends notifications if the severity is critical OR if it's nighttime (10 PM to 7 AM).

In your Home Assistant automation, include the relevant data:

action:
  - service: rest_command.echobell_notify
    data:
      title: "Temperature Alert"
      message: "Freezer temperature: {{ states('sensor.freezer_temp') }}°C"
      severity: "{% if states('sensor.freezer_temp') | float > -10 %}critical{% else %}normal{% endif %}"
      hour: "{{ now().hour }}"

Sending Sensor Data

You can pass any Home Assistant sensor data to your Echobell notifications:

rest_command:
  echobell_sensor_update:
    url: "https://hook.echobell.one/t/YOUR_TOKEN"
    method: POST
    content_type: "application/json"
    payload: >
      {
        "sensor_name": "{{ sensor_name }}",
        "current_value": "{{ current_value }}",
        "unit": "{{ unit }}",
        "state": "{{ state }}",
        "timestamp": "{{ timestamp }}"
      }

Handling HTTP Headers

Echobell can access HTTP headers from webhook requests. This is useful for authentication or tracking:

rest_command:
  echobell_with_headers:
    url: "https://hook.echobell.one/t/YOUR_TOKEN"
    method: POST
    headers:
      X-Home-Assistant-Instance: "{{ instance_name }}"
      X-Automation-ID: "{{ automation_id }}"
    content_type: "application/json"
    payload: '{"message": "{{ message }}"}'

In your Echobell template, access headers with:

{{header["x-home-assistant-instance"]}}

Debugging and Testing

Test Your Webhook

Use Home Assistant's Developer Tools → Services to test your configuration:

Select rest_command.echobell_notify
Enter test data:

title: "Test Notification"
message: "This is a test from Home Assistant"

Click "Call Service"
Check your Echobell app for the notification

Check Home Assistant Logs

If notifications aren't arriving, check Home Assistant logs:

# In Home Assistant, go to:
Settings → System → Logs

# Or check the log file:
config/home-assistant.log

Look for errors related to rest_command or HTTP requests to hook.echobell.one.

Verify Webhook URL

Ensure your webhook URL is correct:

It should start with https://hook.echobell.one/t/
The token should be included
No extra spaces or characters

Performance Considerations

Rate Limiting

Echobell webhooks are subject to rate limiting to prevent abuse. For high-frequency sensors:

Avoid triggering on every sensor update
Use for in triggers to debounce:

trigger:
  - platform: numeric_state
    entity_id: sensor.temperature
    above: 30
    for:
      minutes: 5 # Only trigger after 5 minutes above threshold

Batching Updates

For multiple related events, consider batching them into a single notification:

automation:
  - alias: "Daily Home Summary"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "09:00:00"
    action:
      - service: rest_command.echobell_notify
        data:
          title: "Morning Home Summary"
          message: >
            Temperature: {{ states('sensor.temperature') }}°C
            Humidity: {{ states('sensor.humidity') }}%
            Energy today: {{ states('sensor.daily_energy') }} kWh
            Windows open: {{ expand(states.binary_sensor) | selectattr('state', 'eq', 'on') | selectattr('attributes.device_class', 'eq', 'window') | list | count }}

Security Best Practices

Protect Your Webhook URL

Never commit webhook URLs to public repositories
Use Home Assistant secrets for sensitive data
Rotate webhook tokens periodically

Using secrets in configuration.yaml:

# secrets.yaml
echobell_webhook: "https://hook.echobell.one/t/YOUR_TOKEN"

# configuration.yaml
rest_command:
  echobell_notify:
    url: !secret echobell_webhook
    method: POST
    content_type: "application/json"
    payload: '{"title": "{{ title }}", "message": "{{ message }}"}'

Limit Sensitive Information

Be careful about what data you include in notifications:

# Good - General information
message: "Motion detected in living room"

# Avoid - Sensitive details
message: "Security code: 1234, camera feed: http://..."

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Notifications Not Arriving

Check network connectivity: Ensure your Home Assistant instance can reach the internet
Verify webhook URL: Copy and paste it carefully, including the token
Check Echobell app: Ensure you're subscribed to the channel
Review Home Assistant logs: Look for HTTP errors or timeouts

Template Errors

If templates aren't rendering correctly:

Test templates in Developer Tools → Template
Ensure variable names match between Home Assistant and Echobell
Check for typos in template syntax: {{variable}} not {{ variable}}

Automation Not Triggering

Verify trigger conditions in Home Assistant
Test the automation manually from Developer Tools
Check entity states match your trigger configuration
Review automation traces for debugging

Example: Complete Security System Setup

Here's a comprehensive example integrating multiple security sensors:

# configuration.yaml
rest_command:
  echobell_security:
    url: !secret echobell_security_webhook
    method: POST
    content_type: "application/json"
    payload: >
      {
        "event_type": "{{ event_type }}",
        "location": "{{ location }}",
        "sensor": "{{ sensor }}",
        "timestamp": "{{ timestamp }}",
        "alarm_state": "{{ alarm_state }}"
      }

# automations.yaml
- alias: "Security Event Handler"
  trigger:
    - platform: state
      entity_id:
        - binary_sensor.front_door
        - binary_sensor.back_door
        - binary_sensor.garage_door
        - binary_sensor.motion_hallway
        - binary_sensor.motion_living_room
      to: "on"
  action:
    - service: rest_command.echobell_security
      data:
        event_type: "{{ 'door' if 'door' in trigger.entity_id else 'motion' }}"
        location: "{{ trigger.to_state.attributes.friendly_name }}"
        sensor: "{{ trigger.entity_id }}"
        timestamp: "{{ now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') }}"
        alarm_state: "{{ states('alarm_control_panel.home_alarm') }}"

In Echobell, set your templates:

Title: Security Alert: {{event_type | upper}}
Body: {{location}} activated at {{timestamp}} (Alarm: {{alarm_state}})

Next Steps

Now that you have Echobell integrated with Home Assistant:

Explore notification types for different alert priorities
Learn about conditions to filter notifications intelligently
Check out template variables for advanced message formatting
Read about webhook best practices for optimal integration

Home Assistant Integration - Smart Home Automation Alerts & IoT Notifications