I put together a documentation-based beginner guide and this short worksheet for deciding what a first Home Assistant Green setup actually needs. This is a planning resource, not a hardware build log or hands-on review.
Copy this before shopping:
Task: When ___ happens, do ___, but only if ___.
Existing device: exact manufacturer/model ___; supported Home Assistant integration ___.
Connection: Ethernet location ___; device protocol ___; separate radio required by that integration? ___.
Household control: normal switch or button ___; how another person overrides it ___.
Failure check: what happens without internet ___; what happens after power returns ___.
Success test: direct device control works first, then the trigger and action work together ___.
Example: start with a manual evening action that turns off one supported lamp. Test direct control before adding a schedule or presence detection. If the current setup already handles that task, keeping it is a valid result of the worksheet.
The buying detail that matters: Green is the computer running Home Assistant, not a universal radio. It has no built-in Zigbee radio. Check the exact integration and device protocol before ordering an adapter; do not assume every first routine needs one.
My longer guide explains the inventory and first-routine steps:
https://www.pacificnwpartners.com/guides/home-assistant-green-start/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=revenue_first_20261020&utm_content=diytech_ha_green_worksheet
Disclosure: I run Pacific Northwest Partners / Naturally Automated. The guide contains Amazon affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The worksheet above is usable without visiting the site or buying anything. Prepared with AI assistance from our published documentation-based guide; no firsthand testing claimed.
What field would you add to catch a bad first-project assumption?
