I’ve been using HA for years now and added devices along the way. I started almost purely with a configuration.yaml file and slowly, over the years and as HA was progressing in its features, moved towards using more and more UI-based configuration. This is now my preferred way to configure all devices.
My problem
The naming of my devices is a small mess and I want to rename them all, using features I have not really used so far (Areas, Labels, …). I also want to keep my automation and Google Asstant user-friendly.
I am therefore asking the community for their experiences in naming (I do not need any help per see (everything works and I have dug into .storage many times) but rather the experiences (good and bad) you had with naming, especially when it relates to automation and voice activation).
The Mighty Details ™
I have two main sets of devices I have doubts about (re: naming)
devices that do not move, usually wall switches that send a signal (push-button kind)
devices that usually do not move but whose actual usage does not match the names
I will use an example for the second case: a MEROSS power strip (managed by the fantastic integration of @krahabb ). This is a strip that has several power outlets that manage standalone lamps
device: seen as mss425f 2005281078830290814148e1e91d807b
example of an entity:
This is typically an entity I renamed. The original name was probably something built off the device name (which itself is something like a serial number or some hash of information) - I renamed it to meross02_outlet_5 where
meross02 is supposedly the name of the strip I should have written the name of with a pen (I just checked - I did not) and should have changed the name of the device to (which obviously I did not)
outlet_5 is supposedly the number of the outlet, which again I should have written on the strip with a pen which I did not do either
Then there is the Name, Show as which I chose to be Outlet (← this is probably a bad idea because “Outlet” is something that does not exist, it is always something connected to it that matters), and finally a Label that I did not delve into yet as it appeared in 2024.4.
As you can see it is messy and the other devices are similar.
So my question: how do you do it?
Specifically:
do you keep the autogenerated names as much as possible (this is something I am aiming at) and realy on the Name to manage stuff (the idea is that the ID does not matter)
do you have duplicate names such as big lamp and rely on the areas to make a difference (like in “hey Google, switch on big lamp in bedroom” (as opposed to “big lamp” in the garage)
I point at a device and ask my wife what she calls something. (no, really)
The device name becomes a variant of that (usually roomname whatever)
Why?
Forcing the room name gives some indication where a device lives but at the end of the day I don’t want the argument with her later about why she can’t control it with voice and it’s a stupid name.
Outlets and plugs are a special case in HA I number the. Starting from the room main door clockwise. So master bedroom outlet 1 master bedroom outlet 2.etc.but in Alexa or Assist I also add an alias so she can call it by whatever it controls. (air freshener, etc.)
Because of this I’ve been in the habit of renaming everything like this as it comes in.
The device model etc are stored in the device attributes themselves. I don’t need them in the UI for me I can look them up if I need. Good luck.