Help setting up matrix listener for commands in already-configured (and working) matrix room

Configuration
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GOAL: Matrix as a temporary frontend for HA when I can’t access the full system due to performance limitations, for both feed and common ‘actions’/scripts.

Hi since the documentation is great and the issue simple I feel silly asking,

but although I swear I got it to respond once, I can’t seem to get the notifier to listen at all. When I hit run actions on an automation it can send via matrix_notify fine

I am on matrix.org and my botuser is only used by my HomeAssistant configuration.

configuration.yaml

notify:                                                      
  - name: matrix_notify                                      
    platform: matrix                                         
    default_room: "#MYROOM:instance.tld"  

matrix:                                                      
  homeserver: https://matrix.org                             
  username: "@botuser:instance.tld"                          
  password: "my secure password"                
  rooms:                                                     
    - "#MYROOM:instance.tld"                       
  commands:                                                  
    - word: lightsoff                                        
      name: lightsoff                                        
      rooms:                                                 
       - "#MYROOM:instance.tld"

Here’s my automation that the actions work but the listener does not:

alias: 08matrix_command.trigger_lightsoff
description: 08 - ondemand commands
trigger:
  - platform: event
    event_type: matrix_command
    event_data:
      command: lightsoff
condition: []
action:
  - service: notify.matrix_notify
    data:
      message: You have triggered the 'lightsoff' command 🚫💡.
  - service: light.turn_off
    metadata: {}
    data: {}
    target:
      area_id:
        - living_room
        - bedroom
        - spare
        - kitchen
mode: single

To clarify by not working - the trace history is empty other than manual trigger.

Bigger picture: What I am trying to achieve is a twofold: A feed that shows me some basic information in list view without having to connect to my HA instance directly, like when people come and go and whether the lights actually turn off and doors shut etc. and Secondly a way of interacting with HA with old hardware - I have no smart switches so I use old iphones and ipads and some aren’t compatible with the HA app and some are very slow, so sending a matrix message is a faster way to interact.

2

I found the following which seems somewhat overly complex, but the featureset may be worth it:

I guess my concern is updating Home Assistant with a complex add-on could add a lot of maintenance complexity