Nabu casa - Alexa hasn't been able to find new devices in over a year

Configuration Voice Assistant
1

I’m subscribed to Nabu Casa, primarily as an easy way to use Alexa to control my devices in Home Assistant.

However, Alexa hasn’t been able to discover any new devices I’ve added for the last year or so.

I’m using the configuration yaml file, and HA’s /config/cloud/alexa list correctly shows the devices I’ve configured for discovery.

When I remove the skill in Alexa, or disable the service in HA (both done multiple times), and discover it again, it just finds the same list of devices from a year ago, liked it’s cached somewhere. Alexa can control them fine, but just can’t see any of the new ones.

Google Assistant seems to be updated fine when I add new devices, but I need to be able to use our Echo speakers around the house.

I don’t have any media devices set up with Alexa, which seems to cause issues for some, so that’s ruled out.

Here’s my ‘cloud’ config:

cloud: #enables access via Nabu Casa
  alexa:
    filter:
      include_entities:
        - switch.aircon_bedroom
        - switch.aircon_formal_lounge
        - switch.aircon_study
        - switch.aircon_dining
        - script.clean_robot_vacuum
        - vacuum.xiaomi_vacuum_cleaner
        - switch.bedside_lamp_switch
        - switch.fan
        - switch.pihole_switch

Can anyone advise as to how I can fix this?

2

which devices from that list are actually being discovered?

3

The top two aircon switches, which were added more recently. Also, anything else new that I add is also ignored.

4

I’m not sure why the two at the top wouldn’t be discovered since they are in the “include:” list but I’m pretty sure that since you use the “include:” filter then anything not in that list won’t be discovered.

try removing the filter and rediscovering things to see if it will still not pick up anything.

It should now find everything in your HA.

If it then discovers everything you can start narrowing things down by using “include:” and “exclude:” filters.

as an example here is (a small snippet of) my cloud config that works for me:

  alexa:
    filter:
      exclude_domains:
        - group
        - camera
        - automation
        - sensor
        - binary_sensor
        - alert
        - input_number
        - media_player
        - script
        - timer
      include_entities:
        - group.alexa_all_basement_lights
        - group.alexa_all_livingroom_lights
        - group.alexa_all_lights
        - group.alexa_all_mbr_lights
        - group.tank_power_heads
        - script.close_gdn
        - script.open_gdn
        - script.close_gds
        - script.open_gds
      exclude_entities:
        - fan.all_fans
        - fan.master_bedroom_fan_popup
        - switch.comp_room_light_sw
        - switch.docker_home_assistant_prod
        - switch.docker_zwavejs2mqtt
        - switch.docker_wud
        - input_boolean.all_fans_state
        - input_boolean.as_alarm_test
        - input_boolean.as_enable_kitchen_motion_notify
        - light.ifan02_test_light
    entity_config:
      input_boolean.sr_fan_off_alexa:
        name: Sunroom Fan
        description: The input boolean to turn off the sunroom fan
      switch.xmas_tree:
        name: Tree
      switch.digital_picture_frame:
        name: Picture Frame
      fan.ifan02_test_fan:
        name: Test Fan

the way the filters work is that it will include all domains except the excluded ones listed, then it will include entities specifically listed even if the domain is excluded, then it will exclude entities listed even if the domain is included.

5

Thanks for the response. It looks like I’m using the same configuration as you.

It doesn’t matter what I add or remove from the include or exclude lists. Alexa just finds the devices as per my config from a year or so ago. It is totally ignoring my config and looking at some old list that must be cached somewhere.

It’s frustrating as Google assistant picks up the changes as soon as I run the discovery process.

6

try turning off the cloud integration completely, removing discovered devices from alexa and then rediscovering (with cloud still disabled).