NOOB: I have sensors posting to MQTT - Where to go from here?

Good afternoon,
I’ve setup a hass.io on an RPI3b+. Bluetooth presence detection picks up when my phone is close and posts to MQTT. It shows up in my history as “AWAY” or “HOME.”

What’s the next step? Setting up automations, states, scenes? There’s a lot hidden beneath the waves and I don’t have a map or even understand the destinations I can reach yet.

Sensors are only half of what you need. You need some entities you can control. Then figure out how you want to control them.

Start off with lights on/off. Maybe, all lights off when you leave or at night sort of thing. Or, lights on at sunset and you’re home. Etc.

Don’t need to jump into scenes yet unless you have experience with them. Scenes are useful when you want to make an entire room do something at once. I’d save it for later.

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Found the tp-link wifi wall switches have an integration. I’ve got an automation to turn on my office lamp when the sun goes down. Doesn’t work yet but it’s a start.