Add device

The Add device action enables the join permission of a Xiaomi Aqara Gateway for 30 seconds. During that time, you can add a new device by pressing its pairing button once.

This is useful for pairing a new sensor or switch without opening the Mi Home app.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To open the gateway for pairing from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the search box, search for and select Xiaomi Gateway (Aqara): Add device.
6. Enter the Gateway MAC.
7. Select Save.

This action does not support targets. In the UI, you are not prompted to choose an area, device, entity, or label.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as xiaomi_aqara.add_device. A basic example looks like this:

action: xiaomi_aqara.add_device
data:
  gw_mac: aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff

Options in YAML

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one:

• Remove device: Removes a paired device from a Xiaomi Aqara Gateway.

• Play ringtone: Plays a specific ringtone on a Xiaomi Aqara Gateway.

• Stop ringtone: Stops a ringtone that is playing on a Xiaomi Aqara Gateway.