Homeassistant YAML Dry Verifier

Home Assistant YAML DRY Verifier

Use this skill to lint Home Assistant YAML for repeat logic before or after edits, then refactor repeated blocks into reusable helpers.

Mandatory Resolution Policy

• If the verifier reports findings for files touched in the current task, do not stop at reporting.
• Resolve the findings in the same task by refactoring YAML to remove duplication.
• Re-run the verifier after refactoring and iterate until targeted findings are cleared.
• If a finding cannot be safely resolved, explicitly document the blocker and the smallest safe follow-up.
• If touched YAML performs cleanup, registry hygiene, purge, deletion, or other destructive maintenance, require preview/dry-run behavior, explicit confirmation, and audit/backup output before any destructive action is considered complete.

Quick Start

1. Run the verifier script on the file(s) you edited.
2. Review repeated block findings first (highest confidence).
3. Refactor into shared scripts/helpers/templates where appropriate.
4. If the change renames/removes entity references or adds maintenance cleanup behavior, perform the read-only entity/reference safety pass.
5. Re-run the verifier and then run your normal Home Assistant config check.

python <skill-dir>/scripts/verify_ha_yaml_dry.py config/packages/example.yaml --strict

Scan a full directory when doing wider cleanup:

python <skill-dir>/scripts/verify_ha_yaml_dry.py config/packages config/automations

Workflow

1. Identify target YAML:

• Prefer changed files first.
• Include adjacent package/script files when the change might duplicate existing logic.

2. Run verifier:

• Use --min-occurrences 2 (default) for normal checks.
• Use --strict when you want non-zero exit if duplication is found.

3. Prioritize findings in this order:

• FULL_BLOCK: repeated full trigger/condition/action/sequence blocks.
• ENTRY: repeated individual entries inside those blocks (excluding entries already fully covered by a FULL_BLOCK duplicate).
• INTRA: duplicate entries inside a single block.
• CENTRAL_SCRIPT: script is defined in config/packages but called from 2+ YAML files.

4. Refactor with intent:

• Repeated actions/sequence: move to a reusable script.*, pass variables.
• Repeated conditions: extract to template binary sensors or helper entities.
• Repeated triggers: consolidate where behavior is equivalent, or split by intent if readability improves.
• For cooldown/throttle behavior, prefer automation-local this.attributes.last_triggered with custom event handoff before adding new helper entities, unless shared persistent state is required across automations.

5. Entity/Registry Safety Pass:

• Keep this pass read-only during normal DRY work. Report possible stale references or risky cleanup behavior; do not delete Home Assistant registry entries as part of this skill.
• When refactors rename, remove, or consolidate automations, scripts, helpers, entities, service calls, or dashboard targets, search touched and adjacent YAML for stale references before closing the task.
• Use live Home Assistant context or registry/state evidence when available and in scope, especially before changing entity IDs or automations that depend on device/integration state.
• Do not treat generic unavailable, disabled, or no-config_entry_id entities as safe deletion candidates. In YAML-heavy setups these are often intentional.
• Treat these platforms as common false-positive sources unless stronger evidence proves otherwise: automation, script, scene, template, helpers (input_*, group, timer, counter, schedule, zone, person, tag), command_line, rest, mqtt, yahoofinance, youtube, and local infrastructure telemetry.
• For cleanup or maintenance automations, prefer a preview/report action first, persistent ignore rules where repeated noise is expected, and an audit artifact that records what would change or did change.
• Destructive cleanup must be gated by explicit operator confirmation and should have backup/audit output. A dry-run-only recommendation is acceptable when the evidence is not strong enough.

6. Validate after edits:

• Re-run this verifier.
• Run Home Assistant config validation before reload/restart.

7. Enforce closure:

• Treat unresolved FULL_BLOCK/ENTRY findings in touched files as incomplete work unless a blocker is documented.
• Prefer consolidating duplicated automation triggers/conditions/actions into shared logic or a single branching automation.
• Treat unresolved CENTRAL_SCRIPT findings in touched scope as incomplete unless documented as deferred-with-blocker.
• Move shared package scripts to config/script/<script_id>.yaml when they are used cross-file.
• Treat unresolved stale-reference or cleanup-safety concerns in touched scope as incomplete unless documented as deferred-with-blocker.

Dashboard Designer Integration

When dashboard or automation work includes YAML edits beyond card layout, use this verifier after generation to catch duplicated logic that may have been introduced during fast refactors.

Output Contract

Always report:

• Total files scanned.
• Parse errors (if any).
• Duplicate groups by kind (trigger, condition, action, sequence).
• Central script placement findings (CENTRAL_SCRIPT) with definition + caller files.
• Script caller detection should include direct service: script.<id> and script.turn_on-style entity targeting when present.
• Concrete refactor recommendation per group.
• Resolution status for each finding (resolved, deferred-with-blocker).
• Entity/reference hygiene status when this pass is in scope (checked, not-in-scope, or deferred-with-blocker).
• For cleanup or destructive maintenance YAML, preview/dry-run, confirmation, and audit/backup status.

Strict behavior:

• --strict returns non-zero for any reported finding (FULL_BLOCK, ENTRY, INTRA, CENTRAL_SCRIPT).
• Without --strict, findings are reported but exit remains zero unless parse errors occur.

References

• Read references/refactor_playbook.md for concise DRY refactor patterns.