Motion-based recording - Automatically record cameras when motion is detected
Multiple motion sensors - Support for multiple motion sensors per camera
️ Smart timing controls:
- Motion filter (0-10s) - Prevent false triggers
- Off-delay (0-60s) - Continue recording after motion stops
- Maximum duration (10-3600s) - Auto-stop long recordings
Pre-buffer support - Include seconds before motion detection (0-60s)
Flexible file management:
Custom save paths with variables
Multiple filename templates
Automatic cleanup of old recordings (0-365 days)
Force stop sensor - Stop recording based on any entity state
Enable/disable switch - Control recording with a toggle
Status sensor - Monitor recording state with beautiful icons
Smart device control - Automatically turn on/off lights or switches based on recording state
Auto-cleanup - Delete old recordings by retention policy (daily at 03:00)
Multi-language support - English and Russian translations
Hot reload - Settings apply immediately without restart

Installation

Manual Installation

Download the motion_recorder folder
Place it in your Home Assistant custom_components directory:
```
/config/custom_components/motion_recorder/
```
Restart Home Assistant
Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Add Integration
Search for Motion Recorder and follow the setup wizard

Via HACS (Recommended)

Open HACS in Home Assistant
Go to Integrations
Click ⋮ (three dots) → Custom repositories
Add repository: https://github.com/sirmrak/motion_recorder
Category: Integration
Install Motion Recorder from HACS
Restart Home Assistant
Add integration via Settings → Devices & Services

Configuration

Initial Setup

When adding the integration, you'll configure:

Setting	Description	Default	Range
Integration Name	Display name for this instance	Motion Recorder	-
Camera	Camera entity to record	-	-
Save Path	Folder relative to `/media`	`{camera_name}`	-
Filename Format	Date/time format for files	`DD-MM-YYYY_HH-MM-SS`	-
Max Duration	Maximum recording length	30 sec	10-3600 sec
Prebuffer	Seconds before motion to include	0 sec	0-60 sec
Motion Sensors	Binary sensors to trigger recording	-	-
Motion Filter	Delay before starting (false trigger protection)	0 sec	0-10 sec
Off Delay	Wait after motion stops before stopping	0 sec	0-60 sec
Force Stop Sensor	Entity to force stop recording	-	-
Force Stop State	State value to trigger stop	`off`	-
Retention Days	Auto-delete recordings older than	7 days	0-365 days
Controlled Devices	Lights/switches to auto-control	-	-
Control States	States when devices should be ON	`recording`	Multi-select
Log Level	Logging verbosity	INFO	-

Options (Post-Setup)

After initial setup, you can modify these settings via Settings → Devices & Services → Motion Recorder → Configure:

Maximum duration
Prebuffer
Motion filter
Off delay
Retention days
Controlled Devices
Control States
Log level

Changes apply immediately without restart.

Usage

Basic Workflow

Motion detected → Sensor triggers
Motion filter (optional) → Wait to confirm it's not a false trigger
Recording starts → Camera stream saved to file
Motion continues → Recording continues up to max duration
Motion stops → Off-delay timer starts
Off-delay expires → Recording stops and file finalizes
Cleanup → Old files deleted based on retention policy

State Machine

The integration uses a clear state machine visible in the status sensor:

idle → detecting → recording → delaying → finalizing → idle

State	Icon	Description
`idle`	`mdi:sleep`	Waiting for motion
`detecting`	`mdi:motion-sensor`	Motion filter active
`recording`	`mdi:record-rec`	Recording in progress
`delaying`	`mdi:timer-sand`	Waiting after motion stopped
`finalizing`	`mdi:file-check`	Saving and finalizing file
`disabled`	`mdi:video-off`	Recording disabled via switch
`error`	`mdi:alert-circle`	Error occurred

Entities Created

For each integration instance:

Sensor - sensor.motion_recorder_<name>_status
- Shows current recording state
- Attributes: recording count, total duration, total size, last file path
Switch - switch.motion_recorder_<name>_enabled
- Enable/disable recording
- State persists across restarts

Automation Examples

Send notification when recording completes

automation:
  - alias: "Notify on recording complete"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.motion_recorder_front_door_status
        to: "idle"
        from: "finalizing"
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "Recording completed: {{ state_attr('sensor.motion_recorder_front_door_status', 'last_file_path') }}"

Turn on light during recording

automation:
  - alias: "Light on during recording"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.motion_recorder_front_door_status
        to: "recording"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.porch

Disable recording at night

automation:
  - alias: "Disable recording at night"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "23:00:00"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: switch.motion_recorder_front_door_enabled

  - alias: "Enable recording in morning"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "07:00:00"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.motion_recorder_front_door_enabled

File Management

Save Path

The save path is relative to your Home Assistant /media directory. You can use variables:

{camera_name} - Replaced with camera entity name (without camera. prefix)

Examples:

{camera_name} → /media/front_door/
cameras/{camera_name} → /media/cameras/front_door/
/absolute/path/recordings → Absolute path (must exist)

Filename Templates

Choose from predefined formats:

Format	Example Output
`DD-MM-YYYY_HH-MM-SS`	`02-07-2026_20-30-45.mp4`
`YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS`	`2026-07-02_20-30-45.mp4`
`DD.MM.YYYY_HH-MM-SS`	`02.07.2026_20-30-45.mp4`
`YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS`	`20260702_203045.mp4`
`DD.MM.YYYY_HH.MM.SS`	`02.07.2026_20.30.45.mp4`

All formats include seconds to prevent file overwriting when multiple recordings occur in the same minute.

Automatic Cleanup

Files older than the retention period are automatically deleted daily at 03:00.

0 days = Never delete
7 days = Delete files older than 7 days
30 days = Delete files older than 30 days
365 days = Delete files older than 1 year

Cleanup runs in the background and doesn't affect recording performance.

Smart Device Control

Motion Recorder can automatically control lights and switches based on its current state.

How It Works

Select one or more light or switch entities in settings
Choose which states should trigger the devices (e.g., recording, delaying)
When the integration enters a selected state → devices turn ON
When it leaves that state → devices turn OFF (only if integration turned them on)

Safety Features

Non-intrusive: If you manually turn on a light, the integration won't turn it off
Manual override respected: If you turn off a controlled light during recording, it stays off
Shutdown cleanup: All integration-controlled devices are turned off when HA restarts or integration reloads

Example Use Cases

Turn on porch light only while recording is active
Activate alarm indicator LED during motion detection
Turn on indoor lighting when camera detects movement at night

Advanced Features

Multiple Motion Sensors

You can select multiple motion sensors. Recording triggers when any sensor detects motion. The integration uses OR logic:

Sensor A triggers → Recording starts
Sensor A stops, Sensor B still active → Recording continues
All sensors stop → Off-delay timer starts

Force Stop Sensor

Use any entity (binary_sensor, switch, input_boolean) to force stop recording immediately:

Use case: Stop recording when alarm is disarmed
Use case: Stop recording when person leaves the room
Use case: Emergency stop button

Pre-buffer

Include seconds before motion detection in the recording:

Requires active camera stream
Actual lookback may be less than requested depending on stream buffer
Useful for capturing what happened before motion triggered

Troubleshooting

Recording doesn't start

Check motion sensor is working in Home Assistant
Verify camera supports streaming
Check integration is enabled (switch is ON)
Review logs: Settings → System → Logs → filter by motion_recorder

Files not created

Verify save path exists or can be created
Check Home Assistant has write permissions to /media
Review logs for permission errors
Try absolute path instead of relative

Recording doesn't stop

Check off-delay setting (increase if needed)
Verify motion sensor actually stops triggering
Check max duration is set appropriately
Review logs for timer issues

Status sensor shows "error"

Check logs for detailed error message
Verify camera entity is valid
Check stream component is working
Try restarting Home Assistant

Logs

Set log level to DEBUG for detailed troubleshooting:

logger:
  logs:
    custom_components.motion_recorder: DEBUG

Requirements

Home Assistant 2024.6 or later
Camera with streaming support
stream component enabled
FFmpeg installed (for some camera types)

Support

Issues: GitHub Issues
Discussions: GitHub Discussions
Documentation: Home Assistant Documentation

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Credits

Built with ❤️ for the Home Assistant community
Inspired by various camera recording solutions
Thanks to all contributors and testers

Version: 1.1.0
Last Updated: 2026-07-05
Compatible with: Home Assistant 2024.6+

README.md Unescape Escape

Motion Recorder for Home Assistant

A powerful Home Assistant integration for recording camera streams based on motion detection with advanced filtering and automated management.

Features