Short answer: Link your Google or Amazon account to Home Assistant through Home Assistant Cloud, or set up the integration manually. Then expose only the devices and scripts you want to control, give each one a clear spoken name, and start automations by voice. Both assistants send voice requests through their own cloud services, so voice control depends on the internet even when your devices are local.
Does Google Home or Alexa need Home Assistant Cloud?
Home Assistant Cloud is the simplest route for both. Manual setup also works, but it takes more configuration.
Which devices can a voice assistant control?
Only the entities you expose to that assistant. Exposure is set separately for Google Assistant and Alexa.
Can voice commands start automations?
Yes. Expose a script or scene, or wrap an automation in a script, then call it by its spoken name.
Do voice commands work without internet?
No. Voice requests pass through Google or Amazon before they reach Home Assistant. Dashboard controls and local automations do not depend on either voice service.
Have a running Home Assistant instance, an admin account, and the Google or Amazon account you use with your assistant.
Voice assistant requirements change by region, language, and subscription. Confirm current requirements in Home Assistant and with each assistant's provider before you set up.
Google Home connects through the Google Assistant integration in Home Assistant.
Alexa connects through the Alexa integration, using the Amazon account linked to your Echo devices.
Expose only the entities each assistant needs, and give them names the assistant can match to a spoken request.
| Setting | What to do |
|---|---|
| Exposed entities | Expose lights, switches, covers, climate devices, and the scripts or scenes you want voice to start. |
| Spoken names | Keep names short and distinct, such as "Kitchen ceiling light" instead of "Light 3". |
| Aliases | Add a second spoken name where people would naturally say something different, such as "porch" for "Front porch light". |
| Separate exposure | Choose exposed entities for each assistant separately. Google Assistant and Alexa do not share one list. |
Automations start by voice through exposed scripts or scenes that the assistant can call by name.
| Spoken request (example) | What Home Assistant runs |
|---|---|
| "Turn on the porch light" | An exposed light entity |
| "Activate movie night" | An exposed scene with the lighting levels you saved |
| "Start bedtime" | An exposed script with the steps you chose |
The phrases above are examples. The wording each assistant accepts depends on your aliases, your language setting, and your assistant's setup.
Voice commands depend on a cloud service, while dashboard controls and local automations do not.
| Control path | Route | Depends on a voice service |
|---|---|---|
| Voice through Google Home | Your voice, then Google's cloud, then Home Assistant | Yes, Google |
| Voice through Alexa | Your voice, then Amazon's cloud, then Home Assistant | Yes, Amazon |
| Dashboard and local automations | Stays on your network inside Home Assistant | No |
If reliable local control matters most, keep critical automations in Home Assistant and treat voice as an addition.
It is not required, but it is the simplest route for Google Assistant and Alexa. Manual setup works and takes more configuration.
Yes. Expose each device to each assistant separately.
Check that the entity is exposed to that assistant, then run discovery again. A duplicate or unclear name can also send a command to the wrong device.
The steps are similar. Alexa uses an Amazon account and a discovery step in the Alexa app. Google Home uses a Google account and the Google Home app.
Only automations you have exposed through a script or scene. Wrap complex logic in a script first.
No. Voice requests need the assistant's cloud service. Local dashboard controls and automations keep working.
Read the integrations guide to choose the right connection for your home before you link any voice account.
Browse Home Assistant integrations →Home Assistant integration guidance.