node-red-alexa-home-skill-web
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hardillb
Ben Hardill devices to stop working Nov 1, 2025?
I got this email from Amazon, do users need to migrate off this platform?
We're reaching out to let you know about changes to how Alexa works with Ben Hardill devices that connect to Alexa using the Node-RED Skill. The Node-RED Skill uses an outdated integration that hasn't been updated by its developer to support all of Alexa’s existing and new functionality.
As a result, the Ben Hardill devices you have connected using their Alexa Skill will stop working with Alexa on November 1, 2025. This means the devices will no longer work with Alexa voice requests, Routines, or the Alexa app at that time.
While no immediate action is required, we want to alert you to this upcoming change. We know how important it is to have a reliable smart home experience. Works with Alexa certified devices are designed to support Alexa's latest features and deliver the best voice control. To find products that continue to support Alexa's growing capabilities, click here.
Thank you for making Alexa part of your home.
Thanks, Alexa Customer Service
I heard about this about an hour ago (when another user sent it to me directly).
As I said to that user, this is really strange and unexpected news, Amazon have not contacted me about this at all, they even re-certified the Skill less than a month ago when it was re-accepted to the Skill marketplace. (It was marked as only for existing users again without any contact from Amazon)
(edit: it still appears to be active and available to all on the Marketplace https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N0D97FZ/)
The Skill has been in maintenance only mode for a while as I migrated to using Google Home devices rather than Amazon Alexa, but I do have a device for testing and it has the Skill enabled and I have not received this message yet on that account.
To upgrade the skill to use the latest Alexa Home Skill API would require a ground up re-write of the backend of the Skill and as I have a full time day job 60 days notice just isn't enough time to do that (and to be honest as I don't use it any more I also don't really have the motivation).
I will explore if there are any options to prevent this, but otherwise I need to think about this over the weekend and decide what the best course of action is, I will update here when I have anything more to share.
I will add a link to this issue to the Skill Home page.
Cheers, I appreciate the response and your situation.
I feel the same simply about implementing a new solution, lol.
Mostly I appreciate the years of use, whether or not the project continues.
I'd be willing to help if I can get some basic guidance on how to start. What file(s) implement the API interface that would have to change? I am a retired SW Eng, though never worked on a project like this, but also have a son who might be able to also help. Funny thing is I just started using this to control Home Assistant things via Alexa just this past month and loved the simplicity of it, so that email was pretty disappointing.
@cpetersgit you are welcome to look, the code is in 3 parts, the index.js file in this repo and the lambda code in https://github.com/hardillb/node-red-alexa-home-skill-lambda (The 3rd part is the node it's self, but you can probably ignore that bit for now)
You can't deploy this any more (Amazon won't let you spin up a new skill with the old API), but basically the Lambda receives input from Alexa, forwards it as a HTTP request to the the code in here, which does the authentication checks then forwards the requests to the correct user via MQTT.
It waits for a reply then responds to the HTTP request back to the Lambda code so it can reply to Alexa.
There is a bunch of oAuth code that wraps it all, but none of that should need changing.
Also there is no documentation for the API this was written for any more as Amazon deleted it all some time ago.
The current doc starts here:
- https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/get-deeper/smart-home-skills
- https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smarthome/understand-the-smart-home-skill-api.html
OK, it's raining here so I'm stuck inside and have been nerd sniped into seeing what's possible.
I'm looking at the new API to see if this can be done with just a new version of lambda with minor changes to the current backend.
The device definitions appear to be very different but it may be possible to convert between them.
I am not promising anything here, just looking
I have a new lambda that plugs into the existing server backend and converts new format Alexa API to the old, it passes basic unit tests for discovery, on/off and set brightness (assuming the examples in the docs are correct, because the ones backed into the Lambda env are for the old version of the api).
I will try and talk to Amazon tomorrow to see if how/if I can just swap the lambda out on the existing Skill.
Again still not promising anything
Awesome! I completed the 5 part (about 25 step) Alexa Skill Tutorial and in the end figured that was not helpful, so glad you made some progress. Still willing to help any way I can, just not sure I can. Thanks for continuing to try.
I'm also hoping you are able to "rescue" my integration! Thank you for your work on this, Ben! (I also got the email that Hilo4321 got!)
ARGH!
I opened a case with Amazon to discuss this, it had a limited number of characters so I didn't include the email verbatim, they replied asking for the whole email (and screenshots of the "error"?). When I tried to reply there is no way to access the existing case with the links they provided and the list of existing cases is empty. So I opened a new case and included the reference to the old one.
They just closed the new one saying I had to update the old one.... Getting to talk to a real human is near impossible with the head long charge to AI and now this. It feels like they are going to make this hard and just run out the clock until November
@hardillb Not sure if this helps or not. I had cloned this years ago and used it as the basis for the Homebridge integration. While it is not still the same anymore the basic pattern is there, ie usage of MQTT as the client connectivity.
We could create a new node-red / Alexa integration leveraging the Homebridge skill and cloud servers. It would require a bit of coding but could be do-able.
Just a quick update, I am still to get a proper response from Amazon. there ticketing system has no way to reply to existing tickets.
I was told it was pushed up the chain for a response early last week and I am still waiting having chased it several times.
Hi Ben, I am a semi-retired IoT and device-integration developer, with experience creating REST APIs for many of my custom home devices (RPi III, Shelly Uni, etc.). I live in Southern California. I’ve been an enthusiastic user of your Node-RED Alexa Home Skill for several years and was disappointed to receive Amazon’s recent notice, it feels as though their relationship with developers has become increasingly impersonal. You deserved more consideration.
I’ve always supported open source and “try-before-you-buy” software. Amazon implied that the project was not supported after November 1. My wife and I depend on our voice-controlled home automation, to avoid losing functionality, I quickly built a few private Alexa Skills that call APIs via Python Lambda functions, hard coded with JSON for my custom devices (sound system, swimming pool, miscellaneous devices and any information public APIs aka Edge Runner). They work, but I really appreciated the elegant solution you created. I even donated to your project a few years ago.
Being semi-retired, financial resources are very limited, but I do have time. I'd love for your project to resume and get updated. If you ever need help or testers, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best regards,
Dino O. Gregorich Founder & Solutions Architect Synergy IOT Solutions
I have just found how to convert the lambda to the v3 format which is the new format, so I'll try and find some time at the weekend to do some more work on the translation lambda I did get device discovery and basic on/off and % brightness working in local testing,
I still need to get a response from Amazon if this doing this will keep the skill active, but it is a step in the right direction
OK, I have basic discovery working for lights and I'm able to turn a light on/off with the new lambda. Took a lot of messing around.
Will keep testing and will see if I can get all the existing device types to work.
I saw something similar to what you are dicussing here, and it has to do with Belkin WeMo devices will probably stop working as well, since Belkin apparently doesn't wanto to update. WeMo devices are what the Fauxmo code was written for.
So my question for you, is do you have any client implementation that can run via a scripting language to interact with your devices ? The Fauxmo I found and originally use was written in python.
@mocallins I reverse engineered wemo devices when they were released, they all had local SOAP interfaces and I wrote a bunch of Node-RED nodes (and some standalone nodejs code) to drive them and I have a couple of smart sockets and the light bridge to control zigbee bulbs.
They are all hooked up to be controlled by both this skill and my Google Home version.
Now I've not upgraded the firmware on my Wemo devices in years, so assuming they didn't remove the local SOAP interface it should all work.
Multiple posts on my blog about it: https://blog.hardill.me.uk/?s=wemo
Exactly, that's what someone did when, and then wrote it all in python.I also mis-spoke about the interaction with Fauxmo and WeMo.Fauxmo emulates WeMo, just like you reverse engineered.So what i would really be interested in, is you having a "Fauxmo" like, capability with your Alexa skill, so that i could drive additional automation through a scripting language, like i do now. Here's what the config Fauxmo uses, looks like, and you can see the commands it can do:{ "FAUXMO": { }, "PLUGINS": { "CommandLinePlugin": { "DEVICES": [ { "name": "%hostname%", "port": 49910, "on_cmd": "", "off_cmd": "sudo shutdown -r -t 0 now", "initial_state": "on", "use_fake_state": true } ] } } }
On Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 03:34:23 PM CDT, Ben Hardill ***@***.***> wrote:
hardillb left a comment (hardillb/node-red-alexa-home-skill-web#192) @mocallins I reverse engineered wemo devices when they were released, they all had local SOAP interfaces and I wrote a bunch of Node-RED nodes (and some standalone nodejs code) to drive them and I have a couple of smart sockets and the light bridge to control zigbee bulbs.
They are all hooked up to be controlled by both this skill and my Google Home version.
Now I've not upgraded the firmware on my Wemo devices in years, so assuming they didn't remove the local SOAP interface it should all work.
Multiple posts on my blog about it: https://blog.hardill.me.uk/?s=wemo
— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>
@mocallins No, my service runs with Node-RED and Node-RED only. I've hidden your comments and my response to the first one as it is totally off topic for what this issue is tracking.
Basic Lock type working (locking only not unlock, but I'm 95% sure it was always that way.
Need to spend some time on the Thermostat stuff then I can try and submit it for it's first assessment of the new lambda
Do you need some testing support? I just found this thread, as I just setup my HA system on raspberry pi. I was looking to connect with my Amazon Echo, to play around with it. Let my know what assistance you may need.
I have finally got an answer from Amazon about why they contacted end users before me.
Apparently they emailed me 2 years ago, but just the once and no follow up.
I have most of the triats working in local test, but failing the built in test suite with messages saying the JSON schema is wrong (but it validates against the spec provided).
I will try and do some more work at the weekend and then look to see if I can enable testing for other users. This will require you providing me with the email address linked to your Amazon accounts. I will probably have people email an address rather post them here.
If you want to test please email alexa-test @ hardill.me.uk with the email address bound to the alexa account you want to test with.
ONLY SIGN UP IF YOU CAN LIVE WITH IT NOT WORKING
I will then manually add that email address to the beta test list, this will switch you over to the new version and I will reply when i've done it.
Understand that this may very well be broken. I think I've got it basically working for me with pretty much all the device types when I test, but it is pretty much only golden path.
Open new issues here if you have problems, but understand it may take me a day or so to look at them.
Hi Ben,
today I also got an eMail from Amazon, claiming my "Ben-Hardill-Devices" will stop woring on Nov. 4th...
I know this is a spare time project for you. Do you think you can get this updated before the dead line?
thanks a lot for this great tool!
Hello! Today I also got the email from Amazon. A lot of my automations depends this skill. Thanks a lot for the hard work. Hope all be fine soon.
I added a bunch of folks to the beta test, but feedback was that the invites had not been sent out.
I have submitted the code as is for review by Amazon, so we wait and see...
Hello hardillb, I received yesterday the email from amazon and I was a bit disappointed. Your skill / integration is fantastic and I use it easily to send commands from Alexa to Home Assistant using Node Red. I hope you will solve the issue and I thank you in advance. Just for info, do you know this similar skill? https://red.cb-net.co.uk/ Is it in someway connected to this?
@francoce the red.cb-net.co.uk skill was forked from this skill a long time ago, I have no contact or knowledge about it other than that
Hi, I've also been emailed and I've been using it in for years in my Node-RED home automation. Thanks for the hard work and hope it gets sorted. F.
@hardillb Anyway do you confirm me that currently any new device installed in your portal is not seen by Alexa?
...Hoping for a new solution, thanks again
F.
@francoce I have added a new device for testing about a month ago and it worked just fine (Remember you must ask Alexa to discover new devices, it is not automatic when the device is created), the only feedback I have had is that things for not work with "Alexa+" or what ever the new stuff is called, I am lead to believe that Alexa+ does not support the old Skill version at all.
As I have already stated, I have submitted a new version of the Skill for review, now we have to wait on Amazon.