ha-automation-mcp

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upsert_notify_group

Create or update a Home Assistant notify group to aggregate multiple notify services; restart Home Assistant afterward to make notify. available.

Instructions

Create or update a notify platform:group entry.

After writing, HA must be restarted before notify.<name> becomes available (notify does not support hot reload).

Args: name: Group name; service becomes notify.<name>. services: List of notify services to aggregate, e.g. ["mobile_app_sm_s911b", "mobile_app_s25"]. extra: Optional extra top-level keys to include on the group entry.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "name": "<name>",
      "services": "<services>"
    },
    "name": "upsert_notify_group"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`name`	Yes
`extra`	No
`services`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv1.0.0Oct 2, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations present, the description carries the full burden, and it delivers a genuinely important side-effect disclosure: HA must be restarted before the new `notify.<name>` service is available because notify does not support hot reload. It does not cover permissions/auth, what happens to unmentioned existing keys, or return behavior, so it is strong but not complete.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the action and resource, immediately followed by the critical restart caveat, then a compact Args list. Every sentence earns its place and there is no filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a config-writing tool with no output schema and no annotations, the description covers purpose, the key post-write requirement, and all three parameters. It omits return-value expectations and any permission prerequisites, which is a minor gap rather than a blocking one.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate and it does: it explains name (and the derived service id), services (with a concrete example list of mobile_app service ids), and extra (optional passthrough top-level keys). Every parameter gets meaning the schema alone does not provide.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (create or update / upsert) and a specific resource (a notify platform:group entry), and names the resulting entity `notify.<name>`. This clearly distinguishes it from siblings like delete_notify_group, get_notify_group and list_notify_groups.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The 'create or update' wording implies upsert semantics and the restart note gives operational context, but there is no explicit when-to-use/when-not-to-use guidance or reference to the sibling tools for reading or removing groups. Usage is implied rather than stated.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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