Home Assistant WLED: The Complete Guide to Addressable LED Strips

100+ Built-in Effects

Rainbow, fire, twinkle, meteor, aurora, chase, and dozens more. Each effect has adjustable speed, intensity, and color palette. No coding needed.

100% Local Control

Everything runs on your local network. No internet needed after setup. Works with Home Assistant, MQTT, HTTP API, DMX, Alexa, and more.

Segments

Split one strip into multiple virtual zones, each with its own color, effect, and brightness. One controller can handle a whole room.

Dirt Cheap

A complete setup costs 15 to 30 euros. Compare that to Philips Hue Gradient strips at 150+ euros for similar (but less flexible) results.

Go to install.wled.me in Chrome or Edge. Plug in your ESP via USB. Click "Install WLED." That is literally it. The browser flashes the firmware directly. Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Best for: First-timers, anyone who just wants it working.

Download the WLED binary from the GitHub releases page, then flash it using ESPHome Flasher (GUI) or esptool.py (command line). This gives you more control over which exact binary you flash, useful for custom builds or specific board variants.

Best for: People who want a specific version or custom compile.

Athom sells ESP32 controllers with WLED already installed. Plug in power and LEDs, connect to Wi-Fi, done. No USB cable needed, no flashing, no drivers. These also come with proper connectors and level shifters.

Best for: People who value their time over saving 5 euros.

Light Entity

Full color control with brightness, RGB color picker, color temperature (RGBW strips), and effect selection. Each segment appears as a separate light entity if you have multiple segments configured.

Select Entities

Pick effects, color palettes, and presets from dropdown menus. All 100+ WLED effects show up as options. You can trigger specific effects from automations using these entities.

Number Entities

Adjust effect speed and intensity with sliders. Handy for fine-tuning how fast animations run or how pronounced effects appear.

Sensor Entities

Wi-Fi signal strength, free memory, uptime, and estimated current draw. Useful for monitoring the health of your WLED devices and catching power issues.

1. TV Backlight (Ambilight Clone)

Stick an LED strip behind your TV and use HyperHDR or Hyperion to capture screen colors in real time. The LEDs match what is on screen, creating an immersive ambient light effect. Budget: about 25 euros for the strip + ESP, plus an HDMI capture card (~15 euros) for the best results.

2. Staircase Lights

Mount a short strip under each stair tread. Use WLED segments so each step is its own zone. Trigger with a motion sensor at the top and bottom, and have them light up one by one as you walk. The "wipe" effect looks stunning.

3. Under-Bed Nightlight

Warm white strip under the bed frame, triggered by a motion sensor at night. Set brightness to 10 to 15% so it gently lights the floor without waking anyone. One of the simplest and most practical WLED projects.

4. Kitchen Under-Cabinet Lighting

SK6812 RGBW strips under kitchen cabinets give you both bright white task lighting for cooking and colorful ambient mode for evenings. Use a diffuser channel for a clean, professional look. Way cheaper than commercial under-cabinet lights.

5. Gaming Desk Setup

Strip behind the desk, behind the monitor, along shelf edges. Use WLED's audio reactive mode (with the WLED Sound Reactive fork or a connected microphone) to sync lights to game audio or music. Multiple segments let different zones react differently.

6. Outdoor Deck or Patio

IP67 rated strips along deck railings, under steps, or around the patio. Use WS2811 (12V) for longer runs with fewer power injection points. The "fire" effect makes a great evening ambiance. Turn off automatically at bedtime.

7. Holiday Decorations

Christmas tree, Halloween window display, Easter egg hunt trail. WLED presets let you switch between holiday themes instantly. Save preset 1 for "Christmas warm twinkle," preset 2 for "Halloween spooky," and trigger them with a Home Assistant calendar automation.

8. Visual Notification Strip

Flash red when the doorbell rings. Pulse blue when the washing machine finishes. Show green for 5 seconds when someone disarms the alarm. A small strip near your workspace becomes a silent notification display for any Home Assistant event.

9. Status Bar / Progress Indicator

Use WLED segments to create a physical progress bar. Show energy consumption as a green-to-red gradient. Display the UV index. Track how many Pomodoro sessions you have done today. Any number in Home Assistant can become a visual bar.

10. Sound Reactive Party Mode

The WLED Sound Reactive fork (now partially merged into main WLED) uses a microphone connected to the ESP to make LEDs react to music in real time. Frequency-based effects make bass pulse different colors than treble. Perfect for parties, game nights, or just vibing to music.

1. Movie Mode: Dim When Media Plays

When your media player starts playing, fade the WLED strip to a low warm glow. When it pauses or stops, bring it back up.

automation:
  - alias: "WLED Movie Mode"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: media_player.living_room_tv
        to: "playing"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_tv_backlight
        data:
          brightness: 30
          rgb_color: [255, 147, 41]
          effect: "Solid"
  - alias: "WLED Movie Mode Off"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: media_player.living_room_tv
        from: "playing"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_tv_backlight
        data:
          brightness: 150
          effect: "Solid"

2. Sunrise Wake-Up Light

Gradually brighten your bedroom WLED strip from dark red to warm white over 20 minutes before your alarm. Much gentler than a blaring alarm.

automation:
  - alias: "WLED Sunrise"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "06:40:00"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_bedroom
        data:
          brightness: 5
          rgb_color: [255, 50, 0]
      - delay: "00:05:00"
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_bedroom
        data:
          brightness: 50
          rgb_color: [255, 120, 30]
          transition: 300
      - delay: "00:05:00"
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_bedroom
        data:
          brightness: 150
          rgb_color: [255, 180, 80]
          transition: 300
      - delay: "00:05:00"
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_bedroom
        data:
          brightness: 255
          rgb_color: [255, 220, 160]
          transition: 300

3. Motion-Activated Hallway

Turn on the hallway strip when motion is detected. At night, use a dim warm color. During the day, use full brightness white (SK6812 RGBW). Auto-off after 2 minutes of no motion.

automation:
  - alias: "WLED Hallway Motion"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.hallway_motion
        to: "on"
    condition: []
    action:
      - choose:
          - conditions:
              - condition: time
                after: "22:00:00"
                before: "07:00:00"
            sequence:
              - service: light.turn_on
                target:
                  entity_id: light.wled_hallway
                data:
                  brightness: 20
                  rgb_color: [255, 100, 20]
        default:
          - service: light.turn_on
            target:
              entity_id: light.wled_hallway
            data:
              brightness: 200
              color_temp: 300
  - alias: "WLED Hallway Off"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.hallway_motion
        to: "off"
        for: "00:02:00"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_hallway
        data:
          transition: 3

4. Doorbell Flash Notification

Flash the WLED strip when someone rings the doorbell. Useful when you are wearing headphones or in a room where you can not hear the doorbell.

automation:
  - alias: "WLED Doorbell Flash"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.doorbell
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_office
        data:
          effect: "Blink"
          rgb_color: [0, 100, 255]
          brightness: 255
      - delay: "00:00:10"
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.wled_office
        data:
          effect: "Solid"
          brightness: "{state_attr('light.wled_office', 'brightness') | default(150)}"

5. Weather-Reactive Ambient Strip

Change your LED strip color based on the weather forecast. Blue for rain, warm orange for sunny, white for snow. A subtle, glanceable way to know the weather without checking your phone.

automation:
  - alias: "WLED Weather Colors"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: weather.home
    action:
      - choose:
          - conditions:
              - condition: state
                entity_id: weather.home
                state: "sunny"
            sequence:
              - service: light.turn_on
                target:
                  entity_id: light.wled_living_room
                data:
                  rgb_color: [255, 180, 50]
                  brightness: 80
                  transition: 10
          - conditions:
              - condition: state
                entity_id: weather.home
                state: "rainy"
            sequence:
              - service: light.turn_on
                target:
                  entity_id: light.wled_living_room
                data:
                  rgb_color: [30, 100, 255]
                  brightness: 60
                  transition: 10
          - conditions:
              - condition: state
                entity_id: weather.home
                state: "snowy"
            sequence:
              - service: light.turn_on
                target:
                  entity_id: light.wled_living_room
                data:
                  rgb_color: [200, 220, 255]
                  brightness: 100
                  effect: "Twinkle"
                  transition: 10
        default:
          - service: light.turn_on
            target:
              entity_id: light.wled_living_room
            data:
              rgb_color: [255, 200, 120]
              brightness: 60
              transition: 10

Use Aluminum Channels with Diffusers

Raw LED strips show individual LED dots. An aluminum channel with a milky diffuser cover turns them into a smooth, continuous light bar. It also acts as a heatsink. Costs about 3 to 5 euros per meter and makes a huge visual difference.

Set a Current Limit

Always configure the current limiter in WLED settings to match your power supply's rating. This prevents brownouts, flickering, and potential overheating. WLED automatically adjusts brightness to stay within the limit.

Use WLED Sync for Multiple Controllers

Running LEDs in multiple rooms? WLED's built-in UDP sync keeps all controllers in lockstep. Set one as the sync sender and others as receivers. They stay perfectly synchronized with no Home Assistant involvement needed.

Use the Brightness Limiter for Daily Use

Set the default brightness to 40 to 60% in WLED settings. Full brightness is blinding for ambient use and eats power. You can always boost it for parties or effects, but the default should be comfortable for daily use.

Keep Firmware Updated

WLED is actively developed with new effects, performance improvements, and bug fixes. Update through the WLED web interface (Security and Updates section) or use the OTA update option. Always back up your presets first.

Consider 12V Strips for Long Runs

If your strip is longer than 5 meters, 12V strips (WS2811, WS2815) are much easier to power. Lower current at higher voltage means thinner wires, fewer power injection points, and less voltage drop.

• ESP8266 NodeMCU (~3 euros)
• 1m WS2812B 60/m strip (~3 euros)
• 5V 2A USB power supply (~4 euros)
• Dupont wires (~2 euros)
• Micro USB cable (likely have one)

Great for: learning WLED, TV backlight for a small monitor, desk accent lighting.

• Athom WLED Controller (~12 euros)
• 5m WS2812B 60/m strip (~12 euros)
• 5V 10A power supply (~10 euros)
• Aluminum diffuser channel (~5 euros)

Great for: full TV ambilight, kitchen under-cabinet, bedroom accent wall.

• QuinLED-Dig-Quad (~25 euros)
• 5m SK6812 RGBW 60/m (~25 euros)
• 5V 20A meanwell PSU (~15 euros)
• Aluminum channels + diffusers (~10 euros)
• Wago connectors + wire (~5 euros)

Great for: multi-zone room lighting, staircase builds, outdoor installations, anywhere you want both colors and quality white light.

What is WLED and why use it with Home Assistant?

WLED is free, open-source firmware for ESP8266 and ESP32 microcontrollers that controls addressable LED strips like WS2812B and SK6812. It runs entirely on your local network with no cloud dependency. Home Assistant discovers WLED devices automatically and gives you full control over colors, effects, brightness, and segments. You get over 100 built-in effects, a web interface for quick changes, and deep automation possibilities through Home Assistant.

What hardware do I need for a WLED setup?

At minimum you need three things: an ESP32 or ESP8266 board (around 5 to 8 euros), an addressable LED strip (WS2812B is the most popular, about 10 to 25 euros for 5 meters), and a 5V power supply sized to your strip length. For strips longer than 2 meters, inject power at both ends to avoid voltage drop. A 10A 5V supply handles about 150 LEDs comfortably.

Can WLED work without Home Assistant?

Yes. WLED runs independently and has its own web interface, mobile app, and preset system. You can control it from any browser on your network. Home Assistant integration is optional but adds automations, dashboard cards, voice control, and the ability to sync lights with other smart home events.

How many LEDs can WLED handle?

An ESP32 can reliably drive 800 to 1500 LEDs depending on the effects used. ESP8266 tops out at around 500 LEDs due to less memory. For large installations, use multiple ESP boards with WLED Sync to keep them in sync over UDP. Power is usually the limiting factor before the controller.

WLED vs ESPHome for LED strips: which should I use?

WLED is purpose-built for LED strips with 100+ built-in effects, a polished web UI, segment support, and an active community. ESPHome gives you more control over custom logic and integrates tighter with Home Assistant, but you have to build effects yourself. For most people, WLED is the better choice for LED projects. Use ESPHome when you need custom sensor logic or want LEDs as part of a larger multi-sensor device.

Do WLED strips work with Alexa and Google Home?

Yes. WLED has built-in Alexa support (Hue emulation) and can connect to Google Home through Home Assistant. You can turn strips on and off, change colors, and adjust brightness using voice commands. Effects are easier to trigger through Home Assistant automations or the WLED app.

Can I use WLED with non-addressable (analog) LED strips?

WLED supports PWM output for single-color and RGB analog strips, but this is not its strength. You lose all the individual LED effects and segments. For analog strips, a Shelly RGBW2 or an ESPHome setup with LEDC PWM is usually a better fit. WLED really shines with addressable (digital) strips.

How much power does a WLED setup use?

The ESP board itself draws less than 1 watt. Power consumption is almost entirely from the LEDs. A typical 5-meter WS2812B strip at 50% brightness with colorful effects draws about 15 to 25 watts. At full white full brightness, it can peak at 72 watts, but nobody runs them like that. For reference, a single Philips Hue bulb uses about 9 watts.