It's tempting to solve "I want better security" by buying another camera. Usually the better first move is making the devices you already have act together. Three automations cover most of what people actually want:
1. Night Lockdown
On a schedule (say, 11pm) or with one dashboard button: lock the smart locks, arm the motion sensors, turn on outdoor lights when motion is detected, and switch cameras to a more sensitive "home" mode.
2. Away / Vacation Mode
Triggered by a dashboard button, a voice command, or your phone leaving the house's location: lock the doors, arm motion and contact sensors, turn off lights, set the thermostat to an away temperature, and turn on random light simulation so the house doesn't look obviously empty.
3. Intruder Alert
The one that matters most: if a motion sensor trips while the house is in Away mode, turn on every light, start recording on every camera, and send an emergency notification — optionally through a speaker, too. This is the automation that turns "a sensor fired" into "I know immediately, with footage."
Why this order
Each of these is a trigger, a condition, and a set of actions — the same three ingredients Home Assistant automations are built from every time. Once you've built these three, a fourth camera has something to plug into instead of being one more isolated alert.
Build all three, step by step
The Blueprint's automations chapter walks through each one, with the exact triggers and actions.
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