n8n Tuya Integration Guide: How to Connect Tuya Smart Devices with n8n for Home Automation

Connecting Tuya smart devices with n8n is easier than you think.
In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through a complete n8n Tuya integration — including how the Tuya Cloud API works, how to use (or build) a Tuya node for n8n, and how to create real automation workflows that link smart devices with everyday apps.

Whether you're connecting smart plugs, energy monitors, temperature sensors, or custom IoT hardware, this tutorial covers:

• How to integrate AI logic into your IoT automations

• How the Tuya Cloud API works

• How to use n8n’s HTTP Request node

• How to install or build a Tuya Community Node

• How to create real-world automation workflows

• How to fix common issues like 401 Unauthorized or Device Not Found

Why Integrate Tuya with n8n?

Tuya is one of the largest smart-home and IoT platforms, powering millions of connected devices worldwide.
n8n, on the other hand, is an open-source automation platform that lets you visually connect APIs and build event-driven workflows.

By combining both, you can:

• Control Tuya devices directly inside n8n
• Trigger actions based on device telemetry
• Build cross-platform integrations that link Tuya with Slack, Sheets, Telegram, or even ChatGPT
• Automate smart home, retail stores, or sensor-based business logic

Example:
When temperature > 30°C → n8n → send Slack alert → turn on AC.

This setup is ideal for:

• Smart home automation
• Retail IoT and foot traffic analytics
• Energy monitoring
• Environmental sensing
• AI-powered decision automation
• Industrial IoT (low-cost rapid prototyping)

What You’ll Need Before Connecting Tuya to n8n

Before connecting Tuya with n8n, make sure you have:

1. A Tuya Developer Account – create one at iot.tuya.com.
2. Your Tuya Cloud Project set up, including:

• Access ID and Access Secret
• Correct API region (us / eu / cn / in)

1. A working n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud).
2. Optional: the Tuya community node if you prefer a simplified setup.

Step 1: Get Tuya Cloud API Credentials

1. Log into the Tuya IoT Platform.
2. Create a new Cloud Project → “Smart Home PaaS.”
3. Copy your Access ID and Access Secret under Project → Authorization.
4. Link your Tuya App Account so the API can access your devices.
5. Test the API endpoint with Postman or n8n’s HTTP Request node(very important).
6. Test your API with:
   
   GET /v1.0/devices
This ensures your devices are accessible.

For developers who want to go deeper, you can also explore Tuya SDK customization to build custom device integrations at the firmware level.

Step 2: Configure Tuya in n8n(HTTP Request Node)

Now that you have credentials, let’s connect Tuya to n8n.

1. Open n8n and add an HTTP Request node.
2. Select GET and enter your Tuya API URL, for example: https://openapi.tuyaus.com/v1.0/devices （(Note: this is an API URL, not a webpage. You can access it through tools like Postman or the n8n HTTP Request node with proper authentication headers.)
3. In Headers, add:

client_id:
sign:
t:
sign_method: HMAC-SHA256
access_token:

4. Generate the signature using Tuya’s API authentication rules.
5. Connect the node to other services — for example, a Slack, Telegram, or Google Sheets node to log data.

Pro Tip: You can automate token refresh using an n8n Cron node that runs every 12 hours.

Step 3 — Using the n8n Community Tuya Node

Although n8n does not have an official Tuya node, a community-created Tuya node is available. You can:

Option 1 — Install the Community Tuya Node

• Search for "Community Nodes" in n8n
• Install: n8n-nodes-tuya
• Configure:
  • Access ID
  • Access Secret
  • Region
  • Authorization token

It supports:

• Device list
• Device commands
• Scene execution
• Status read/write

Option 2 — Build a Custom Tuya Node (Recommended for Production)

For enterprise or large-scale automation, building a custom node provides:

• Stable token refresh
• Higher request reliability
• Custom commands per device type
• Local LAN control (if required)

This is the method most companies use when integrating Tuya into automation platforms, such as n8n.

Step 4: Create Your First Automation Workflow

Let’s build a simple use case: turn on Tuya lights automatically when motion is detected.

1. Add a Webhook node as the entry point.
2. Add the HTTP Request node to fetch Tuya device status.
3. Add an IF node → “If motion = true.”
4. Add another HTTP Request node → POST to the Tuya “Turn On” API.
5. Optionally, connect an AI node (OpenAI / GPT) to generate a smart message:

“Motion detected in the living room — lights turned on automatically.”

This flow can be expanded to control multiple devices or send alerts to your preferred channels.

Practical Tuya + n8n Workflow Examples

These examples are added specifically to increase GSC impressions for all related queries.

Example 1 — Energy Monitoring + Alerts

Trigger notifications when a smart plug detects abnormal energy spikes.

Workflow:

• GET device status
• IF wattage > threshold
• Slack → “Energy usage too high”
• Optional: Turn off the device automatically

Example 2 — Temperature Automation

Use temperature values to control HVAC systems.

Workflow:

• Poll temperature sensor
• If temperature > 30°C
  → POST to AC “turn on” command
• Log data to Sheets

Example 3 — Environment Alerts

Air quality sensor → Telegram alerts + device automation.

Example 4 — Multi-Device Scene Control

Trigger multiple Tuya devices in a single workflow:

• Lights on
• Curtains open
• Fan starts
• Aroma diffuser activates

Example 5 — AI-Driven Decision Automation

This matches “n8n + tuya + ai” queries.

Flow:

• Motion detected
• Data → OpenAI API
• AI decides: notify? turn on device? ignore?
• n8n executes final action

This combo is the foundation of modern AIoT workflow automation.

Need inspiration? Explore more AI Workflow Examples to see how similar automations are built.

Common Integration Issues (and How to Fix Them)

Note: Tuya tokens expire every 2 hours by default. Automate token refresh to avoid interruptions.

Bonus: Combine Tuya + n8n + AI

You can enhance this setup with AI to create intelligent IoT workflows.

Example:

• A motion sensor triggers n8n.
• n8n sends data to OpenAI API.
• AI decides whether to send a notification or take further action.

This pattern — AI decision → n8n execution → IoT response —
is the foundation of modern AIoT automation, which can scale from homes to retail and industrial use cases.

Want to scale beyond tutorials? Discover how ZedIoT’s AIoT Platform unifies AI workflows with IoT devices.

Final Thoughts: Next Steps

You’ve just learned how to connect Tuya smart devices with n8n and create your first workflow.
From here, you can explore more complex automations like energy monitoring, environment alerts, or predictive maintenance.

If you’d like to go beyond simple tutorials and build enterprise-grade AI IoT automations,
we can help you design and deploy end-to-end workflows integrating Tuya, OpenAI, and n8n.

Contact for a free proposal.

FAQ

Appendix: Tuya Cloud API Reference

Here are the official Tuya Cloud API endpoints mentioned in this tutorial.
All endpoints are verified and publicly documented on Tuya Developer Portal.

Request Headers

Each API call requires the following headers for signature verification:

Note:
The optional AI node (e.g., OpenAI or GPT integration) described in this tutorial is not part of the Tuya API.
It represents a possible workflow extension using n8n or HTTP Request nodes.