---

name: nest-sdm description: Control Nest thermostat, doorbell, and cameras via the Google Smart Device Management (SDM) API. metadata: openclaw: emoji: "🏠" requires: bins: ["curl", "python3"]

Nest SDM Skill

Control and monitor Google Nest devices via the Smart Device Management REST API.

Setup

Prerequisites

1. Device Access Console — Register at https://console.nest.google.com/device-access ($5 one-time fee)
2. GCP Project — Create at https://console.cloud.google.com with SDM API enabled
3. OAuth Client — Web application type with https://www.google.com as redirect URI
4. SDM scope — Add https://www.googleapis.com/auth/sdm.service to OAuth consent screen

First-time Authorization

1. Build the authorization URL:

https://nestservices.google.com/partnerconnections/<PROJECT_ID>/auth?redirect_uri=https://www.google.com&access_type=offline&prompt=consent&client_id=<CLIENT_ID>&response_type=code&scope=https://www.googleapis.com/auth/sdm.service

1. Open in browser, sign in as the device owner Google account
2. Enable ALL device permissions, click Next, then Continue through consent
3. Copy the code= parameter from the redirect URL
4. Exchange for tokens:

curl -s -X POST https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token \
  -d "client_id=<CLIENT_ID>" \
  -d "client_secret=<CLIENT_SECRET>" \
  -d "code=<AUTH_CODE>" \
  -d "grant_type=authorization_code" \
  -d "redirect_uri=https://www.google.com"

1. Save tokens to the config file (see Configuration below)

Configuration

Create ~/.openclaw/workspace/.nest-sdm-tokens.json:

{
  "client_id": "<your-client-id>",
  "client_secret": "<your-client-secret>",
  "project_id": "<device-access-project-id>",
  "refresh_token": "<your-refresh-token>",
  "token_type": "Bearer",
  "scope": "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/sdm.service"
}

Secure it: chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/workspace/.nest-sdm-tokens.json

CLI Usage

# Alias for convenience
alias nest="<skill-dir>/nest-sdm.sh"

Device Discovery

nest devices                    # List all devices (JSON)
nest structures                 # List structures/rooms

Thermostat

nest thermostat                 # Current status (temp, humidity, mode, setpoints)
nest set-cool <°F>              # Set to COOL mode at temperature
nest set-heat <°F>              # Set to HEAT mode at temperature
nest set-range <low°F> <high°F> # Set HEATCOOL range
nest set-mode <MODE>            # HEAT | COOL | HEATCOOL | OFF
nest set-eco <MODE>             # MANUAL_ECO | OFF
nest fan-on [duration_seconds]  # Turn fan on (default: 900s / 15min)
nest fan-off                    # Turn fan off

Doorbell & Cameras

nest doorbell                   # Doorbell info & capabilities
nest display                    # Kitchen display info
nest camera-stream <DEVICE_ID>  # Generate WebRTC live stream (returns SDP answer)
nest camera-image <EVENT_ID>    # Get event snapshot URL

Raw API

nest api GET devices                              # Raw device list
nest api GET devices/<DEVICE_ID>                  # Single device
nest api POST devices/<DEVICE_ID>:executeCommand '{"command":"...","params":{...}}'

Supported Devices

SDM API Commands Reference

Thermostat Commands

Camera Commands

Pub/Sub Real-Time Events

Get instant alerts for doorbell presses, motion, person detection, and device state changes.

CLI: nest-events

nest-events setup-check         # Verify Pub/Sub config is ready
nest-events create-topic        # Create GCP Pub/Sub topic
nest-events grant-permissions   # Grant SDM publisher role
nest-events create-subscription # Create pull subscription
nest-events poll                # Pull events once
nest-events listen              # Poll continuously (daemon)

Setup Steps

1. OAuth with Pub/Sub scope — Run OAuth flow as your-email@example.com with pubsub + cloud-platform scopes. Save tokens to .nest-pubsub-tokens.json.
2. Create topic — nest-events create-topic (creates projects/YOUR_GCP_PROJECT/topics/nest-sdm-events)
3. Grant permissions — nest-events grant-permissions (adds sdm-publisher@googlegroups.com)
4. Create subscription — nest-events create-subscription
5. Enable in Device Access Console — https://console.nest.google.com/device-access → Enable Pub/Sub → Enter topic ID
6. Trigger initial events — nest devices (one-time API call)
7. Start listener — nest-events listen

Event Types Supported

Configuration

Environment Variables:

Event Logs

Raw events are logged to data/nest-events/events-YYYY-MM-DD.jsonl.

Alert Dedup

Same event type won't re-alert within 60 seconds to prevent alert fatigue.

Important Notes

• Token expiry: If the GCP app is in "testing" mode, refresh tokens expire in 7 days. Publish the app to avoid re-auth.
• Temperature: API uses Celsius internally. The CLI handles F↔C conversion.
• Setpoint constraints: HEATCOOL range must have at least 1.5°C (2.7°F) gap between heat and cool setpoints.
• Camera streams: WebRTC only (no RTSP). Requires SDP offer/answer exchange.
• Rate limits: 10 queries/min per device, 10 commands/min per device.
• Events: Use nest-events listen for real-time alerts. Requires Pub/Sub setup (see above).