Creating and Managing Thermostat Schedules

Learn how to create, list, get, update, and delete thermostat schedules for thermostats.

Once you have created a set of climate presets for a thermostat, you can define schedules using the /thermostats/schedules/create endpoint. The Seam API's scheduling mechanism is flexible and intelligent. It can prioritize and handle multiple scheduled climate presets. For example, you could set a fallback energy-saving climate preset for whenever a short-term rental property is unoccupied. Then, you could schedule—in advance—a "comfort" climate preset to correspond to each upcoming guest's stay.

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Thermostat Schedule Properties

Each thermostat schedule can contain the following properties:

Property	Description
name	(Optional) User-friendly name to identify the thermostat schedule.
climate_preset_key	(Required) Key of the climate preset to use for the thermostat schedule.
is_override_allowed	(Optional) Indicates whether a person at the thermostat or using the API can change (that is, override) the thermostat's settings from an active scheduled climate preset.
max_override_period_minutes	Number of minutes for which a person at the thermostat or using the API can change (that is, override) the thermostat's settings after the activation of the scheduled climate preset. Note: If you set this value to null, there is no enforced maximum override period. That is, the override applies until another climate preset becomes active. Default: null See also Specifying Manual Override Permissions.
starts_at	(Required) Date and time at which the thermostat schedule starts, in ISO 8601 format.
ends_at	(Required) Date and time at which the thermostat schedule ends, in ISO 8601 format.

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Setting the Schedule

In the Seam API, use the starts_at and ends_at parameters to define the time period during which to apply an existing climate preset. For example, a short-term rental host could set starts_at to the beginning of a guest reservation or perhaps even slightly before the reservation starts so that the property reaches a comfortable temperature in time for guest arrival. The host could set ends_at to coincide with the end of the reservation.

starts_at is required and must be unique within all the schedules for the thermostat. However, if you want to schedule a climate preset that starts immediately, set start_at to a time in the past. Alternately, you can activate a climate preset immediately.

After a scheduled climate preset starts, Seam emits a thermostat.temperature_reached_set_point event when the thermostat reports a temperature within 1° Celsius of the heating or cooling set point specified in this climate preset. You can configure a webhook to watch for this event.

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Specifying Manual Override Permissions

When creating a schedule for a thermostat, you can specify is_override_allowed and max_override_period_minutes. The is_override_allowed parameter indicates whether a person at the thermostat or using the Seam API can change the thermostat's settings for the active duration of the thermostat schedule. Setting max_override_period_minutes defines the length of the allowed override period. If an override period is allowed, at the end of this period, Seam sets the thermostat back to the climate preset defined by the thermostat schedule. The override period starts again each time a person makes a change at the thermostat or using the API.

Through these override period settings, the Seam API provides you with the flexibility to customize the thermostat behavior to suit your needs. For example, a multifamily property manager may want to give complete control of the thermostat to a unit's residents as soon as they move into the unit. However, a short-term rental host may want to enforce stricter rules to ensure that their guests are using the associated HVAC system in a reasonable manner.

To allow complete control at the thermostat, set is_override_allowed to true and max_override_period_minutes to null. To disable manual overrides entirely, set is_override_allowed to false.

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Create a Thermostat Schedule

To create a thermostat schedule, issue a /thermostats/schedules/create request, providing the device_id of the desired thermostat, as well as the climate_preset_key, and the starts_at and ends_at timestamps. You can also specify a name for the thermostat schedule and the desired is_override_allowed and max_override_period_minutes values.

Python

Request:

seam.thermostats.schedules.create(
  device_id = "2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5",
  name = "Jim's stay",
  climate_preset_key = "occupied",
  starts_at = "2024-11-01T15:00:00Z",
  ends_at = "2024-11-05T12:00:00Z",
  is_override_allowed = True,
  max_override_period_minutes = 90
)

Response:

ThermostatSchedule(
  thermostat_schedule_id='56d29fcf-0674-4db5-8e03-b2370a77460a',
  name="Jim's stay",
  device_id='2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5',
  climate_preset_key='occupied',
  starts_at='2024-11-01T15:00:00.000Z',
  ends_at='2024-11-05T12:00:00.000Z',
  is_override_allowed=True,
  max_override_period_minutes=90,
  ...
)

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Schedule Multiple Climate Presets

Suppose a short-term rental host wants to set a fallback "unoccupied" climate preset that takes effect immediately, as well as scheduling an "occupied" climate preset for two periods that correspond to guest reservations.

Seam handles a fallback climate preset, along with multiple thermostat schedules.

The following example shows how to set up these schedules:

Python

Request:

# Get the thermostat.
thermostat = seam.devices.get(
  device_id = "2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5"
)

# Set the fallback climate preset.
seam.thermostats.set_fallback_climate_preset(
  device_id = thermostat.device_id,
  climate_preset_key = "unoccupied"
)

# Create the thermostat schedule for the first reservation.
seam.thermostats.schedules.create(
  device_id = thermostat.device_id,
  name = "Joe's stay",
  climate_preset_key = "occupied",
  starts_at = "2024-11-10T15:00:00Z",
  ends_at = "2024-11-15T12:00:00Z",
  is_override_allowed = True,
  max_override_period_minutes = 90
)

# Create the thermostat schedule for the second reservation.
seam.thermostats.schedules.create(
  device_id = thermostat.device_id,
  name = "Jane's stay",
  climate_preset_key = "occupied",
  starts_at = "2024-11-16T15:00:00Z",
  ends_at = "2024-11-18T12:00:00Z",
  is_override_allowed = True,
  max_override_period_minutes = 90
)

Response:

ThermostatSchedule(
  thermostat_schedule_id='c02a3cc5-87f2-409d-b21d-164f2c94d37c'
  name="Joe's stay",
  device_id='2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5',
  climate_preset_key='occupied',
  starts_at='2024-11-10T15:00:00.000Z',
  ends_at='2024-11-15T12:00:00.000Z',
  is_override_allowed=True,
  max_override_period_minutes=90,
  ...
)
ThermostatSchedule(
  thermostat_schedule_id='ed14ed8d-c012-4d89-af96-053e0c16197d',
  name="Jane's stay",
  device_id='2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5',
  climate_preset_key='occupied',
  starts_at='2024-11-16T15:00:00.000Z',
  ends_at='2024-11-18T12:00:00.000Z',
  is_override_allowed=True,
  max_override_period_minutes=90,
  ...
)

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List All Thermostat Schedules for a Thermostat

To retrieve all thermostat schedules for a thermostat, issue a /thermostats/schedules/list request, specifying the device_id of the desired thermostat.

Python

Request:

seam.thermostats.schedules.list(
  device_id = "2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5"
)

Response:

[
  ThermostatSchedule(
    thermostat_schedule_id='89d3507e-60e3-4101-bd1b-ba066ec30ad4',
    name="Joe's stay",
    device_id='2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5',
    climate_preset_key='occupied',
    starts_at='2024-11-10T15:00:00.000Z',
    ends_at='2024-11-15T12:00:00.000Z',
    is_override_allowed=True,
    max_override_period_minutes=90,
    ...
  ),
  ThermostatSchedule(
    thermostat_schedule_id='665553d1-94f9-4e92-9739-06ac6362c959',
    name="Jane's stay",
    device_id='2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5',
    climate_preset_key='occupied',
    starts_at='2024-11-16T15:00:00.000Z',
    ends_at='2024-11-18T12:00:00.000Z',
    is_override_allowed=True,
    max_override_period_minutes=90,
    ...
  )
]

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Get an Individual Thermostat Schedule

To get a specific thermostat schedule, issue a /thermostats/schedules/get request, including the thermostat_schedule_id of the desired thermostat schedule.

Python

Request:

seam.thermostats.schedules.get(
  thermostat_schedule_id = "89d3507e-60e3-4101-bd1b-ba066ec30ad4"
)

Response:

ThermostatSchedule(
  thermostat_schedule_id='89d3507e-60e3-4101-bd1b-ba066ec30ad4',
  name="Joe's stay",
  device_id='2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5',
  climate_preset_key='occupied',
  starts_at='2024-11-10T15:00:00.000Z',
  ends_at='2024-11-15T12:00:00.000Z',
  is_override_allowed=True,
  max_override_period_minutes=90,
  ...
)

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Update a Thermostat Schedule

To update a thermostat schedule, issue a /thermostats/schedules/update request, providing the thermostat_schedule_id of the desired thermostat schedule and the desired updated settings.

Python

Request:

seam.thermostats.schedules.update(
  thermostat_schedule_id = "89d3507e-60e3-4101-bd1b-ba066ec30ad4",
  ends_at = "2024-11-15T15:00:00Z"
)

Response:

None

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Delete a Thermostat Schedule

To delete a thermostat schedule, issue a /thermostats/schedules/delete request, providing the thermostat_schedule_id of the desired thermostat schedule.

Python

Request:

seam.thermostats.schedules.delete(
  thermostat_schedule_id = "2d488679-6f07-4810-aed2-e726872c1dd5"
)

Response:

None

cURL (bash)

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