Learn how to connect and control your Yale lock with the Seam API.
Overview
Seam provides a universal API to connect and control many brands of smart locks. This guide provides a rapid introduction to connecting and controlling your Yale lock using the Seam API. Note that this guide is intended for Yale locks connected via the Yale wifi bridge and Yale access app. For Z-Wave Yale devices, head over to our guide for SmartThings.
To learn more about other smart lock brands supported by Seam such as August, Schlage, and Salto, head over to our integration page.
1 — Install Seam SDK
Seam provides client libraries for many languages, such as JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, and others, as well as a Postman collection and OpenAPI spec.
This guide uses a Sandbox Workspace. Only virtual devices can be connected. If you need to connect a real Yale Lock, use a non-sandbox workspace and API key.
2 — Link Yale Account with Seam
To control your Yale lock via the Seam API, you must first authorize your Seam workspace against your Yale account. To do so, Seam provides Connect Webviews: pre-built UX flows that walk you through authorizing your application to control your Yale lock.
Note that yale_access or yale_home are now deprecated in favor of justyale which will work with whichever version of the Yale backend.
Request a Connect Webview
from seam import Seamseam =Seam()webview = seam.connect_webviews.create(accepted_providers=["yale"])assert webview.login_successful isFalse# Send the webview URL to your userprint(webview.url)
import { Seam } from'seam'constseam=newSeam()const { connect_webview: connectWebview } =awaitseam.connectWebviews.create({ accepted_providers: ['yale'],})console.log(connectWebview.login_successful) // false// Send the webview URL to your userconsole.log(connectWebview.url)
require"seamapi"seam =Seam::Client.new(api_key: "MY_API_KEY")webview = seam.connect_webviews.create( accepted_providers: ["yale"])puts webview.login_successful # false# Send the webview URL to your userputs webview.url
Authorize Your Workspace
Navigate to the URL returned by the Webview object. Since you are using a sandbox workspace, complete the login flow by entering the Yale sandbox test accounts credentials below:
email: jane@example.com
password: 1234
2-factor-auth: 123456
Confirm the Connect Webview was successful by querying its status:
After a Yale account is linked with Seam, you can retrieve devices for this Yale account. The Seam API exposes most of the device's properties such as battery level or door lock status.
Next, you can perform the basic action of locking and unlocking the door.
Unlock a door
POSThttps://connect.getseam.com/locks/unlock_door
Request Body
# lock the doorseam.locks.lock_door(some_lock)updated_lock = seam.locks.get(some_lock.device_id)assert updated_lock.properties["locked"]isTrue# Now unlock the doorseam.locks.unlock_door(some_lock)updated_lock = seam.locks.get(some_lock.device_id)assert updated_lock.properties["locked"]isFalse
// lock the doorawaitseam.locks.lockDoor(someLock.device_id)constupdatedLock=awaitseam.locks.get(someLock.device_id)console.log(updatedLock.properties.locked) // true// unlock the doorawaitseam.locks.unlockDoor(someLock.device_id)updatedLock =awaitseam.locks.get(someLock.device_id)console.log(updatedLock.properties.locked) // false
# lock the doorseam.locks.lock_door(some_lock)updated_lock = seam.locks.get(some_lock.device_id)puts updated_lock.properties['locked'] # true# unlock the doorseam.locks.unlock_door(some_lock)updated_lock = seam.locks.get(some_lock.device_id)puts updated_lock.properties['locked'] # false
5 — Setting Access Code on Yale Lock
Most Yale locks come with a keypad built-in to program access codes. These codes can then be entered to unlock a Yale lock.
The Seam API makes it easy to program both ongoing codes and timebound codes on a Yale lock. You can find out more about Yale lock access code in our core concept section on access codes.
# create an ongoing codeseam.access_codes.create( device=some_lock, code="123456", name="Personal Access Code")# create a timebound codeseam.access_codes.create( device=some_lock, code="888888", name="My Temp Access Code", starts_at="2028-08-12T19:23:42+0000", ends_at="2028-08-13T19:23:42+0000")# you can use a device or a device_id as the "device" parameterseam.access_codes.list(device=some_lock)# [# AccessCode(# access_code_id='af5272b1-2a49-4eb5-9388-2447fc7b5bd1',# type='ongoing',# code='123459'# ),# AccessCode(# access_code_id='8c2db4da-b137-4c08-a2c3-d611e6ff91b3',# type='timebound',# code='888888',# starts_at='2028-08-12T19:24:00.000Z',# ends_at='2028-08-13T19:24:00.000Z',# )# ]
// create an ongoing codeawaitseam.accessCodes.create({ device_id:someLock.device_id, code:'123456', name:'Personal Access Code',})// create a timebound codeawaitseam.accessCodes.create({ device_id:someLock.device_id, code:'888888', name:'My Temp Access Code', starts_at:'2028-11-12T19:23:42+0000', ends_at:'2028-11-13T19:23:42+0000',})// use a device_id as the "device_id" parameterawaitseam.accessCodes.list({ device_id:someLock.device_id,})/*[ { code: '1988', type: 'ongoing', status: 'setting', created_at: '2022-08-26T12:50:17.858Z', access_code_id: '26d6138c-6524-4f3c-ac96-43cc3bea0a8d' }, { type: 'timebound', code: '888888', starts_at: '2028-08-12T19:24:00.000Z', ends_at: '2028-08-13T19:24:00.000Z', access_code_id: '8c2db4da-b137-4c08-a2c3-d611e6ff91b3', }]*/
# create an ongoing codeseam.access_codes.create( device_id: some_lock.device_id, code: '123456', name: 'Personal Access Code')# create a timebound codeseam.access_codes.create( device_id: some_lock.device_id, code: '888888', name: 'My Temp Access Code', starts_at: '2028-08-12T19:23:42+0000', ends_at: '2028-08-13T19:23:42+0000')# you can use a device or a device_id as the "device" parameterseam.access_codes.list(some_lock)# [<Seam::AccessCode:0x00730# code="888888"# name="My Temp Access Code"# type="time_bound"# errors=[]# warnings=[]# access_code_id="ce2c298c-364f-4b13-aa12-712f3976288e"# ends_at=2028-08-13 19:24:00 UTC# starts_at=2028-08-12 19:24:00 UTC>, <Seam::AccessCode:0x00758# code="123456"# name="Personal Access Code"# type="ongoing"# errors=[]# warnings=[]# access_code_id="75f49550-fc9b-481a-a158-5bc53ac9bb34">, <Seam::AccessCode:0x00780# code="086355"# name="some-code2"# type="ongoing"# errors=[]# warnings=[]# access_code_id="5243e5f3-528a-4378-ba3c-21447bf844a8">, <Seam::AccessCode:0x007a8# code="376525"# name="some-code"# type="ongoing"# errors=[]# warnings=[]# access_code_id="91a08a3d-a0bb-4ff0-bfb4-ced164353988">]
Next Steps
Now that you've completed this guide, you can try to connect a real Yale device. To do so, make sure to switch to a non-sandbox workspace and API key as real devices cannot be connected to sandbox workspaces.
In addition, if you'd like to explore other aspects of Seam, here is a list of helpful resources: