MMM-KitchenTimer - Touch-friendly countdown timer

[bwente]

@Niggich said:

My Echo know I want to start a Timer but it’s asking for how long.

Great, now that you’ve confirmed MQTT is working, the next step is to add the Home Assistant automation.

alias: MagicMirror kitchen timer started
triggers:
  - trigger: mqtt
    topic: magicmirror/kitchen-timer/started

actions:
  - action: media_player.play_media
    target:
      entity_id: media_player.kitchen_echo
    data:
      media_content_type: custom
      media_content_id: >-
        set a timer for
        {{ trigger.payload_json.remainingSeconds | int }}
        seconds

I think that will work. I don’t know if it needs to be escaped or not.

[Niggich]

@bwente I add the automation already and change it again but the echo still asking “for how log should be the timer”… I also try to fix it with ChatGPT but this was not working.

[bwente]

@Niggich looks like trigger.payload_json.remainingSeconds is empty or double quoted. Can you view just the payload and see?

[Niggich]

@bwente I’m sorry but where I found trigger.payload_json.remainingSeconds?

[sdetweil]

@Niggich in an HA. Automation are variable to help you do want you want

One of those is

trigger. - what started the automation

If you go into HA , settings, automations, pick any one,
Look at the traces (3 dot menu). You can see the variables and values for each step of the automation

[Niggich]

@sdetweil Thank you. I don’t know if I’m right but this is the variable from the traces.

this:
  entity_id: automation.timer
  state: 'on'
  attributes:
    id: '1786549333845'
    last_triggered: '2026-08-13T11:33:26.793052+00:00'
    mode: single
    current: 0
    friendly_name: MagicMirror kitchen timer started
  last_changed: '2026-08-14T20:14:37.860754+00:00'
  last_reported: '2026-08-14T20:14:37.860754+00:00'
  last_updated: '2026-08-14T20:14:37.860754+00:00'
  context:
    id: 01M00YK2S42QSK0Q9WAEN19ACF
    parent_id: null
    user_id: null
trigger:
  id: '0'
  idx: '0'
  alias: null
  platform: mqtt
  topic: magicmirror/kitchen-timer/started
  payload: >-
    {"status":"running","remainingSeconds":60,"endsAt":1786738603487,"durationSeconds":60,"elapsedRatio":0}
  qos: 0
  description: mqtt topic magicmirror/kitchen-timer/started
  payload_json:
    status: running
    remainingSeconds: 60
    endsAt: 1786738603487
    durationSeconds: 60
    elapsedRatio: 0

[sdetweil]

@Niggich so

trigger.payload.remainingSeconds

[Niggich]

@sdetweil No, it is not working.

[sdetweil]

@Niggich sorry, this is case sensitive and I had lower case s, see my edit

[Niggich]

@sdetweil No, it’s not working. This is the automation

alias: MagicMirror kitchen timer started
triggers:
  - trigger: mqtt
    topic: magicmirror/kitchen-timer/started
actions:
  - action: media_player.play_media
    target:
      entity_id: media_player.echo_show_kuche
    data:
      media:
        media_content_id: >-
          set a timer for {{ trigger.payload.remainingSeconds | int }}
          seconds
        media_content_type: custom
        metadata: {}

[sdetweil]

@Niggich if you examine the traces , what error is reported?

[Niggich]

@sdetweil sagte:

if you examine the traces , what error is reported?

This Error is shown: “Error rendering data template: UndefinedError: ‘str object’ has no attribute ‘remainingSeconds’”

When I change the trigger back to trigger.payload_json.remainingSeconds is no Error reported an the Echo asks for how long should be the timer.

The traces-Log says this.

params:
  domain: media_player
  service: play_media
  service_data:
    entity_id:
      - media_player.echo_show_kuche
    media_content_type: custom
    media_content_id: set a timer for 60 seconds
  target:
    entity_id:
      - media_player.echo_show_kuche
running_script: false

[sdetweil]

@Niggich ok. Good info

I need to test this myself, but won’t be able to til tomorrow sometime. I also need to use my echo device which is currently not used

[Niggich]

@sdetweil Ok, don’t worry. I’m happy you help me. Thank you!

EDIT:

I made a copy of the automation and put a custom number of seconds to trigger. The Echo still asks for how long. The I changed from seconds to minutes an the timer starts.

EDIT2: When I change the trigger to German language like this starte einen {{ trigger.payload_json.remainingSeconds | int }} sekunden timer the Timer starts. The only thing is that the Echo almost 4 seconds need to start the timer.

[sdetweil]

@Niggich awesome feedback