Get started with Yale Locks

Learn how to connect and control your Yale lock with the Seam API.

Yale Smart Locks

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.

• JavaScript / TypeScript (npm, GitHub)

• Python (pip, GitHub)

• Ruby Gem (rubygem, GitHub)

• PHP (packagist, GitHub)

• Java (GitHub)

• C# (nuget, GitHub)

• Go (GitHub)

JavaScript

npm i seam

Python

pip install seamapi
# For some development environments, use pip3 in this command instead of pip.

Ruby

bundle add seamapi

PHP

composer require seamapi/seam

Java

Gradle:

// build.gradle
dependencies {
    implementation 'io.github.seamapi:java:0.x.x'
}

Maven:

<!-- pom.xml -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.github.seamapi</groupId>
    <artifactId>java</artifactId>
    <version>0.x.x</version>
</dependency>

C#

Install using nuget.

Go

go get github.com/seamapi/go

Once installed, sign-up for Seam to get your API key, and export it as an environment variable:

$ export SEAM_API_KEY=seam_test2ZTo_0mEYQW2TvNDCxG5Atpj85Ffw

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

Python

from seamapi import Seam

seam = Seam()

webview = seam.connect_webviews.create(accepted_providers=["yale"])

assert webview.login_successful is False

# Send the webview URL to your user
print(webview.url)

Javascript

import { Seam } from 'seam'

const seam = new Seam()

const { connect_webview: connectWebview } = await seam.connectWebviews.create({
  accepted_providers: ['yale'],
})

console.log(connectWebview.login_successful) // false

// Send the webview URL to your user
console.log(connectWebview.url)

Ruby

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 user 
puts 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: [e-mail]

• password: 1234

• 2-factor-auth: 123456

Seam Connect Webview flow to connect Yale account with Seam

Confirm the Connect Webview was successful by querying its status:

Python

updated_webview = seam.connect_webviews.get(webview.connect_webview_id)

assert updated_webview.login_successful # true

Javascript

const updatedWebview = await seam.connectWebviews.get(
  connectWebview.connect_webview_id,
)

console.log(updatedWebview.login_successful) // true

Ruby

updated_webview = seam.connect_webviews.get(webview.connect_webview_id)

puts updated_webview.login_successful # true

3 — Retrieve Yale Lock Devices

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.

Python

all_locks = seam.locks.list()

some_lock = all_locks[0]

assert some_lock.properties["online"] is True
assert some_lock.properties["locked"] is True

print(some_lock)
# Device(
#   device_id='b013d947-cef1-4dfe-8aa2-1e452eca5262',
#   device_type='yale_lock',
#   location=None,
#   properties={
#     'locked': True,
#     'online': True,
#     'door_open': False,
#     'manufacturer': 'august',
#     'battery_level': 0.9999532347993827,
#     'august_metadata': {...},
#     'name': 'BACK DOOR'},
#     capabilities_supported=['access_code', 'lock']
#     )

Javascript

const allLocks = await seam.locks.list()

const someLock = allLocks[0]

console.log(someLock.properties.online) // true
console.log(someLock.properties.locked) // true

console.log(someLock)
/*
{
  device_id: 'b013d947-cef1-4dfe-8aa2-1e452eca5262',
  device_type: 'yale_lock',
  capabilities_supported: [ 'access_code', 'lock' ],
  properties: {
    locked: true,
    online: true,
    door_open: false,
    manufacturer: 'august',
    battery_level: 0.9999532347993827,
    august_metadata: {
      lock_id: 'lock-2',
      lock_name: 'BACK DOOR',
      has_keypad: true,
      house_name: 'My House'
    },
    name: 'BACK DOOR'
  },
  location: null,
  connected_account_id: '2a860181-dba7-49aa-9d5e-a66ff585dc08',
  workspace_id: 'd7418ff3-a476-4f48-9a4b-211d1d21a03d',
  created_at: '2022-12-16T00:52:16.975Z',
  errors: [],
  warnings: []
}
*/

Ruby

some_lock = seam.locks.list.first

puts some_lock.properties['online'] # true
puts some_lock.properties['locked'] # true

puts some_lock #   warnings=[]> #   errors=[] #   created_at=2022-12-16 00:52:16.975 UTC #   } #     "name"=>"BACK DOOR" #     "august_metadata"=>{...},  #     "battery_level"=>0.9999532347993827,  #     "manufacturer"=>"august",  #     "door_open"=>false,  #     "online"=>true,  #     "locked"=>true,  #   properties={ #   device_type="yale_lock" #   device_id="b013d947-cef1-4dfe-8aa2-1e452eca5262" # <Seam::Device:0x00960

4 — Locking & Unlocking a Door

Next, you can perform the basic action of locking and unlocking the door.

Lock a Door

POST/locks/lock_door

Body

application/json

device_idstring

Response

200

Returns a pending action result

Request

JavaScriptCurl

const response = await fetch('/locks/lock_door', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({}),
});
const data = await response.json();

Unlock a door

POST https://connect.getseam.com/locks/unlock_door

Request Body

Name	Type	Description
device_id	String

Python

# lock the door
seam.locks.lock_door(some_lock)
updated_lock = seam.locks.get(some_lock.device_id)
assert updated_lock.properties["locked"] is True

# Now unlock the door
seam.locks.unlock_door(some_lock)
updated_lock = seam.locks.get(some_lock.device_id)
assert updated_lock.properties["locked"] is False

Javascript

// lock the door
await seam.locks.lockDoor(someLock.device_id)
const updatedLock = await seam.locks.get(someLock.device_id)
console.log(updatedLock.properties.locked) // true

// unlock the door
await seam.locks.unlockDoor(someLock.device_id)
updatedLock = await seam.locks.get(someLock.device_id)
console.log(updatedLock.properties.locked) // false

Ruby

# lock the door
seam.locks.lock_door(some_lock)
updated_lock = seam.locks.get(some_lock.device_id)
puts updated_lock.properties['locked'] # true

# unlock the door
seam.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.

Python

# create an ongoing code
seam.access_codes.create(
    device=some_lock, code="123456", name="Personal Access Code"
)

# create a timebound code
seam.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" parameter
seam.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',
#   )
# ]

Javascript

// create an ongoing code
await seam.accessCodes.create({
  device_id: someLock.device_id,
  code: '123456',
  name: 'Personal Access Code',
})

// create a timebound code
await seam.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" parameter
await seam.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',
  }
]
*/

Ruby

# create an ongoing code
seam.access_codes.create(
  device_id: some_lock.device_id, code: '123456', name: 'Personal Access Code'
)

# create a timebound code
seam.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" parameter
seam.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:

• Schlage Getting Started Guide

• August Getting Started Guide

• SmartThings Getting Started Guide

• Receiving webhook for device events

• Core Concepts

If you have any questions or want to report an issue, email us at [e-mail].