How To Control Smart Plugs With Stream Deck - [Easy Guide]

When it comes to streaming and content creation, having a ready-to-go set-up that you can turn on instantly is a huge advantage. If your lights and cameras are ready to go at all times you are much more likely to create.

In this article, I am going to show you how you can use your Stream Deck to control smart plugs which you can connect to lights, cameras, speakers and more. You can see in the image below I used this setup to control my background lights directly from my stream deck.

What you need to set this up:

Stream Deck & Stream Deck Software
Smart Plug System (TP-Link Tapo)
IFTTT Software (Free Plan)

We have also created a video tutorial for you below:

How To Control Lights With Stream Deck

How To Connect Stream Deck To Smart Plugs

We are going to be using a software called IFTTT which allows our stream deck to communicate with our smart plugs. Your first step is setting up your smart plugs.

Step 1 – Set Up Smart Plugs

First, connect all of the devices you want to control with your stream deck to a smart plug. I recommend using the TP-link Tapo plugs as they are cheap and easy to use.

Simply follow the setup instructions you receive with your plugs. You can use most smart plug brands with this setup. Once you have your smart plugs set up, you should be able to control your devices from the app on your phone/computer.

If you are using to Tapo Plug System simply follow the steps below:

Plug Tapo plugs into your sockets and plug in your devices
Download the Tapo app on your phone –> Create an account
Follow the on-screen set-up instructions

You should now be able to use your phone to turn lights etc on/off.

Pro Tip – Use an extension cord to add multiple devices to a single plug. I do this for lights that I would want to come on and off at the same time in a single area.

Now we have our smart plugs set up we can connect them to our Stream Deck.

Step 2 – Set Up IFTTT

IFTTT is software that allows you to easily connect your Stream Deck to your smart plugs. Follow the steps below to set up your IFTTT account. You can control up to 2 plugs for free. To control 10 Plugs it costs approximately $3/Month.

Go to the IFTTT website and create an account
Click on ‘Create’ in the top right corner

You will now see an ‘If this Then that’ creator. Select ‘Add’ on If This. Search for webhook and select it.

Select ‘Receive a web request with a JSON payload’

Giver your event a name. This will correspond to a specific plug you have set up. For example for my bookcase lights, my Event Name is ‘bookcase_lights_on’.

Click on ‘Create Trigger’
Now we need to create the ‘Then That’ section of our applet. Select ‘Add’ beside then that.
Search for your Smart plug service and select it. I am using the Tapo Service.

Select the action you want to perform. For my lights, I am going to select ‘Turn On’

Link your Tapo account to IFTTT using your login credentials
Select the smart device you want to connect to in your Tapo software (This will be one of the plugs you set up earlier)

Click on ‘Create Action’ –> Continue –> Finish

You have now successfully created an applet. Now we need to connect this applet to our Stream Deck.

Step 3 – Connect IFTT To Stream Deck Software

To connect your Stream deck to IFTTT you need to:

Open your Stream Deck Software
Navigate to the plugin store in the top right

Search for IFTTT and install the plugin

Now create a new button with the IFTTT plugin. Select it from the button options on the right side and drag it to your selected button position.
You now need to give your button a title, add your maker key and add your event name. You can Title your button anything e.g Background Light On

Your maker key is what links your Stream deck to IFTTT. You can get your maker key by clicking here and selecting documentation. Copy this key and paste it in the Maker Key section in stream deck.

Lastly, we need to add our event name. This is the name we gave our applet in IFTTT earlier. Copy it and paste it into the Event Name Section.

Your button should now look like the one below. Save this and you are ready to go.

You can now press the button on your Stream Deck and your lights/smart plug should come on.

IMPORTANT – We need to create separate buttons for lights on and lights off. You will have to go through the above process again to create a second button which turns your plug off. Simply select the ‘Turn Off’ action in your smart plug app.

If you want to customize the icons on your Stream Deck check out the Best Places To Get Free Stream Deck Icons.

Uses For Smart Plugs & Stream Deck

By using the IFTTT software with your Stream deck you can come up with some really creative ideas for your stream. Below are some simple ways you can utilize your stream deck and smart plugs.