How to Fix Frigate MQTT Events Not Publishing
- MQTT not enabled/configured in Frigate
- Wrong broker host/port
- Wrong MQTT username/password
Problem Description
Frigate detects events and shows them in the web UI, but MQTT events are not being published — Home Assistant automations do not trigger, Node-RED flows receive nothing, and mosquitto_sub shows no messages on the frigate/# topic. The MQTT broker connection may be down, credentials may be wrong, or the topic prefix may be misconfigured.
Why This Happens in Real Homes
Frigate MQTT events not publishing means Frigate isn't connecting to your MQTT broker or isn't configured to publish — the events power the Home Assistant integration and automations, so a broken MQTT link leaves HA with no event feed. The usual causes are MQTT not enabled/configured, a wrong broker address or credentials, or the broker being unreachable.
In the Frigate config, enable MQTT and set the correct broker host, port, and credentials, then confirm the broker (such as Mosquitto) is running and reachable from the Frigate container (a firewall or network segmentation can block it). Match the topic prefix that your consumers (Home Assistant) expect. Frigate's log shows the MQTT connection status — a successful connection means events start publishing to the broker.
Symptoms
- MQTT events not publishing
- No MQTT messages from Frigate
- Home Assistant not getting events
- MQTT topic empty
- Events not on the broker
- MQTT integration silent
- No event feed via MQTT
- MQTT not working
Recognize these? Here's what usually causes it.
Common Causes
- MQTT not enabled/configured in Frigate
- Wrong broker host/port
- Wrong MQTT username/password
- Broker unreachable from Frigate
- Topic prefix mismatch
- Broker not running
- Firewall blocking MQTT
- Config error
Most fixes happen in the first 3 steps.
Do not debug downstream automations before confirming upstream publish flow.
Tools & Requirements
Step-by-Step Solution
Verify MQTT broker connectivity
Frigate publishes events to an MQTT broker (Mosquitto, EMQX, etc.). If the broker is down or unreachable: no events are published. Check frigate.yml: mqtt: host: your-mqtt-ip, port: 1883, user: your-user, password: your-password. Test the connection: mosquitto_sub -h your-mqtt-ip -t 'frigate/#' -u your-user -P your-password. If this command fails: the broker is unreachable, credentials are wrong, or the port is blocked by a firewall.
Check Frigate logs for MQTT errors
Frigate logs MQTT connection errors at startup and during operation. Check logs for messages like 'Failed to connect to MQTT broker', 'Connection refused', or 'Authentication failed.' In the Home Assistant add-on: go to Settings > Add-ons > Frigate > Log tab. In Docker: docker logs frigate | grep -i mqtt. Common errors: wrong hostname (use IP address instead of hostname if DNS is unreliable), wrong port (default is 1883 for unencrypted, 8883 for TLS), or expired credentials.
Verify MQTT topic structure
Frigate publishes events to the topic frigate/events by default. If you changed the topic prefix in frigate.yml (mqtt: topic_prefix: custom_prefix): events publish to custom_prefix/events instead. Check that your subscriber (Home Assistant, Node-RED, etc.) is listening to the correct topic. In Home Assistant: the Frigate integration auto-discovers the topic prefix — but if you changed it after initial setup, you may need to re-add the Frigate MQTT integration.
Check if events are being generated
MQTT events only publish when Frigate actually creates events — which requires both motion detection and object detection to trigger. If no events are generated: MQTT has nothing to publish. Check the Frigate web UI events page: if events appear there but not in MQTT, the issue is MQTT connectivity. If no events appear anywhere: the issue is detection configuration (detect not enabled, wrong stream, or the camera is offline).
Test with a manual MQTT message
Verify the MQTT path works end-to-end: publish a test message from the Frigate host. Install mosquitto-clients and run: mosquitto_pub -h your-mqtt-ip -t 'frigate/test' -m 'hello' -u your-user -P your-password. On the subscriber side, listen: mosquitto_sub -h your-mqtt-ip -t 'frigate/#'. If the test message arrives: the MQTT broker works and the issue is Frigate's connection to it. If it does not arrive: the broker or network is the problem.
Quick Solutions
Still having issues? This is usually the deeper cause below.
If this comes back after following these steps, check whether a recent app or firmware update reset a default setting — the fix works, but the setting gets reverted silently.
MQTT topic naming consistency prevents silent automation breakages.
This issue almost always looks more complex than it is — the majority of cases trace back to a single setting, a stale credential, or a default that shipped wrong.
- MQTT not enabled/configured in Frigate
- Wrong broker host/port
- Wrong MQTT username/password
- Broker unreachable from Frigate
- Topic prefix mismatch
Before you go — try one of these (they fix most cases).
Official Manufacturer Manual
Frigate provides official product documentation through their online manual rather than downloadable PDF. Access setup guides, troubleshooting steps, and product specifications for your Frigate MQTT Pipeline.
Source: docs.frigate.video
Need More Help? Frigate Support
Note: The contact information below connects you directly to Frigate's official customer support team, not Trunetto. They can help with warranty claims, device replacements, and advanced technical issues.
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