ecobee api returning response 500: {'status': {'code': 4, 'message': 'Serialization error. Not permitted to update model: Thermostat'}}

Question

I'm building an application that leverages the ecobee API in python to control the thermostat mode (heat/cool/auto/off). I built a function to perform this and it was working without problems 4 days ago. When I started to work back again yesterday on my code every time I do the same I'm getting a 500 response with the following status: {'status': {'code': 4, 'message': 'Serialization error. Not permitted to update model: Thermostat'}}. I can't seem to find what is the issue and how to resolve that. I've already created a ticket with ecobee - based on their website suggestion about code 4 - but no answer. I'm hoping someone has had a similar issue and could help me out or shine some light here. I tried to use their js example on the webpage but it does not work either for this part/example - I can read the status of all variables, get my tokens, refresh them but changing mode (or temperature) seems to not work anymore. Here is my code for changing thermostat mode:

def EB_hvac_mode(access_token, refresh_token, mode = "off"):
    # mode: heat, cool, auto, off
    header = {'Content-Type': 'application/json;charset=UTF-8', 'Authorization':'Bearer ' + access_token}
    payload = {"selection":{"selectionType":"registered","selectionMatch":""},"thermostat":{"settings":{"hvacMode":mode}}}
    print(payload)
    url = "https://api.ecobee.com/1/thermostat?format=json"
    print(url)
    r = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=header)
    print(r.json())

Answer 1

When I've had this problem before it was because I had not requested the correct scope when authorizing the app. So double-check you have the correct scope.

To update the thermostat via the API you need to have the "smartWrite" scope (https://www.ecobee.com/home/developer/api/documentation/v1/auth/auth-intro.shtml)

When I then tried again with that scope, the problem was resolved.

Hope that helps.