Techniques and system configurations for generating and implementing recipes and scripts to enable the orchestration of actions, activities, and configurations within smart devices and device networks (including the Internet of Things “IoT” network topologies) are described herein. In an example, a method for smart device orchestration and configuration includes: obtaining an orchestration recipe that defines a sequence of actions to be performed among multiple types of smart devices; activating the orchestration recipe for use upon multiple smart devices associated with a user, based on at least one condition to perform the sequence of actions; associating the orchestration recipe with respective configurations of the multiple smart devices associated with the user; and initiating the orchestration recipe, to cause the sequence of actions to be performed with the multiple smart devices, including via cloud-based device services that control the multiple smart devices associated with the user.