Home Assistant Automation Expert

Master Home Assistant automations, scripts, blueprints, and Jinja2 templating with confidence.

Before You Start

This skill prevents common automation mistakes including:

• Incorrect trigger syntax - Using deprecated formats or invalid entity IDs

• Missing condition operators - Forgetting and /or /not conjunctions

• Jinja2 template errors - Undefined variables or incorrect filter usage

• Blueprint parameterization issues - Missing !input substitutions or misaligned selectors

Quick Reference: Automation Structure

Basic Automation Format

automation: !include automations.yaml

Single Automation File

• alias: "My Automation" description: "What this automation does" trigger: ... condition: ... action: ... mode: single

Triggers Quick Reference

State Trigger

trigger: platform: state entity_id: light.bedroom from: "off" to: "on" for: minutes: 5

Numeric State Trigger

trigger: platform: numeric_state entity_id: sensor.temperature above: 25 below: 30

Time Trigger

trigger: platform: time at: "10:30:00"

Time Pattern Trigger

trigger: platform: time_pattern hours: "*/2" # Every 2 hours minutes: 0

Device Trigger

trigger: platform: device device_id: abc123... domain: light type: turned_on

Event Trigger

trigger: platform: event event_type: call_service event_data: domain: light

MQTT Trigger

trigger: platform: mqtt topic: home/front_door/status payload: "opened"

Webhook Trigger

trigger: platform: webhook webhook_id: my_webhook_id

Sun Trigger

trigger: platform: sun event: sunrise offset: "-00:30:00" # 30 min before sunrise

Zone Trigger

trigger: platform: zone entity_id: device_tracker.john zone: zone.home event: enter

Template Trigger

trigger: platform: template value_template: "{{ state_attr('light.bedroom', 'brightness') > 200 }}"

Conditions Quick Reference

State Condition

condition:

• condition: state entity_id: light.bedroom state: "on"

Numeric State Condition

condition:

• condition: numeric_state entity_id: sensor.temperature above: 20 below: 25

Time Condition

condition:

• condition: time after: "08:00:00" before: "20:00:00" weekday:
  • mon
  • tue
  • wed

Sun Condition

condition:

• condition: sun after: sunrise before: sunset

Template Condition

condition:

• condition: template value_template: "{{ states('light.bedroom') == 'on' }}"

Combining Conditions

condition:

• condition: and conditions:
  • condition: state entity_id: light.bedroom state: "on"
  • condition: numeric_state entity_id: sensor.temperature above: 20

condition:

• condition: or conditions:
  • condition: state entity_id: binary_sensor.motion state: "on"
  • condition: state entity_id: light.bedroom state: "on"

Actions Quick Reference

Call Service Action

action:

• service: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.bedroom data: brightness: 255 color_temp: 366

Call Service (Multiple Targets)

action:

• service: light.turn_on target: entity_id: - light.bedroom - light.living_room area_id: downstairs

Choose (If/Then/Else)

action:

• choose:
  • conditions:
    • condition: state entity_id: light.bedroom state: "on" sequence:
    • service: light.turn_off target: entity_id: light.bedroom
  • conditions:
    • condition: state entity_id: light.bedroom state: "off" sequence:
    • service: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.bedroom default:
  • service: notification.send data: message: "Unable to determine light state"

Repeat (Loop)

action:

• repeat: count: 3 sequence: - service: light.toggle target: entity_id: light.bedroom - delay: seconds: 1

Delay

action:

• delay: minutes: 5

Wait for Trigger

action:

• wait_for_trigger: platform: state entity_id: binary_sensor.motion to: "off" timeout: minutes: 30
• service: light.turn_off target: entity_id: light.bedroom

Parallel Actions

action:

• parallel:
  • service: light.turn_off target: entity_id: light.bedroom
  • service: switch.turn_off target: entity_id: switch.fan

Automation Modes

mode: single # Default - cancel previous run mode: restart # Restart on retrigger mode: queued # Queue up to 10 retriggered runs mode: parallel # Allow multiple simultaneous runs mode: queued # with max: 10 # Limit queued runs

Jinja2 Template Cheatsheet

Common Variables

• states('entity.id')

• Get entity state

• state_attr('entity.id', 'attribute')

• Get entity attribute

• now()

• Current datetime

• as_timestamp('2024-01-01')

• Convert to timestamp

• trigger

• Trigger object (if in trigger template)

Filters

{{ value | float(0) }} # Convert to float with default {{ value | int(0) }} # Convert to int with default {{ value | round(2) }} # Round to 2 decimal places {{ value | timestamp_custom("%Y-%m-%d") }} # Format timestamp {{ value | replace("old", "new") }} # Replace string {{ value | lower }} # Lowercase {{ value | upper }} # Uppercase {{ value | length }} # Get length {{ list | list }} # Convert to list

Conditionals

{% if states('light.bedroom') == 'on' %} Light is on {% elif states('light.bedroom') == 'off' %} Light is off {% else %} Unknown {% endif %}

Loops

{% for entity in states.light %} {{ entity.name }}: {{ entity.state }} {% endfor %}

Math Operations

{{ 5 + 3 }} # Addition {{ 10 - 4 }} # Subtraction {{ 3 * 4 }} # Multiplication {{ 20 / 4 }} # Division {{ 17 % 5 }} # Modulo (remainder)

String Operations

{{ "hello " + "world" }} # Concatenation {{ value is string }} # Type checking {{ value is number }} {{ value is defined }} # Check if variable exists {{ value | default("fallback") }} # Provide default

Debugging Templates

Use Developer Tools > Template in Home Assistant UI to test templates in real-time.

Blueprint Creation Basics

Blueprint Structure

blueprint: name: "Friendly Name" description: "What this blueprint does" domain: automation source_url: "https://github.com/user/repo/path/to/blueprint.yaml"

input: my_light: name: "Light to control" description: "The light entity to control" selector: entity: domain: light

brightness_level:
  name: "Brightness"
  description: "Brightness percentage (0-100)"
  selector:
    number:
      min: 0
      max: 100
      unit_of_measurement: "%"

duration:
  name: "Duration"
  description: "How long to stay on"
  selector:
    number:
      min: 1
      max: 60
      unit_of_measurement: "minutes"

my_bool:
  name: "Enable feature"
  selector:
    boolean:

trigger: ... condition: ... action:

• service: light.turn_on target: entity_id: !input my_light data: brightness: !input brightness_level

Blueprint Selectors

Entity selector

selector: entity: domain: light

Device selector

selector: device: integration: zwave manufacturer: Philips

Area selector

selector: area:

Number selector

selector: number: min: 0 max: 100 step: 5 unit_of_measurement: "%"

Text selector

selector: text: multiline: true

Boolean selector

selector: boolean:

Select (dropdown)

selector: select: options: - label: "Option 1" value: "value1" - label: "Option 2" value: "value2"

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Don't: Use old trigger format

trigger:

• platform: state entity_id: light.bedroom

✅ Do: Use nested structure

trigger:

• platform: state entity_id: light.bedroom to: "on"

❌ Don't: Mix trigger and condition logic

trigger:

• platform: state entity_id: light.bedroom to: "on" condition:
• condition: state entity_id: light.bedroom to: "on" # Redundant!

✅ Do: Use trigger for change detection, condition for state verification

trigger:

• platform: state entity_id: light.bedroom condition:
• condition: numeric_state entity_id: sensor.temperature above: 20 # Additional check

❌ Don't: Forget entity_id in service calls

action:

• service: light.turn_on data: brightness: 255

✅ Do: Specify target entity

action:

• service: light.turn_on target: entity_id: light.bedroom data: brightness: 255

Best Practices

• Use descriptive alias names - Make automation purposes clear

• Add descriptions - Explain why the automation exists

• Test with Developer Tools - Verify templates before deployment

• Use choose for complex logic - More readable than multiple automations

• Organize by room or function - Use !include to split large files

• Set appropriate mode - Choose single/restart/queued based on use case

• Add for: condition - Prevent false triggers from brief state changes

• Use templates for flexibility - Enable parameter passing in blueprints

Troubleshooting

Template Shows "Error"

• Check template in Developer Tools > Template

• Verify entity IDs exist: homeassistant.entity_ids

• Use | default("value") filter for optional attributes

Automation Doesn't Trigger

• Verify entity IDs and state values (case-sensitive)

• Check trigger.yaml syntax with YAML validator

• Review automation logs in Settings > Developer Tools > Logs

Blueprint Input Not Working

• Verify !input variable_name syntax (YAML 1.2 tag)

• Check selector type matches input type

• Ensure blueprint is in correct folder: config/blueprints/automation/

Jinja2 Syntax Error

• Check for undefined variables - use | default()

• Verify filter syntax: value | filter_name(arg)

• Don't use quotes inside quotes without escaping

Official Resources

• Home Assistant Automation Docs

• Home Assistant Scripts

• Jinja2 Templating Guide

• Blueprint Documentation

• Condition Types

• Trigger Types

• Template Integration