Create or Update Automation

Create or update a Home Assistant automation.

MUST call ha_get_skill_guide OR refer to your locally installed skills first.

PREFER NATIVE SOLUTIONS OVER TEMPLATES (read this before writing any {{ ... }}): Native triggers/conditions/actions are validated at config load, fail loudly, and do not bypass HA's schema. Templates fail silently at runtime and obscure intent.

• condition: numeric_state instead of {{ states('x') | float > N }}

• condition: state (with state: list) instead of {{ is_state(...) }} / {{ states(x) in [...] }}

• condition: time instead of {{ now().hour ... }} or {{ now().weekday() ... }}

• condition: sun instead of {{ is_state('sun.sun', ...) }}

• Native for: field on state/numeric_state triggers and state conditions over {{ now() - X.last_changed > timedelta(...) }} duration math.

• wait_for_trigger instead of wait_template

• choose action instead of template-based service names

• For one-shot date firing, use a time trigger plus automation.turn_off on a hardcoded entity_id — not {{ now().date() ... }}.

• Hardcode target.entity_id literals — never {{ this.entity_id }}. Templates are appropriate ONLY in data.* fields, notification message/title, event_data, and variables. The reactive best-practice checker on this tool will surface anything in a logic position that should be native; consult the best_practice_warnings field on the response and fix before re-submitting. The relevant skill section is auto-embedded under skill_content on warnings, and the full automation-patterns.md + template-guidelines.md references ship under skill_content proactively by default. For comprehensive guidance beyond that, call ha_get_skill_guide.

The returned automation_id is the resolved entity_id (canonical form, e.g. automation.morning_routine) when entity registration succeeds, falling back to the input identifier (update path) or the generated unique_id from the upsert response (fresh create when no identifier was passed).

Before reaching for ha_config_set_automation, consider whether a dedicated tool fits the use case better:

• State snapshot of one or more entities (capture-then-replay, no trigger needed) -> ha_config_set_scene

• State-derived value that recomputes when its inputs change (template sensor / binary sensor / number / select) -> ha_config_set_helper(helper_type='template')

• Stateful counter / timer / schedule / boolean / etc. -> ha_config_set_helper(helper_type='counter' | 'timer' | ...)

Supports two modes: full config replacement OR Python transformation.

WHEN TO USE WHICH MODE:

• python_transform: RECOMMENDED for edits to existing automations. Surgical updates.

• config: Use for creating new automations or full restructures.

IMPORTANT: python_transform requires 'identifier' and 'config_hash' from ha_config_get_automation().

PYTHON TRANSFORM EXAMPLES (operate on the fetched config, which uses HA's canonical plural root keys 'triggers'/'actions'/'conditions'):

• Update action: python_transform="config['actions'][0]['data']['brightness'] = 255"

• Add trigger: python_transform="config['triggers'].append({'trigger': 'state', 'entity_id': 'binary_sensor.motion', 'to': 'on'})"

• Remove last action: python_transform="config['actions'].pop()"

Creates a new automation (if identifier omitted) or updates existing automation with provided configuration.

AUTOMATION TYPES:

1. Regular Automations - Define triggers and actions directly

2. Blueprint Automations - Use pre-built templates with customizable inputs

REQUIRED FIELDS (Regular Automations):

• alias: Human-readable automation name

• triggers: List of triggers (time, state, event, etc.)

• actions: List of actions to execute

REQUIRED FIELDS (Blueprint Automations):

• alias: Human-readable automation name

• use_blueprint: Blueprint configuration

  • path: Blueprint file path (e.g., "motion_light.yaml")

  • input: Dictionary of input values for the blueprint

OPTIONAL CONFIG FIELDS (Regular Automations):

• description: Detailed description of the user's intent (RECOMMENDED: helps safely modify implementation later)

• category: Category ID for organization (use ha_config_get_category to list, ha_config_set_category to create)

• conditions: Additional conditions that must be met

• mode: 'single' (default), 'restart', 'queued', 'parallel'

• max: Maximum concurrent executions (for queued/parallel modes)

• initial_state: Whether automation starts enabled (true/false)

• variables: Variables for use in automation

BASIC EXAMPLES:

Simple time-based automation: ha_config_set_automation(config={ "alias": "Morning Lights", "description": "Turn on bedroom lights at 7 AM to help wake up", "triggers": [{"trigger": "time", "at": "07:00:00"}], "actions": [{"action": "light.turn_on", "target": {"area_id": "bedroom"}}] })

Motion-activated lighting — for: on the off-transition replaces action-delay: ha_config_set_automation(config={ "alias": "Motion Light", "triggers": [ {"trigger": "state", "entity_id": "binary_sensor.motion", "to": "on", "id": "motion_on"}, {"trigger": "state", "entity_id": "binary_sensor.motion", "to": "off", "for": {"minutes": 5}, "id": "motion_off"} ], "actions": [ {"choose": [ {"conditions": [ {"condition": "trigger", "id": "motion_on"}, {"condition": "sun", "after": "sunset"} ], "sequence": [{"action": "light.turn_on", "target": {"entity_id": "light.hallway"}}]}, {"conditions": [{"condition": "trigger", "id": "motion_off"}], "sequence": [{"action": "light.turn_off", "target": {"entity_id": "light.hallway"}}]} ]} ] })

Update existing automation: ha_config_set_automation( identifier="automation.morning_routine", config={ "alias": "Updated Morning Routine", "triggers": [{"trigger": "time", "at": "06:30:00"}], "actions": [ {"action": "light.turn_on", "target": {"area_id": "bedroom"}}, {"action": "climate.set_temperature", "target": {"entity_id": "climate.bedroom"}, "data": {"temperature": 22}} ] } )

BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION EXAMPLES:

Create automation from blueprint: ha_config_set_automation(config={ "alias": "Motion Light Kitchen", "use_blueprint": { "path": "homeassistant/motion_light.yaml", "input": { "motion_entity": "binary_sensor.kitchen_motion", "light_target": {"entity_id": "light.kitchen"}, "no_motion_wait": 120 } } })

Update blueprint automation inputs: ha_config_set_automation( identifier="automation.motion_light_kitchen", config={ "alias": "Motion Light Kitchen", "use_blueprint": { "path": "homeassistant/motion_light.yaml", "input": { "motion_entity": "binary_sensor.kitchen_motion", "light_target": {"entity_id": "light.kitchen"}, "no_motion_wait": 300 } } } )

TRIGGER TYPES: time, time_pattern, sun, state, numeric_state, event, device, zone, template, and more CONDITION TYPES: state, numeric_state, time, sun, template, device, zone, and more ACTION TYPES: action calls, delays, wait_for_trigger, wait_template, if/then/else, choose, repeat, parallel

For comprehensive automation documentation with all trigger/condition/action types and advanced examples:

• Use: ha_get_skill_guide

• Or visit: https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/automation/

TROUBLESHOOTING:

• Use ha_get_state() to verify entity_ids exist

• Use ha_search() to find correct entity_ids

• IF you must use Jinja2 and have no native alternative, test it first with ha_eval_template() before embedding it in the automation config — catches syntax errors and unresolved entity_ids before they fail silently at runtime

• Use ha_search(domain_filter='automation') to find existing automations

create update modify edit automation triggers conditions actions new automation write save