Automation once in a period of time?

Configuration
1

Hello to the forum. I have a question. I have created an automation that sends me a message by telegram when someone rings the doorbell. This works without any problems … If now my daughter is at the front door, then it rings not only once but very often, and each time a message is sent by telegram and my smartphone comes with the beeping not behind. Is it possible to limit the automation so that it is triggered only once? Then the automation is locked for one minute and then becomes active again. I have already looked at the “conditions” but have not found a suitable solution. For help or tips, I would be grateful.

2
  1. Speak with your daughter. :rofl:
  2. You could turn the automation ‘off’ at the end of the action part and turn it on with another automation after some time.

EDIT: Something like this:

- alias: doorbell rings
  trigger:
    platform: state
    entity_id: some.switch
    state: 'on'
  action:
    - service: notify...
      ...
    - service: automation.turn_off
      entity_id: automation.doorbell_rings

- alias: doorbell automation on
  trigger:
    platform: state
    entity_id: automation.doorbell_rings
    to: 'off'
    for: "00:01:00"
  action:
    service: automation.turn_on
    entity_id: automation.doorbell_rings
2 Likes
3

Thank you for the answer and help. I have talked to my daughter several times and can confirm that changing the automation is the simpler solution … :rofl:

Thanks for the help :+1:

4 Likes
4

You can do it in one automation by adding a condition like the following:

- alias: doorbell rings
  trigger:
     ...
  condition:
    condition: template
    value_template: >
      {% set last = state_attr('automation.doorbell_rings', 'last_triggered') %}
      {{ last is none or (now() - last).total_seconds() > 60 }}
  action:
    ...
10 Likes
5

Thanks Phil for your answer :+1:

1 Like
6

Thanks Phil. Solved a big issue for me. IMHO this functionality should be built-in to automations.

1 Like
7

Starting with the 0.113 release, one can now do:

- alias: doorbell rings
  trigger:
    ...
  mode: single
  action:
    ...
    - delay: 60

This will prevent the actions from running again for 60 seconds (or whatever amount of delay is used.)

8

too bad we can’t use that with multiple triggers. Would it somewhere in the future be possible to use something like this:

- trigger_delay: 60

?

btw just found this nice addition to the timing templates:

Didnt use the last is none yet, but that I see this, will change all accordingly. That can be done with multiple triggers:

      - condition: template
        value_template: >
          {% set last = trigger.from_state.last_changed %}
          {{last is none or (now() - last).total_seconds() > 120}}

cool.

9

What do you mean? Can you give an example?

It is the Month of “What the heck?!”… :smile:

10

sure:

  - alias: Daughters presence
    id: Daughters presence
    initial_state: false
    trigger:
      platform: state
      entity_id:
        - group.daughter_1
        - group.daughter_2
        - device_tracker.daughter_3
        - device_tracker.daughter_4
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_boolean.notify_presence
        state: 'on'
#      - condition: template
#        value_template: >
#          {{is_state('input_boolean.notify_presence','on')}}
      - condition: template
        value_template: >
          {{trigger.to_state is not none and
            trigger.from_state is not none and
            trigger.to_state.state in ['home','not_home'] and
            trigger.to_state.state != trigger.from_state.state}}
      - condition: template
        value_template: >
          {% set last = trigger.from_state.last_changed %}
          {{last is none or (now() - last).total_seconds() > 120}}

#          {{(now() - trigger.from_state.last_changed).total_seconds() > 120}}
    action:
      service: notify.notify
      data_template:
        title: >
          Daughter {{'arrived at' if is_state(trigger.entity_id,'home') else 'left'}} home
        message: >-
          {{as_timestamp(now())|timestamp_custom('%X')}}
          {{trigger.to_state.name}} {{'arrived at' if is_state(trigger.to_state,'home') else 'left'}} home.

if I’d use the

- delay: 60

ending the action block, I would prevent triggering all together, while it could be a different daughter entering the premises :wink:

11

Ok, thanks, I see what you did there. Yes, this looks like potentially a common use case, so it might make sense to add something “native” for it. Although I wouldn’t call it “trigger_delay”, since that would have the wrong connotation. Maybe something more along the lines of “min_trigger_period” or something. Yeah, I’d say, go ahead and add a WTH or Feature Request topic.

12

cool, I’ll do that. Prefer the WTH for now, since the has the dev’s attention :wink:
I will also link to this topic.
thanks!

edit

Done