Automation to control another automation?

Configuration
1

Is there a way to create an automation that turns OFF another automation for a certain time (and then ON again) ?

2

yes.

the services are “automation.turn_off” & “automation.turn_on” and are called just like any other service in the first automations actions.

1 Like
3

Thanks for your valuable help !!!

4

YEs you can do this. But I would say a more proper way is to have an input_helper that controls whether an automation runs or not and toggle that rather than actually enabling/disabling automations. It is more pragmatic.

1 Like
5

Instead of one automation controlling another’s schedule, put the schedule directly into the automation’s condition (or even into its Template Trigger if it uses one).

6

Something that totally puzzles me is when I have a condition of Time at 5 pm the condition tests ok but when I set the condition at 6 pm or later it tests as not ok.

Trigger : entity X
Condition : Fixed Time after 7 pm before 12 am

7

Instead of posting pseudo-code, post the automation in YAML format.

8

I agree with you that seems more logical, but I don’t get it to work.

What I am trying to do is with an entity of the Jewish Calendar integration that is named “Melacha in effect”. This entity is either ON or OFF depending on specific day/time in the Jewish Calendar.
I think that I get it to work for ON by just adding the entity as Trigger, but I don’t know (and have tried several options) how to set it so that a specific Action only runs when the entity if OFF.

9

I don’t understand your reply. You originally posted this:

To help you, we need to see what you actually created that, when tested, didn’t work for you. Because this doesn’t represent anything we can examine to determine why it failed:

Trigger : entity X
Condition : Fixed Time after 7 pm before 12 am

Post the automation you created, in YAML mode, so we can examine it.

10

I don’t how copy/paste exactly like it shows in YAML mode, I did a copy/paste to MS Word and then here.

Thanks for trying to help me. I am novice at Home Assistant

Trigger

platform: time
at: ‘14:55:00’

Condition

condition: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.jewish_calendar_issur_melacha_in_effect
state: ‘off’

Action :
service: media_player.play_media
data:
media_content_type: audio/mp3
media_content_id: http://s22.myradiostream.com:7728/listen.mp3
target:
entity_id: media_player.mazal

11
  • In the upper right corner of the Automation Editor is an icon with three vertical dots.
  • Click it and it will reveal a menu.
  • Select ‘Edit in YAML’

Screenshot_20220629-175943~2

  • The Automation Editor will switch from Visual Mode to YAML mode.
  • Select all of the displayed YAML code using your mouse then right-click and select Copy. If you are using a phone or tablet, the select-copy procedure is different (let me know if you need help with that).
  • Return to your forum message and paste the YAML code.
  • Select the YAML code you just pasted and then click the </> icon in the forum’s editor to format it properly.
12 
[alias: M1. Music - Sky Radio - 5:55 am
description: ''
trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: '05:55:00'
condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.jewish_calendar_issur_melacha_in_effect
    state: 'off'
action:
  - service: media_player.play_media
    data:
      media_content_id: >-
        http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/api/
        livestream-redirect/SKYRADIOAAC.aac
      media_content_type: audio/aac
    target:
      entity_id: media_player.mazal
mode: single
13

Thanks again for guiding me. I really appreciate

14

This is what I am trying to do.
If time is 7:55 pm and the entity is OFF, the action runs.
If the entity is ON then the action does not run

[alias: M1. Music - Sky Radio - 7:55 pm test
description: ''
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id:
      - binary_sensor.jewish_calendar_issur_melacha_in_effect
    to: 'off'
condition:
  - condition: time
    before: '00:00:00'
    after: '19:55:00'
action:
  - service: media_player.play_media
    data:
      media_content_id: >-
        http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/api/
        livestream-redirect/SKYRADIOAAC.aac
      media_content_type: audio/aac
    target:
      entity_id: media_player.mazal
mode: single](https://)
15

In the above code, triggering on the binary sensor will only happen exactly when the the state changes to off, then it will check the condition (between 19:55 and 00:00), so if the sensor changes to off outside of that time span times, the automation will never proceed to the action.

But, from your description, I understand you only ever want it to (possibly) trigger at one specific time, so the time platform is the correct thing to trigger on, then you check the condition of the binary sensor – if it is ‘off’ it will proceed to the action.

So this looks correct to me:

alias: M1. Music - Sky Radio - 7:55 pm test
description: ''
trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: '19:55:00'
condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.jewish_calendar_issur_melacha_in_effect
    state: 'off'
action:
  - service: media_player.play_media
    data:
      media_content_id: >-
        http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/api/
        livestream-redirect/SKYRADIOAAC.aac
      media_content_type: audio/aac
    target:
      entity_id: media_player.mazal
mode: single
16

Thanks !!!
I think that I understand your ‘Time’ explanation but am not sure.
If the state is already off before 19:55 (for argument sake it changed to off 2 hours or a day earlier) and there is no state change between 19:55 and 0:00, will the action still run at 19:55 ?
If not, how can I set the automation that it runs action A (radio station A) at 19:55 if the entity is off and run action B (radio station B) at 19:55 if the entity is on ? I assume 2 separate automations ?

Thanks again !!!

17

No, in your original example it would not run at 19:55.

When you are selecting triggers, remember that a trigger is something that happens or changes. For many automations, the right trigger to use is one that is linked to an event that is closest to the action in real time. As an example, let’s say you want lights to come on when you are moving around the house at night. Your trigger should be that motion is detected. Then you could add the condition that it is after sunset.

You can use two automations, or modify the condition and action portions of the automation that @gonzotek provided… using an If/Then or Choose action. Since you are working with a binary output (Radio A or Radio B), the If/Then action will work fine.

alias: M1. Music - Sky Radio - 7:55 pm test
description: ''
trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: '19:55:00'
condition: []
action:
  - if:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.jewish_calendar_issur_melacha_in_effect
        state: 'off'
    then:
      - service: media_player.play_media
        data:
          media_content_id: >-
            http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/api/
            livestream-redirect/SKYRADIOAAC.aac
          media_content_type: audio/aac
        target:
          entity_id: media_player.mazal
    else:
      - service: media_player.play_media
        data:
          media_content_id: >-
            ##radio station B##
          media_content_type: audio/aac
        target:
          entity_id: media_player.mazal
mode: single
1 Like
18

Drew, Thanks… I have learned so much about HA the past couple of days and I still have to learn a lot more.
Your IF-THEN-ELSE is a real discovery for me and is very similar to what I use with ISY=Polisy of UDI.
Thanks again