Button to activate automation

Configuration
1

Hey there, I just recently installed HA onto my NAS to create a complex light automation that just wasn’t possible in HomeKit. I’ve created the automation itself no problem, but now I want to create a „button“ or „switch“ that starts and ends the automation (it could be set up as a script as well). I want this button to be exposed to HomeKit, but I can’t seem to figure out a way to make a „virtual“ button that starts my automation. I’m not familiar with YAML and have used only the HA GUI so far. Glad if anyone can help :slight_smile:

2

I am not a Homekit user, so there may be some other method specific to that integration, but the basic answer is to use one of the following:

Button Entity

Input Boolean/Toggle/“Virtual Switch”

Both can be created in Settings > Devices and Services > Helpers

1 Like
3

Usually this question is answered simply by create a button on Lovelace and set its click action to run service and run your automation or script… But you said

I want to trigger this in home kit.

make a toggle helper (input_boolean)… make it a trigger for your automation and in the automation, turn it off when the automation completes. The input boolean (basically a virtual switch) then gets exposed to whatever…

Then you can ask Siri to do your thing…

4

Yes, that makes sense in theory, which is what I want to do. I can’t figure out how to make the input Boolean the trigger for my automation. What do I select in the list?

IMG_5136
IMG_51361125×2306 143 KB

5

An automation run manually is a script. Rather reverse things: Make a script that both your automation and button can use. Semantically it’s a lot better.

6 
show_name: true
show_icon: true
type: button
tap_action:
  action: call-service
  service: automation.trigger
  data:
    skip_condition: true
  target:
    entity_id: automation.daily_weather_forecst_at_07_45
icon: mdi:weather-cloudy-alert
hold_action:
  action: none
name: Weather Forecast
show_state: false
icon_height: 33px
entity: automation.automation_42
1 Like
7

No problem I have also created a script that does the same thing. How do I select the button as the trigger though?

8

Im not familiar with yaml. Where should I enter these commands?

9

Navigate via settings to your integration page and select the tab “Helpers”
afbeelding

Add a helper with the blue button
afbeelding

Select switch
afbeelding

And then make a automation with the boolean switch

afbeelding
afbeelding331×629 15.1 KB

1 Like
10

This is not made in yaml, but since it is the only way to exchange automations/lovelace configurations I just exported it, so you can import it (don’t see any other way…)

Every automation/page/scene has the option ’ edit in yaml’ or ’ show code’ …

I normally don’t put screen shot…but here you go:

image
image492×726 34.1 KB

(noted the top line ’ Show Code Editior’ ?? :thinking:)

1 Like
11

You can just call the script directly with the button and in your automation you’ll call the same script under your actions.

12

Finally! Thank you all for your help :blush: I figured out what my error was. I wasn’t able to select the On/Off state in the mobile view, but on desktop it worked like a charm! I thought those attributes weren’t able to be selected that way at first. Works very well now with one script and two automations :+1:t2:

1 Like