Cannot trigger on Ring Doorbell Motion

Configuration
1

I have a Ring doorbell, and I’m trying to create an automation that will trigger when motion is detected. When I view the device, I see that the motion event is triggered and the last activity time is updated, but my automation does not trigger.

I have tried various configurations for the trigger without success. Currently, the trigger is set like this, where the name of the divide is “front door”:

triggers:

  • trigger: state
    entity_id:
    • event.front_door_motion
      from: ‘off’
      to: ‘on’

Can someone please help me out with this?

Thanks

2

I never do “from: state” because I want to leave possibility that it become “unavailable” and still want “on” to trigger

I think motion states are “detected” and “ clear” not on/off

So remove from: off
Change to: on >> to: detected

3

That worked. Thanks so much.

4

This only worked once. Any idea why it would no longer trigger? Is it possible that it never goes back to the “off” state?

triggers:

  • trigger: state
    entity_id:
    • event.front_door_motion
      from: ‘off’
      to: ‘on’
5

Yes, that’s why I recommend you do not use it

You only need “to” state

6

I’m not familiar with the Ring doorbell, but are you sure you want to use an event as the trigger? A button press is an event, but most motion detectors are binary sensors which go on when movement is detected and off again a few seconds later.

If it is an event, you can’t use on and off - events don’t have those states. Instead you leave the from and to fields blank:

7

Good point

@jsabin should be using state not event

entity_id:
  - binary_sensor.game_room_motion_detection
to: "on"
trigger: state

Either detected or on may be used I believe

8

So excuse my ignorance because I’m still new at HomeAssistant but binary_sensor.front_door_motion_detection does not show in my list of entities and the UI doesn’t like it. The only entities I show for Ring that might apply are event.front_door_motion and switch.front_door_motion_detection.

I have tried the following without success. Any other ideas? Is ‘on’ wrong for a switch? How do I find what options there are for each type of entity?

triggers:

  • trigger: state
    entity_id:
    • switch.front_door_motion_detection
      to: ‘on’
9

EASY WAY

  1. Go to device
  2. Trigger device in way you want it normally triggered
  3. See what changes
    a. Notate what it Changes to
    b. Notate what state it returns back to
  4. Check this a couple time for consistency
  5. Create your automation using this info
  6. Check the same place you check in #3 to see that it’s still changing state as you expect.
  7. Now check that automation trigggers with it
  • the automation creation ui will show “triggered” and your automation will function is all is set

This is the way to build automation

10

I found that the following works for me. However, it seems that the Ring motion sensor is somewhat hit or miss.

triggers:

  • trigger: state
    entity_id:
    • event.front_door_motion
11

What model?

Is it using actual motion sensor or camera image?
If camera image detection is subjective.

12

I have Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen).

Most of the time it senses someone at the door. But occasionally it doesn’t. Not sure why.