HA startup automation action that fails during startup but works fine if manually triggered

Configuration
1

Hi all,

I have an automation action that usually fails (works on some rare occasion and if ran manually). It is a simple automation that sends a message on Telegram when my Home Assistant Green starts.

Versions:

  • Installation method: Home Assistant OS
  • Core: 2026.3.1
  • Supervisor: 2026.02.3
  • Operating System: 17.1
  • Frontend: 20260304.0

The automation YAML in question:

alias: "Notify: HA start"
description: ""
triggers:
  - event: start
    trigger: homeassistant
conditions: []
actions:
  - action: input_boolean.turn_on
    metadata: {}
    target:
      entity_id: input_boolean.startup_triggered
    data: {}
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 30
      milliseconds: 0
  - action: telegram_bot.send_message
    metadata: {}
    data:
      message: "{{ now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M.%S') }} | Home Assistant Green started"
      entity_id:
        - notify.telegram_bot_6111111111_1111111111111
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 15
      milliseconds: 0
  - action: input_boolean.turn_off
    metadata: {}
    target:
      entity_id: input_boolean.startup_triggered
    data: {}
mode: single

Under Automation Traces, I get this:

Telegram bot ‘Send message’
Executed: March 10, 2026 at 08:38:38
Error: ‘ConfigEntry’ object has no attribute ‘runtime_data’
Result:
params:
domain: telegram_bot
service: send_message
service_data:
message: 2026-03-10 08:38.38 | Home Assistant Green started
entity_id:
- notify.telegram_bot_6111111111_1111111111111
target: {}
running_script: false

Step config
action: telegram_bot.send_message
metadata: {}
data:
message: ‘{{ now().strftime(’‘%Y-%m-%d %H:%M.%S’‘) }} | Home Assistant Green started’
entity_id:
- notify.telegram_bot_6111111111_1111111111111

Under System Log I have this:

Logger: homeassistant.components.automation.ha_notify_start
Source: helpers/script.py:531
integration: Automation ([documentation](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/automation), [issues](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22integration%3A+automation%22))
First occurred: 08:38:38 (1 occurrence)
Last logged: 08:38:38

Notify: HA start: Error executing script. Unexpected error for call_service at pos 3: 'ConfigEntry' object has no attribute 'runtime_data'

Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/helpers/script.py", line 531, in _async_step await getattr(self, handler)() File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/helpers/script.py", line 1018, in _async_step_call_service response_data = await self._async_run_long_action( ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ...<9 lines>... ) ^ File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/helpers/script.py", line 631, in _async_run_long_action return await long_task ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/core.py", line 2817, in async_call response_data = await coro ^^^^^^^^^^ File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/core.py", line 2860, in _execute_service return await target(service_call) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/telegram_bot/__init__.py", line 477, in _async_send_telegram_message service, target_config_entry.runtime_data, target_chat_id ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ AttributeError: 'ConfigEntry' object has no attribute 'runtime_data'

I don’t quite understand what’s wrong and why this only fails during startup. I tried adding delay thinking it needs time to “startup” but the delay doesn’t solve the issue.

If anyone can help, it is appreciated. Thanks.

2

Seems like Claude AI confirms it is a bug with the Telegram integration. Going to try this suggested fix.

Fix 1: Wait for Telegram to be Ready (Recommended)

Instead of a fixed delay, use a template condition that waits until the Telegram integration is actually loaded before proceeding:

alias: "Notify: HA start"
triggers:
  - event: start
    trigger: homeassistant
conditions: []
actions:
  - action: input_boolean.turn_on
    target:
      entity_id: input_boolean.startup_triggered
  - wait_template: >
      {{ integration_entities('telegram_bot') | select('in', states | map(attribute='entity_id') | list) | list | count > 0 }}
    timeout: "00:02:00"
    continue_on_timeout: false
  - delay:
      seconds: 5
  - action: telegram_bot.send_message
    data:
      message: "{{ now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M.%S') }} | Home Assistant Green started"
      entity_id:
        - notify.telegram_bot_6111111111_1111111111111
  - delay:
      seconds: 15
  - action: input_boolean.turn_off
    target:
      entity_id: input_boolean.startup_triggered
mode: single
3

[quote=“desean, post:2, topic:994520”]
input_boolean.startup_triggered
Why the input_boolean.startup_triggered ?
Just wait 5 second and send your messages.

1 Like
4

“input_boolean.startup_triggered” is my helper entity, acting as a sensor for me to know when HA recently started. It is used for my other automations.

5

Then activate that input_boolean in a other separate automation.

6

Just to share this YAML solves the issue for me.

alias: "Notify: HA start"
triggers:
  - trigger: homeassistant
    event: start
conditions: []
actions:
  - wait_template: >
      {{ 'telegram_bot' in services }}
    timeout: "00:02:00"
    continue_on_timeout: true
  - delay:
      seconds: 5
  - action: telegram_bot.send_message
    metadata: {}
    data:
      message: "{{ now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M.%S') }} | Home Assistant Green started"
      entity_id:
        - notify.telegram_bot_6111111111_1111111111111
mode: single
7

Was this vomited out by AI? The wait_template makes no sense at all and only serves as a 2 minute fixed delay.

services is not defined, so your template returns an error. After two minutes, it times out and continues. It’s identical to:

  - delay:
      seconds: 125

…except that it probably fills your logs with error messages.