How to add an unique_id to a restful switch

Configuration Frontend
1

Hello,

Can I add an unique_id to a restful switch so that I can give it an area and icon setup through the GUI? Or how would I do this without the GUI?

I have several restful switches that each belong to an area. I like the switch to show up on the correct LoveLace card with the correct icon.

2

You can’t. As a work-around, you can create a template switch out of your restful switch, and add an unique_id there.

2 Likes
3

Thanks,

I’ve worked it out but I am confused. Maybe you can clear it up for me.

The restful switch is this:

switch:
  - platform: rest
    name: water_zone1
    resource: http://192.168.0.200/api/zone_1
    body_on: '{"relay":{"value":true}}'
    body_off: '{"relay":{"value":false}}'
    is_on_template: "{{ value_json['relay']['value'] }}"

Then I created the following template switch:

- platform: template
    switches:
      waterzone1:
        value_template: "{{ is_state('switch.water_zone1', 'on') }}"
        turn_on:
          service: switch.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: switch.water_zone1
        turn_off:
          service: switch.turn_off
          target:
            entity_id: switch.water_zone1

This created a Lovelace card with 3 switches.

Group switch
water_zone1 switch (the restful switch)
waterzone1 switch (the template switch)

I then looked up the entity waterzone1 and applied the correct area to it and I change the icon. Once reloaded HAS, the group switch disappeared, restful switch (water_zone1) is on it’s own again and waterzone1 (template switch) was merged into the card of the area I assigned to it. Good!

But if I use entity_id: switch.water_zone1 to identify the restful switch in the template, it means it has an identity_id. So why this big detour?

And can you confirm that with:

- platform: template
    switches:
      waterzone1: <----

waterzone1 is here the defined entity_id? I do not have to add an extra line entity_id: <name>? I’ve seen this in some examples in this forum but when I use it, HAS seems to ignore it.

Is the code above clean or dirty?

Last question :slight_smile: the restful switch is now a bit useless in the Lovelace. What is the common way to have it not show up?

4

It seems you use the autogenerated lovelace. You can’t hide the restful switch unfortunately, only if you take control of lovelace.
Your template definition seems ok.

5

Wow, you are fast :slightly_smiling_face:

Yes you are right, I use the auto generated Lovelace. I will create another Dashboard that I will not auto generate.

Thanks again!

6

For anyone who finds this with the same question:
You can in fact set a unique ID.

switch:
  - platform: rest
    name: water_zone1
    unique_id: water_zone1
    resource: http://192.168.0.200/api/zone_1
    body_on: '{"relay":{"value":true}}'
    body_off: '{"relay":{"value":false}}'
    is_on_template: "{{ value_json['relay']['value'] }}"