Unable to find group in Automations --> Actions

Configuration
1

I’m trying to trigger a group of lights to turn on in an automation. I’ve formed the group in the configuration file (screenshot #1), and can interact with it (toggle it on/off) on the overview page (screenshot #2). I can also confirm it exists as a group in Developer Tools (screenshot #3). But, when I try to perform an automation → action → Action type → Device, the group never populates in the drop down box as an option (screenshot #4).

Question #1: Why can’t I find the group in automations?
Question #2 (tangential question): Notice the locks on the overview page (screenshot #2) don’t have a combination toggle to turn them both on/off simultaneously. Is there a reason / fix for that?

1 - Config File
2 - Overview Page

3 - Developer Tools
3 - Developer Tools1183×585 29.2 KB

4 - Automations page
4 - Automations page980×565 15.5 KB

1 Like
2

  1. Because a group is not a device. Use a service action type.

  2. That’s how locks were designed to look.

1 Like
3

Thanks for the reply. I also cannot find it as a service (see screenshot).

Follow up questions:
1. Is there a different way I should be searching for the group, as a service?
2. Is there a simple/easy way to add toggle functionality to the locks, so it works like the lights?

5 - Automation_state
5 - Automation_state1010×515 15.5 KB

4

You put the service in the service text box, try one of these:

  • group.turn_on
  • group.turn_off
  • group.toggle

Not the entity id. That goes in the target.

1 Like
5

Thanks again for replying so quickly.

When I type “group.”, I don’t see group.turn_on, or either of the others. Here is what I see (screenshot).
I opened “Group.Set” for a hot moment, and then backed out because I wasn’t confident it was what I was looking for. Is there something else I’m missing?

6 - Automation
6 - Automation954×504 13.1 KB

1 Like
6

Oh I’m an idiot.

You want the homeassistant services:

  • homeassistant.turn_on
  • homeassistant.turn_off
  • homeassistant.toggle

You should then be able to select one of your groups.

Sorry. Brain fade.

1 Like
7

You’re not an idiot! That fixed it. Thank u!

1 Like
8

This is good except there isn’t a way to set the brightness as you can do with devices. I wonder since HomeKit let’s you set the brightness for a group device , if the feature will come to HA.

9

That’s because the group members in this topic are switches.

You can’t set the brightness of an on/off device.

If you make a group of dimmable lights using the new method you can use the light turn on service to dim the group.