Why7 did this automation not actually execute?

Configuration
1

The trace for the automation shows that it was triggered but the actions weren't run.

this shows that it was triggered:

Screenshot 2026-06-30 095306
Screenshot 2026-06-30 095306598×693 26.9 KB

But looking at the choose step it says that the choose step was not executed:

Screenshot 2026-06-30 095359
Screenshot 2026-06-30 095359736×715 34.6 KB

This happened at least once before recently but I thought it was only a fluke.

But for additional info the same automation was triggered 12 minutes earlier but produced an error:

Screenshot 2026-06-30 101504
Screenshot 2026-06-30 1015041243×665 49.4 KB

I've had that same API error occur a few times as it seems the both the core LG ThinQ integration and the custom SmartThinQ integration API calls are a bit buggy?

I checked the home-assistant.log file about any automation errors during the time periods for both triggers (23:20 and 23:32) but there is nothing at all. It doesn't even mention the API error from the first automation trace. So I'm not sure where that error gets set in the trace timeline.

any idea how a trigger could occur but not actually run the first step in the actions (the choose step)?

2

Post the yaml for your automation, and what you expect it to do. Someone may then be able to help, it is a lot of work to guess what went wrong from your pics, these pics will also not be viewable on anything like a phone or tablet.

3

OK....

I had a long post explaining what I was trying to find out but then I looked at a couple of other previous traces and I realized what was happening...

the automation was performing a repeat loop from a previous trigger and since the default run mode is single it blocked the execution of that run until the first run completed.

the trace just showing a red line to nowhere wasn't as helpful as it could be. I had to look at the trace timeline section and it said why it stopped in there. And it is strange that nothing was reported in the logs. the docs say that a warning will be raised but I didn't see anything at all about any automation in the logs in that timeframe.

I guess I'll need to rethink the automation to prevent that from happening.

thanks for the reply tho. :smile:

4

I just set up a quick test with an input boolean for a trigger & a 1 minute delay as the action, with mode set to single.

Got the error in the Core logs just fine when I attempted to trigger it a second time while it was still running.

Logger: homeassistant.components.automation.dummy_automation
Source: helpers/script.py:2185
Integration: Automation (documentation, issues)
First occurred: 18:42:56 (1 occurrence)
Last logged: 18:42:56

dummy automation: Already running
5

yeah, never mind on that too. I'm just dumb.

Apparently I can't tell dates properly. 6/28 =/= 6/29...

I could have sworn I looked at the date correctly.

:roll_eyes:

6

Happens to the best of us