Turn off automation

Use this action to disable an automation. While it’s off, the automation no longer listens for its triggersA trigger is a set of values or conditions of a platform that are defined to cause an automation to run. [Learn more] and doesn’t run.

By default, any actions the automation is running right now are stopped as well. You can keep them running by turning off Stop actions.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To disable an automation from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. Select what you want to control. Under By target (see Targets), select the automation you want to disable.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Turn off automation.
7. Optional: turn off Stop actions if you want actions that are already running to finish.
8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as automation.turn_off. A basic example looks like this:

action: automation.turn_off
target:
  entity_id: automation.away_lighting

This disables the automation.away_lighting automation and stops anything it is running.

To let the running actions finish, set stop_actions to false:

action: automation.turn_off
target:
  entity_id: automation.away_lighting
data:
  stop_actions: false

Options in YAML

Targets of the action

This action requires a target. The target is the object of the action. You can point the action at a single entityAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more], a device, an area, a floor, or a label, and Home Assistant will run the action on every matching automation entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific automation entity, such as automation.living_room.
• Device: every automation entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every automation entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every automation entity on a floor.
• Label: every automation entity that shares a label.

You can also select different target types in one action. For example, you can add a specific entity and an area as targets in the same action to run the action on both of them at once.

Good to know

• A disabled automation still shows up in your automation list, and its settings are kept. It just doesn’t run.
• Stopping the running actions does not undo what the automation already did.
• To disable an automation only for a while, pair this action with Turn on automation in a second automation.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > Tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Automation: pause the motion lights while you watch a movie

Disable the motion lighting automation so the lights stay as they are during the movie.

• Trigger: Media player started playing
  • Target: Living room
• Action: Turn off automation
  • Target: Motion lights

- alias: "Pause the motion lights during a movie"
  triggers:
    - trigger: media_player.started_playing
      target:
        entity_id: media_player.living_room
  actions:
    - action: automation.turn_off
      target:
        entity_id: automation.motion_lights

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one:

• Turn on automation: Enables an automation.

• Toggle automation: Enables or disables an automation.