Turn on automation

Use this action to enable an automation. Once it’s on, the automation 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] again and runs when they fire.

This is handy when you want one automation to switch another one on, for example to enable your away routines when you leave for a trip.

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 enable 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 enable.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Turn on automation.
7. Select Save.

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_on. A basic example looks like this:

action: automation.turn_on
target:
  entity_id: automation.away_lighting

This enables the automation.away_lighting automation.

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

• Enabling an automation does not run it. It only makes the automation listen for its triggers again. To run it right away, use Trigger automation.
• An automation that is off keeps its own state. Anything it was tracking before, such as the last time it ran, is preserved.
• You can also enable and disable an automation from the automation list in Settings > Automations & scenes.

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: enable the away lighting routine when you leave

Switch on a second automation that fakes presence while nobody is home.

• Trigger: Zone left
  • Target: Paulus
  • Zone: Home
• Action: Turn on automation
  • Target: Away lighting

- alias: "Enable the away lighting routine"
  triggers:
    - trigger: zone.left
      target:
        entity_id: person.paulus
      options:
        zone: zone.home
  actions:
    - action: automation.turn_on
      target:
        entity_id: automation.away_lighting

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 off automation: Disables an automation.

• Toggle automation: Enables or disables an automation.

• Trigger automation: Runs the actions of an automation.