Press button

Use this action when an integration exposes a button entity and you want an automation to press it for you. This is useful for tasks like restarting a device, starting an update, or running another one-time device action.

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 press a button 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 area, floor, device, label, or entity you want to control.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Press button.
7. Select Save.

Options in the UI

This action has no additional options beyond the target.

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 button.press. A basic example looks like this:

action: button.press
target:
  entity_id: button.router_restart

This presses button.router_restart.

Options in YAML

This action has no additional YAML options beyond the target.

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 button entity behind that target.

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

• This action only works with button entities.
• If the button entity is unavailable, the action cannot run until the entity is available again.
• Button actions do not take extra fields. You only need to select the target.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer 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: restart a router when the internet is down

Use this automation to press a restart button after the internet connection has been down for a while.

• Trigger: Internet connection turns off for 10 minutes
• Action: Press button
  • Target: Router restart button

- alias: "Restart the router when the internet has been down"
  triggers:
    - trigger: state
      entity_id: binary_sensor.internet_connection
      to: "off"
      for: "00:10:00"
  actions:
    - action: button.press
      target:
        entity_id: button.router_restart

Automation: run a firmware update overnight

Use this automation when a device exposes an update button and you want to run it at a quiet time.

• Trigger: Time: 03:00
• Condition: Garden controller firmware update is available
• Action: Press button
  • Target: Garden controller update button

- alias: "Run the garden controller firmware update overnight"
  triggers:
    - trigger: time
      at: "03:00:00"
  conditions:
    - condition: state
      entity_id: update.garden_controller_firmware
      state: "on"
  actions:
    - action: button.press
      target:
        entity_id: button.garden_controller_update

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.