Set thermostat target temperature
Use this action to set the target temperature of a climate device, for example to warm a room to a comfortable temperature.
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 set the target temperature from an automation or a script:
- Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
- Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
- 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.
- In the Then do section, select Add action.
- Select what you want to control. Under By target (see Targets), select the climate device you want to control.
- From the actions shown for that target, select Set thermostat target temperature.
- Set the temperature options you want to apply.
- Select Save.
Options in the UI
The temperature setpoint. Use this when the device targets a single temperature.
The highest temperature in a target range. Use this together with the lower target temperature when the device targets a range, such as in heat/cool mode.
The lowest temperature in a target range. Use this together with the upper target temperature when the device targets a range, such as in heat/cool mode.
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 climate.set_temperature. A basic example looks like this:
action: climate.set_temperature
target:
entity_id: climate.living_room
data:
temperature: 21
hvac_mode: heat
This sets climate.living_room to heat to 21 degrees.
To set a temperature range in heat/cool mode, use the upper and lower target temperatures instead:
action: climate.set_temperature
target:
entity_id: climate.living_room
data:
target_temp_high: 24
target_temp_low: 20
hvac_mode: heat_cool
Options in YAML
The temperature setpoint. Use this when the device targets a single temperature. Do not use together with the upper and lower target temperatures.
The highest temperature in a target range. Required together with the lower target temperature when the device targets a range, such as in heat/cool mode.
The lowest temperature in a target range. Required together with the upper target temperature when the device targets a range, such as in heat/cool mode.
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 climate entity behind that target.
-
Entity: one specific climate entity, such as
climate.living_room. - Device: every climate entity that belongs to a device.
- Area: every climate entity in a room or area.
- Floor: every climate entity on a floor.
- Label: every climate 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
- Use either a single target temperature or a target range, depending on what the device supports. Devices in heat/cool mode use the upper and lower target temperatures together.
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.
You don’t need to edit YAML to use these examples. Copy a YAML snippet from this page, open the automation editor in Home Assistant, and press Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on Mac). Home Assistant automatically converts the pasted YAML into the visual editor format, whether it’s a full automation, a single trigger, a condition, or an action.
Automation: lower the temperature at night
Set a climate device to a cooler temperature at bedtime to save energy overnight.
- Trigger: Time: 22:30
-
Action: Set thermostat target temperature
- Target: Living room thermostat
- Target temperature: 18
Show example YAML
- alias: "Lower the living room temperature at night"
triggers:
- trigger: time
at: "22:30:00"
actions:
- action: climate.set_temperature
target:
entity_id: climate.living_room
data:
temperature: 18
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.
AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude can also explain actions or suggest the right one when you describe what you want in plain language.
Related actions
These actions work well alongside this one:
-
Set thermostat HVAC mode: Sets the HVAC mode of a climate device.
-
Set thermostat target humidity: Sets the target humidity of a climate device.
-
Set thermostat preset mode: Sets the preset mode of a climate device.