Set date value

Use this action to set a date entity to a specific date, for example a next-service date, a holiday start, or any other date you keep track of in Home Assistant.

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 a date 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 date entity you want to set.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Set date.
7. Set the Date you want to apply.
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 date.set_value. A basic example looks like this:

action: date.set_value
target:
  entity_id: date.next_service
data:
  date: "2024-11-01"

This sets date.next_service to November 1, 2024.

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 date entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific date entity, such as date.living_room.
• Device: every date entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every date entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every date entity on a floor.
• Label: every date 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 date entities.
• Provide the date in YYYY-MM-DD format, for example 2024-11-01.

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: set a reminder date when a task completes

Move a date entity forward whenever a maintenance task is marked done.

• Trigger: State: Filter replaced changes to on
• Action: Set date
  • Target: Next filter change
  • Date: A date of your choosing

- alias: "Set the next filter change date"
  triggers:
    - trigger: state
      entity_id: input_boolean.filter_replaced
      to: "on"
  actions:
    - action: date.set_value
      target:
        entity_id: date.next_filter_change
      data:
        date: "2024-11-01"

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.