Start the remote Python debugger

The Start action injects and starts the remote Python debugger while Home Assistant is running.

It is meant for the case where you loaded the Remote Python Debugger integration with the start option set to false. The debugger then stays out of the way until you need it, and this action turns it on without a restart. This keeps the performance and memory cost of the debugger off your system until the moment you want to attach to it.

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 use this action in an automation or script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create to start a new one.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the search box, search for and select Remote Python Debugger: Start.
6. Select Save.

This action does not support targets. In the UI, you are not prompted to choose an area, device, entity, or label.

Options in the UI

This action has no additional 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 debugpy.start:

action: debugpy.start

This injects and starts the debugger using the host and port from your integration configuration.

Options in YAML

This action has no additional options in YAML.

Good to know

• Once the debugger is started, there is no action to stop it again. To stop it, restart Home Assistant.
• The host and port the debugger listens on come from the integration configuration, not from this action.
• Anyone who can reach the debugger port can run code on your Home Assistant instance, so only start it on a network you trust.

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.

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.