Set fan direction

The Set fan direction action is useful for fans that can reverse their rotation. Use it when you want one direction for cooling and the opposite direction for a gentler airflow pattern.

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 automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re creating an automation, add a trigger in the When section.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. Select what you want to control. Under By target (see Targets), pick the fan you want to control. You can also select an area, a floor, a device, or a label.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Set fan direction.
7. Under Direction, choose Forward or Reverse.
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 fan.set_direction. A basic example looks like this:

action: fan.set_direction
target:
  entity_id: fan.ceiling_fan
data:
  direction: forward

This sets fan.ceiling_fan to the forward direction.

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 fan entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific fan entity, such as fan.living_room.
• Device: every fan entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every fan entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every fan entity on a floor.
• Label: every fan 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 is available only for fans that support changing direction.
• The valid YAML values are forward and reverse.
• Changing direction does not turn the fan on by itself.

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 the ceiling fan to forward in the afternoon

If you prefer a stronger downward breeze during the hottest part of the day, switch the fan to forward automatically.

• Trigger: Time: 13:00
• Action: Set fan direction
• Target: Ceiling fan
• Direction: Forward

alias: "Ceiling fan forward in the afternoon"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "13:00:00"
actions:
  - action: fan.set_direction
    target:
      entity_id: fan.ceiling_fan
    data:
      direction: forward

Automation: set the bedroom fan to reverse at night

If your fan supports it, reverse rotation can give you a gentler feel while you sleep.

• Trigger: Time: 22:00
• Action: Set fan direction
• Target: Bedroom fan
• Direction: Reverse

alias: "Bedroom fan reverse at night"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "22:00:00"
actions:
  - action: fan.set_direction
    target:
      entity_id: fan.bedroom
    data:
      direction: reverse

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 on fan: Turn on a fan. Optionally set the speed or preset mode at the same time.

• Toggle fan: Toggle a fan on or off.