Set fan preset mode

The Set fan preset mode action is useful when your fan offers named modes like low, medium, high, sleep, or auto. Use it when you want to switch between those built-in modes instead of setting a raw speed percentage.

Available preset modes come from the integration that provides the fan entity. For example, the ESPHome Speed Fan component provides Low, Medium, and High presets by default.

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 preset mode.
7. Under Preset mode, select the mode you want to use.
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_preset_mode. A basic example looks like this:

action: fan.set_preset_mode
target:
  entity_id: fan.bedroom
data:
  preset_mode: "sleep"

This sets fan.bedroom to the sleep preset mode.

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 preset modes.
• Available preset modes come from the fan integration, so names vary by device.
• To set a percentage instead of a named mode, use Set fan speed.

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 bedroom fan to low at night

If your bedroom fan uses ESPHome Speed Fan presets, you can switch it to Low automatically at bedtime for quieter airflow.

• Trigger: Time: 22:30
• Action: Set fan preset mode
• Target: Bedroom fan
• Preset mode: low

alias: "Bedroom fan low preset"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "22:30:00"
actions:
  - action: fan.set_preset_mode
    target:
      entity_id: fan.bedroom
    data:
      preset_mode: "low"

Automation: set the living room fan to high when you get home

When you arrive home on a warm day, you can switch an ESPHome Speed Fan to High for stronger airflow right away.

• Trigger: Zone: Person enters home zone
• Action: Set fan preset mode
• Target: Living room fan
• Preset mode: high

alias: "Living room fan high preset on arrival"
triggers:
  - trigger: zone
    entity_id: person.alex
    zone: zone.home
    event: enter
actions:
  - action: fan.set_preset_mode
    target:
      entity_id: fan.living_room
    data:
      preset_mode: "high"

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.

• Set fan speed: Set the speed of a fan.