Start selected program

Use this action to start the program that is already selected on a Home Connect appliance, for example to begin a cycle you set up earlier on the appliance itself. You can pass start-only options to apply them as the program begins. You can also use this action to update those start-only options on a program that is already active but waiting on a delayed start.

If a program is currently running, the action starts that one again with your options. If nothing is running, it starts the program that is selected on the appliance.

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 start the selected program 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. From the list of actions, search for and select Start selected program.
6. Select the appliance you want to start.
7. Optionally, set when the program should start or finish.
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 home_connect.start_selected_program. A basic example looks like this:

action: home_connect.start_selected_program
data:
  device_id: a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6

Options in YAML

Good to know

• This action only starts a program that is already selected. To choose a program first, use the Set program and options action.
• The start and finish timing options are start-only. They are applied when the program begins, or when you update a program that is waiting on a delayed start.

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: start the selected program with a delayed finish

Start whatever program is selected on your washer, set to finish in two hours so the laundry is ready when you get home.

• Trigger: You leave home
• Action: Start selected program
  • Finish in relative: 7200 seconds

alias: "Start the washer to finish in two hours"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: person.you
    to: "not_home"
actions:
  - action: home_connect.start_selected_program
    data:
      device_id: a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6
      b_s_h_common_option_finish_in_relative: 7200

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:

• Set program and options: Starts or selects a program on a Home Connect appliance, or sets the options for the active or selected program.

• Change setting: Changes a setting on a Home Connect appliance.