Select previous input select option

Use this action to move one or more input selects to the previous option in their list. An input select is a helper you can use in automations and scripts to pick from a list of predefined options.

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 select the previous option 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 input select you want to change.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Select previous input select option.
7. 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 input_select.select_previous. A basic example looks like this:

action: input_select.select_previous
target:
  entity_id: input_select.who_cooks

This selects the previous option on the input_select.who_cooks helper.

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 input_select entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific input_select entity, such as input_select.living_room.
• Device: every input_select entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every input_select entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every input_select entity on a floor.
• Label: every input_select 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

• By default, the selection cycles from the first option to the last. Set cycle to false to stop at the first option instead.

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.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one:

• Select next input select option: Selects the next option of an input select.

• Select input select option: Selects an option of an input select.