Add default links

The Add default links action adds the default set of links between a device and the Insteon Modem (IM). These links let the modem and the device communicate properly.

This is useful when a device is not responding as expected and you want to restore the standard links between it and the modem.

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 add default links 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 search box, search for and select Insteon: Add default links.
6. Enter the Entity to link.
7. Select Save.

This action does not support targets. In the UI, you are not prompted to choose an area, device, entity, or label. Only users with administrator rights can run this action.

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 insteon.add_default_links. A basic example looks like this:

action: insteon.add_default_links
data:
  entity_id: light.1a2b3c

This adds the default links between the given device and the modem.

Options in YAML

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:

• Add All-Link: Puts the Insteon Modem into All-Linking mode to link a device.

• Delete All-Link: Removes an All-Link record from the Insteon Modem and a device.