Lock lock

The Lock lock action lets you secure a door from an automation or script. Use it when you want Home Assistant to lock a door after a routine, like when everyone leaves, or after a door has been left unlocked for too long.

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 to start a new one.
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), pick the area your lock is in, like your front door or garage entry. You can also select a floor, a device, a specific entity, or a label.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Lock lock.
7. Optional: Enter Code if your lock requires one.
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 lock.lock. A basic example looks like this:

action: lock.lock
target:
  entity_id: lock.front_door

This locks lock.front_door.

If your lock requires a code, include it in the data section:

action: lock.lock
target:
  entity_id: lock.front_door
data:
  code: "1234"

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 lock entity behind that target.

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

• Some locks require a code, and others do not.
• A lock may already have a default code configured by its integration.
• To do the opposite action, use Unlock.

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: lock the front door every night

If you want a simple nightly routine, lock the front door at the same time each evening. This automation locks the door at 11 PM.

• Trigger: Time: 23:00
• Action: Lock lock
• Target: Front door lock

alias: "Lock the front door every night"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "23:00:00"
actions:
  - action: lock.lock
    target:
      entity_id: lock.front_door

Automation: lock the back door after it stays unlocked for 10 minutes

If a back door is often left unlocked, you can have Home Assistant secure it for you. This automation locks the back door after it has stayed unlocked for 10 minutes.

• Trigger: Lock unlocked
• Target: Back door lock
• Trigger when: Each
• For at least: 00:10:00
• Action: Lock lock

alias: "Lock the back door after 10 minutes"
triggers:
  - trigger: lock.unlocked
    target:
      entity_id: lock.back_door
    options:
      behavior: any
      for: "00:10:00"
actions:
  - action: lock.lock
    target:
      entity_id: lock.back_door

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:

• Unlock lock: Unlocks one or more locks.