Open lock

The Open lock action lets you unlatch a supported lock from an automation or script. Use it when you want Home Assistant to open a door for a short, specific moment, like letting someone in after you verify who is there.

The difference between Open lock and Unlock lock is that Open unlatches the door on locks that support that feature, while Unlock only changes the lock to the unlocked state. If you want the door ready to push open right away, use Open. If you only want to unlock the door, use Unlock. The difference between Open lock and Unlock lock is that Open lock unlatches the door on locks that support that feature, while Unlock lock only changes the lock to the unlocked state. If you want the door ready to push open right away, use Open lock. If you only want to unlock the door, use Unlock lock.

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 Open 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.open. A basic example looks like this:

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

This unlatches lock.front_door.

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

action: lock.open
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

• This action is available only for locks that support opening or unlatching.
• Some locks require a code, and others do not.
• A lock may already have a default code configured by its integration.

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: open the front gate when you arrive home

If you have a lockable gate that supports opening, Home Assistant can unlatch it when you arrive. This automation opens the front gate when your person entity changes to home.

• Trigger: Person changes to home
• Action: Open lock
• Target: Front gate lock

alias: "Open the front gate on arrival"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: person.alex
    to: home
actions:
  - action: lock.open
    target:
      entity_id: lock.front_gate

Automation: open the building door after a button press

If you use a user-created helperA helper is a virtual entity you create inside Home Assistant. It is not backed by a physical device. Helpers store values, track state, or do calculations that your automations and dashboards need. [Learn more] to expose a dashboard button, you can use that helper to open a supported door. This automation opens the building door when the helper is turned on. Create the helper separately before using this example.

• Trigger: User-created helper turns on
• Action: Open lock
• Target: Building door lock

alias: "Open the building door from a helper"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: input_boolean.open_building_door
    to: "on"
actions:
  - action: lock.open
    target:
      entity_id: lock.building_door
  - action: input_boolean.turn_off
    target:
      entity_id: input_boolean.open_building_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.