Unlock lock

The Unlock lock action lets you release a lock from an automation or script. Use it when you want Home Assistant to let someone in, prepare for an arrival, or remove one step from an emergency exit path.

The difference between Unlock lock and Open lock is that Unlock lock only changes the lock to the unlocked state, while Open lock unlatches the door on locks that support that feature. If you want to unlock the door but not unlatch it, use Unlock lock. If you want the door ready to push open right away, use Open 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 Unlock 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.unlock. A basic example looks like this:

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

This unlocks lock.front_door.

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

action: lock.unlock
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 release a latch on a supported lock instead of only unlocking it, use Open.

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: unlock the front door when you arrive home

If you want a smoother arrival, Home Assistant can unlock the front door when you get home. This automation unlocks the door when your person entity changes to home.

• Trigger: Person changes to home
• Action: Unlock lock
• Target: Front door lock

alias: "Unlock the front door on arrival"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: person.alex
    to: home
actions:
  - action: lock.unlock
    target:
      entity_id: lock.front_door

Automation: unlock the front door during a smoke alarm

If you want to remove one step during an emergency, Home Assistant can unlock the front door when smoke is detected. This automation unlocks the door as soon as a smoke sensor reports smoke.

• Trigger: Smoke detected
• Action: Unlock lock
• Target: Front door lock

alias: "Unlock the front door when smoke is detected"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.hall_smoke
    to: "on"
actions:
  - action: lock.unlock
    target:
      entity_id: lock.front_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:

• Lock lock: Locks one or more locks.

• Open lock: Unlatches one or more locks that support opening.