Send message

The Send message action sends a push notification to your iOS device through Prowl. You can set the priority of the notification and attach a URL that opens when you select the notification in the Prowl app.

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 send a notification 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 Prowl notify entity you want to send the message to.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Send message.
7. In Message, enter a message for the notification.
8. Optionally, enter a Title, select a Priority, or enter a URL.
9. 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. For how an automation or a script is built in YAML, refer to Automations in YAML and Scripts.

In YAML, refer to this action as prowl.send_message. A basic example looks like this:

action: prowl.send_message
target:
  entity_id: notify.prowl
data:
  title: "Reminder"
  message: "Have you considered frogs?"

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 notify entity behind that target.

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

To learn which entities Home Assistant includes for a device, area, floor, or label, and how it handles several entities, refer to Automation targets.

To leave out some of these entities, refer to Excluding targets. For example, you can leave out one notify entity in an area.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > 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. In the visual editor, select the UI options listed in the example or paste the YAML code.

Automation: send a high-priority notification when the front door opens

When the front door opens, send a high-priority Prowl notification that links to your Home Assistant instance. Replace https://homeassistant.example.com/ with the URL of your own Home Assistant instance, for example its external URL, so the link also works when you are away from home.

• Trigger: Door opened
  • Target: Front door (binary_sensor.front_door)
• Action: Send message
  • Target: Prowl (notify.prowl)
  • Priority: High
  • URL: https://homeassistant.example.com/

alias: "Prowl: front door opened"
triggers:
  - trigger: door.opened
    target:
      entity_id: binary_sensor.front_door
actions:
  - action: prowl.send_message
    target:
      entity_id: notify.prowl
    data:
      title: "Front door"
      message: "The front door was opened."
      priority: high
      url: "https://homeassistant.example.com/"

Automation: send an emergency notification when water is detected

When a leak sensor detects water, send an emergency Prowl notification. Depending on your Prowl app settings, emergency notifications can bypass quiet hours, so you are alerted even at night.

• Trigger: State
  • Entity: Kitchen leak sensor (binary_sensor.kitchen_leak)
  • To: Wet
• Action: Send message
  • Target: Prowl (notify.prowl)
  • Priority: Emergency

alias: "Prowl: water leak detected"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.kitchen_leak
    to: "on"
actions:
  - action: prowl.send_message
    target:
      entity_id: notify.prowl
    data:
      title: "Water leak"
      message: "Water was detected by the kitchen leak sensor."
      priority: emergency

Still stuck?

To test the action on its own, run it in the automation editor with Run action, and check the message that it shows. To see what the action did when the automation ran, open the trace of that run. For details, refer to Testing automations. For common problems and their solutions, refer to Troubleshooting automations.

If that doesn’t help, 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

Explore related actions:

• Send a notification message: Sends a notification message to one or more notify entities.