Start a timer

Use this action to start a timer, or to restart one with a new duration. If you don’t give a duration, the timer restarts with its configured value, or continues a paused timer with the time that was left. This is the action you use to begin counting down, for example to start a cooking timer or to resume one you paused earlier.

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 start a timer 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 timer you want to start.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Timer: Start timer.
7. Optionally, set a Duration to start the timer with.
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 timer.start. A basic example looks like this:

action: timer.start
target:
  entity_id: timer.laundry
data:
  duration: "00:05:00"

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 timer entity behind that target.

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

• To resume a paused timer, start it again without a duration. It continues with the time that was left.
• When you start a running timer with a new duration, that duration applies until the timer finishes or is canceled, after which it resets to its configured value.

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:

• Pause a timer: Pauses a running timer, keeping the remaining time.

• Cancel a timer: Cancels a running or paused timer without firing the finished event.

• Finish a timer: Finishes a running or paused timer earlier than scheduled.

• Change a timer: Adds or subtracts time on a running timer.