Add to-do list item

Use this action to add a new item to a to-do list, for example to add something to your shopping list from an automation.

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 add a to-do list item 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 to-do list you want to add to.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Add to-do list item.
7. Set the Item name and any other options you want.
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 todo.add_item. A basic example looks like this:

action: todo.add_item
target:
  entity_id: todo.personal_tasks
data:
  item: "Submit income tax return"
  due_date: "2024-04-10"
  description: "Collect all the documents and submit the final return."

This adds an item with a due date and a description to todo.personal_tasks.

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 todo entity behind that target.

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

• You can set either a due date or a due date and time, but not both.

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: add a reminder to your list when you leave work

When you leave work, add a reminder to pick up groceries to your shopping list.

• Trigger: You leave the work zone
• Action: Add to-do list item
  • Target: Shopping list
  • Item name: Pick up groceries

alias: "Add a groceries reminder when leaving work"
triggers:
  - trigger: zone
    entity_id: person.me
    zone: zone.work
    event: leave
actions:
  - action: todo.add_item
    target:
      entity_id: todo.shopping_list
    data:
      item: "Pick up groceries"

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:

• Get to-do list items: Gets the items on a to-do list.

• Update to-do list item: Updates an existing item on a to-do list.

• Remove to-do list item: Removes an item from a to-do list.