Get to-do list items

Use this action to get the items on a to-do list, for example to read them out loud or send them in a notification.

This action returns its result in a response variable, which you can use in later steps of the same automation or script.

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 get to-do list items 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 read.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select Get to-do list items.
7. Set the Status if you only want items with a specific status.
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.get_items. Store the result in a response variable so you can use it in later steps:

action: todo.get_items
target:
  entity_id: todo.vacation_preparation
data:
  status: needs_action
response_variable: todo_items

This returns all items on todo.vacation_preparation that have not been completed.

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.

Response data

The action returns the matching items for each to-do list you targeted. The response is keyed by the to-do list, with an items list. Each item includes the following fields:

• summary: The name of the to-do item.
• uid: A unique identifier for the item, which you can use to reference it in other actions.
• status: Whether the item is completed or still needs_action.
• due: The due date or date and time, if the item has one.
• description: A longer description of the item, if it has one.

A shortened example of the response looks like this:

todo.vacation_preparation:
  items:
    - summary: Water the plants
      uid: 01244b28-e604-11ee-a0a4-e45f0197c057
      status: needs_action
    - summary: Turn down the heating
      uid: ae993df4-e604-11ee-a0a4-e45f0197c057
      status: needs_action

Good to know

• The status field accepts a single status or a list of statuses. The available statuses are needs_action and completed.

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:

• Add to-do list item: Adds a new item to 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.