2026.6.3
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Add torrent

Use this action to add a new torrent to download in Transmission. You can add a torrent from a URL, a magnet link, a Base64-encoded torrent file, or a local file.

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 torrent 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. From the search box, search for and select Transmission: Add torrent.
  6. Select your Transmission entry and enter the Torrent to add.
  7. Select Save.

This action does not support targets. In the UI, you select the Transmission integration through the Transmission entry field instead of choosing an area, device, entity, or label.

Options in the UI

Transmission entry (Required)

The Transmission integration entry to add the torrent to.
Torrent (Required)

The torrent to add. This can be an HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP URL, a magnet link, a Base64-encoded torrent file, or a path to a local file. Local file paths must be in the allowlist_external_dirs list.
Download path (Optional)

The absolute path to the download directory. When you leave this empty, Transmission uses its default download directory.
Labels (Optional)

A comma-separated list of labels to assign to the torrent.

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 transmission.add_torrent. A basic example looks like this:

ActionActions are used in several places in Home Assistant. As part of a script or automation, actions define what is going to happen once a trigger is activated. In scripts, an action is called *sequence*. [Learn more] 
action: transmission.add_torrent
data:
  entry_id: YOUR_TRANSMISSION_ENTRY_ID
  torrent: "http://releases.ubuntu.com/24.04/ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso.torrent"

Options in YAML

entry_id string Required

The Transmission integration entry to add the torrent to. To find the value, go to Developer tools > Actions, select this action, choose your integration, then switch to YAML mode to read the entry_id.

torrent string Required

The torrent to add. This can be an HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP URL, a magnet link, a Base64-encoded torrent file, or a path to a local file. Local file paths must be in the allowlist_external_dirs list.

download_path string

The absolute path to the download directory. When you leave this empty, Transmission uses its default download directory.

labels string

A comma-separated list of labels to assign to the torrent.

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.

Tip

You don’t need to edit YAML to use these examples. Copy a YAML snippet from this page, open the automation editor in Home Assistant, and press Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on Mac). Home Assistant automatically converts the pasted YAML into the visual editor format, whether it’s a full automation, a single trigger, a condition, or an action.

Automation: download a torrent from a feed item

This script adds a torrent and tags it with a label, so a follow-up automation can act on it later, for example to remove it once it finishes.

  • Action: Transmission: Add torrent
YAML example for adding a labeled torrent
ScriptScripts are components that allow you to specify a sequence of actions to be executed by Home Assistant when turned on. [Learn more] 
alias: "Add labeled torrent"
sequence:
  - action: transmission.add_torrent
    data:
      entry_id: YOUR_TRANSMISSION_ENTRY_ID
      torrent: "http://releases.ubuntu.com/24.04/ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso.torrent"
      labels: "Notify,Remove"

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.

Tip

AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude can also explain actions or suggest the right one when you describe what you want in plain language.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one: