PTZ go to preset

With this action, you can move a PTZ camera to a position you saved earlier as a preset. Use it to point a camera at a specific area when something happens, like aiming at the driveway when motion is detected.

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 use this action in an automation or script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create to start a new one.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the search box, search for and select UniFi Protect: PTZ go to preset.
6. In the Camera field, select the PTZ camera you want to move.
7. In the Preset field, enter the name of the preset position. Use Home for the home position.
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 unifiprotect.ptz_goto_preset. A basic example looks like this:

action: unifiprotect.ptz_goto_preset
data:
  device_id: 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef
  preset: "Home"

This moves the selected PTZ camera to its home position.

Options in YAML

Good to know

• This action only works on cameras that support pan, tilt, and zoom. For other cameras, it reports an error.
• The preset name must match a preset saved on the camera. Use Home for the built-in home position.

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: aim a camera at the driveway on motion

Move a PTZ camera to a driveway preset when a motion sensor detects activity.

• Trigger: State: Driveway motion sensor changes to on
• Action: UniFi Protect: PTZ go to preset

alias: "Aim camera at driveway on motion"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.driveway_motion
    to: "on"
actions:
  - action: unifiprotect.ptz_goto_preset
    data:
      device_id: 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef
      preset: "Driveway"

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.