Send command

The Send command to vacuum cleaner action passes a custom command (and optional parameters) directly to your vacuum for advanced or platform-specific control.

Use it for features that your vacuum integration exposes but that do not have a dedicated Home Assistant action, like toggling a do-not-disturb mode or changing a vendor-specific setting.

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 from an automation or script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open or create an automation.
3. Add an action and search for Vacuum: Send command to vacuum cleaner.
4. Enter the desired command.
5. Optionally add parameters.
6. Select the vacuum target and save.

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.

action: vacuum.send_command
target:
  entity_id: vacuum.upstairs
command: set_do_not_disturb
params:
  enabled: true

This sends the set_do_not_disturb command to vacuum.upstairs.

Options in YAML

YAML sometimes provides additional options for more complex use cases that are not available through the UI.

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 vacuum entity behind that target.

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

• Platform-specific commands may not be documented. Consult your integration’s documentation for command names and parameters.

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: enable Do Not Disturb at night

Some vacuum platforms support a Do Not Disturb mode through a custom command. This automation sends that command each night so the robot stays quiet during sleeping hours.

• Trigger: Time: 23:00
• Action: Send command
• Target: Upstairs vacuum
• Command: set_do_not_disturb

alias: "Vacuum Do Not Disturb at night"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "23:00:00"
actions:
  - action: vacuum.send_command
    target:
      entity_id: vacuum.upstairs
    command: set_do_not_disturb
    params:
      enabled: true

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.