Start cleaning

The Start vacuum cleaner action sends a start or resume command to a vacuum, beginning or continuing a cleaning job.

Use it when you want the robot to begin on a schedule, resume after a pause, or start automatically once the house is empty.

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:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an automation, or select Create automation.
3. In the Add action section, search for and select Vacuum: Start vacuum cleaner.
4. Choose one or more vacuum entities or an area.
5. Configure as needed and select 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.start
target:
  entity_id:
    - vacuum.downstairs
    - vacuum.upstairs

This starts vacuum.downstairs and vacuum.upstairs.

The entity_id is optional; omit it to target all vacuums.

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

• This action only works if your vacuum supports the start function.

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: start cleaning after everyone leaves

When the last person leaves home, this automation starts the downstairs vacuum so it can clean while the house is empty.

• Trigger: Everyone leaves home
• Action: Start cleaning
• Target: Downstairs vacuum

alias: "Start vacuum when house is empty"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: group.family
    to: not_home
actions:
  - action: vacuum.start
    target:
      entity_id: vacuum.downstairs

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.