Start or pause cleaning

The Start/pause vacuum cleaner action starts, pauses, or resumes a supported vacuum cleaner’s cleaning task.

Use it when you want a single action to handle the current cleaning state without first checking whether the vacuum is idle, cleaning, or paused.

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: Start/pause vacuum cleaner.
4. Choose the vacuum, area, or device to control.
5. 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_pause
target:
  entity_id: vacuum.downstairs

This starts, pauses, or resumes vacuum.downstairs, depending on its current state.

The entity_id target is optional. If omitted, all targeted supported vacuums receive the command.

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 for vacuums that support start/pause control.

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 or pause cleaning with one helper button

If you want one control for both actions, this automation uses a helper button to start cleaning when the vacuum is idle and pause it when it is already running.

• Trigger: Helper button pressed
• Action: Start or pause cleaning
• Target: Downstairs vacuum

alias: "Start or pause vacuum"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: input_button.vacuum_start_pause
actions:
  - action: vacuum.start_pause
    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.