2026.6.4
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Make a warning device squawk

Use this action to make a Zigbee warning device, such as a siren, emit a short pulse called a squawk. A squawk is a quick beep and flash, often used to confirm that a system was armed or disarmed. You identify the device by its IEEE address.

Only users with administrator rights can run this action.

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 make a warning device squawk 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. Search for and select Warning device squawk.
  6. Set the device and, optionally, the squawk mode, strobe, and level.
  7. Select Save.

Options in the UI

IEEE

The IEEE address of the warning device.
Mode (Optional)

The squawk mode, which sets the kind of sound the device makes. Defaults to 0.
Strobe (Optional)

Whether the device also flashes its strobe during the squawk. Use 1 to flash, 0 for sound only. Defaults to 1.
Level (Optional)

The loudness of the squawk, from 0 (low) to 3 (high). Defaults to 2.

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 zha.warning_device_squawk. 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: zha.warning_device_squawk
data:
  ieee: "00:0d:6f:00:05:7d:2d:34"

Options in YAML

ieee string Required

The IEEE address of the warning device.

mode integer

The squawk mode, which sets the kind of sound the device makes, from 0 to 1. Defaults to 0.

strobe integer

Whether the device also flashes its strobe during the squawk. Use 1 to flash, 0 for sound only. Defaults to 1.

level integer

The loudness of the squawk, from 0 (low) to 3 (high). Defaults to 2.

Good to know

  • A squawk has no effect while the device is already running an active warning.
  • The exact sound for each mode depends on the device.

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: