Motion is detected

The Motion is detected condition passes when one or more motion sensors are detecting motion. Use it in an automation for turning devices on or off, running security checks or sending alerts if motion is detected.

Using this condition from the user interface

If you prefer building automations visually, Home Assistant walks you through this condition step by step. You pick what to check, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To use this condition in an automation:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. In the And if section, select Add condition.
4. From the search box, search for and select Motion is detected.
5. Under Targets (see Targets), select one or more motion entities, motion devices, an area, a floor, or a label.
6. If you selected more than one target, under Condition passes if, pick Any or All.
7. Under For at least, you can set for how long one or more sensors must be detecting motion before the condition passes. Leave it at zero for the condition to pass as soon as the sensors start detecting motion.
8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this condition 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 condition as motion.is_detected. A basic example looks like this:

condition: motion.is_detected
target:
  entity_id: motion.entrance_motion_sensor
options:
  for: "00:05:00"

This passes when the entity motion.entrance_motion_sensor has been continuously detecting motion for 5 minutes.

Options in YAML

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

Targets of the trigger

This trigger requires a target. The target is the object that Home Assistant will watch. You can select 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 as a target, and Home Assistant will watch every matching motion entity behind that target.

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

You can also select different target types in one trigger. For example, you can add a specific entity and an area as targets in the same trigger to monitor both of them at once.

Behavior with multiple targets

When you target more than one entity (or select an area, floor, or label that contains several), the Trigger when option controls how the trigger responds:

• Each (any in YAML, default): the trigger fires every time any one of the targeted entities transitions. For example, if you monitor three motion sensors in the living room and someone walks past sensor 1, the automation fires. When they walk past sensor 2 a moment later, it fires again. Every individual event counts.
• First (first in YAML): the trigger fires only on the first transition in the targeted group, then waits until all targeted entities have reset before it fires again. For example, if you monitor the same three motion sensors, the automation fires when the first one picks up movement (someone entered the room). The other two firing afterward are ignored, so you get one notification per “someone walked in” event instead of three.
• All (last in YAML): the trigger fires only after the last targeted entity in the group has fired, meaning all of them are now in the expected state. For example, if you monitor the lights in the living room, bedroom, and hallway, the automation fires only once all three have turned off. This is useful for scenarios like “start the robot vacuum only after every light on the floor is off,” so you know the room is truly empty.

Good to know

• When using the For at least option in your automation, consider that the automation will not run if there is a stop in motion detection during that time period.
• In large rooms, for example, motion sensors might not detect people that are quietly sitting there. If you want to make sure presence is detected, use multiple motion sensors in one area or combine sensors with presence detection.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Go to Settings > Automations & scenes, open an automation, and add this condition. Trigger the automation with and without the condition met, and watch whether it continues or stops.

More examples

Real scenarios where this condition gates an automation. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Automation: set the office fan to medium when you are at the desk

When it gets warm, if there is someone working at the office desk, this automation sets the office fan to medium preset mode.

• Trigger: Temperature crossed threshold (25 ºC)
  • Target: Office (by area)
• Condition: Motion is detected
  • Target: Office motion sensor
• Action: Set fan preset mode (medium)
  • Target: Office fan

alias: "Set the office fan to medium on warm days if motion is detected"
triggers:
  - trigger: temperature.crossed_threshold
    target:
      area_id: office
    threshold:
      type: above
      value:
        active_choice: number
        number: 25
        unit_of_measurement: °C
conditions:
  - condition: motion.is_detected
    target:
      entity_id: binary_sensor.movement_office
actions:
  - action: fan.set_preset_mode
    target:
      entity_id: fan.office_fan
    data:
      preset_mode: medium

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the condition you’re using and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related conditions

These conditions work well alongside this one:

• Motion is not detected: Tests if one or more motion sensors are not detecting motion.