Numeric state

The Numeric state condition checks whether a number is above or below a limit right now. The number comes from the state of an 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], or from one of its attributes. Use it when an automation should only continue if a value is in a certain range. For example, the automation only continues if the temperature in a room is above 24 °C, or if the battery of a device is below 20%.

The limit can be a fixed number, or the value of another entity. With the value of a number helper that you create yourself, you can change the limit later without editing the automation.

If the editor shows a condition named after what you want to check, use that one instead. For example, use Temperature value for temperatures, or Power value for power readings.

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 Numeric state.
5. In Entity, select the entity to check.
6. Optional: In Attribute, select an attribute to check instead of the main state.
7. Set at least one limit:
   • For a lower limit, under Lower limit, select Fixed number or Value of an entity. Then, in Above, enter the number or select the entity.
   • For an upper limit, do the same with Upper limit and Below.
   • To check whether the value is in a range, set both limits.
8. Optional: In Value template, enter a template that calculates the number from the state.
9. 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, use condition: numeric_state. A basic example looks like this:

condition: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.living_room_temperature
above: 17
below: 25

This passes when the living room temperature is above 17 and below 25.

Options in YAML

The options in YAML are the same as in the UI.

The following example passes if both temperatures are below 18:

condition: numeric_state
entity_id:
  - sensor.kitchen_temperature
  - sensor.living_room_temperature
below: 18

The following example corrects the value of a sensor by 2 degrees before it checks the limits:

condition: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.living_room_temperature
above: 17
below: 25
value_template: "{{ float(state.state) + 2 }}"

Targets of the condition

This condition checks one or more entities:

• Use the UI option Entity, or the YAML option entity_id, to check one entity.
• To check more than one entity, use a list of entity_id values in YAML. All of them must be within the limits. In the UI, add one Numeric state condition per entity.

Good to know

• A value that is exactly the same as a limit doesn’t pass. For example, with Above set to 24, a value of 24 doesn’t pass.
• If the value is unavailable (unavailable) or unknown (unknown), the condition doesn’t pass. The same happens if an entity that you use as a limit is unavailable or unknown.
• If an entity that you use as a limit doesn’t exist, the condition fails with an error. The error is shown in the trace.
• If the value isn’t a number, the condition fails with an error. For example, a state like on or open isn’t a number. The error is shown in the trace.
• If you select an Attribute that the entity doesn’t have, the condition doesn’t pass.
• This condition checks the value right now. To start an automation when a value crosses a limit, use the Numeric state crossed threshold trigger.
• To check a state that isn’t a number, use the State condition.

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. In the visual editor, select the UI options listed in the example or paste the YAML code.

Automation: turn on the bedroom fan at night only when it’s warm

At 22:00, this automation turns on the bedroom fan, but only if the bedroom is warmer than 24 °C.

• Trigger: Time
  • At time: 22:00:00
• Condition: Numeric state
  • Entity: Bedroom temperature (sensor.bedroom_temperature)
  • Above: 24
• Action: Turn on fan
  • Target: Bedroom fan (fan.bedroom)

alias: "Bedroom fan on warm nights"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "22:00:00"
conditions:
  - condition: numeric_state
    entity_id: sensor.bedroom_temperature
    above: 24
actions:
  - action: fan.turn_on
    target:
      entity_id: fan.bedroom

Automation: water the garden only when the soil is dry

Every morning at 07:00, this automation turns on the garden irrigation, but only if the soil moisture is below a limit. The limit comes from a number helper that you create yourself, for example, Soil moisture limit (input_number.soil_moisture_limit). To change the limit later, change the value of the helper. You don’t need to edit the automation.

• Trigger: Time
  • At time: 07:00:00
• Condition: Numeric state
  • Entity: Garden soil moisture (sensor.garden_soil_moisture)
  • Upper limit: Value of an entity
  • Below: Soil moisture limit (input_number.soil_moisture_limit)
• Action: Turn on switch
  • Target: Garden irrigation (switch.garden_irrigation)

alias: "Water the garden when the soil is dry"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "07:00:00"
conditions:
  - condition: numeric_state
    entity_id: sensor.garden_soil_moisture
    below: input_number.soil_moisture_limit
actions:
  - action: switch.turn_on
    target:
      entity_id: switch.garden_irrigation

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

Explore related conditions:

• State: Tests if an entity, or one of its attributes, has a specific state.

• Temperature value: Tests if a temperature value is above a threshold, below a threshold, or in a range of values.

• Power value: Tests the power value of one or more entities.