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Sort a dictionary: dictsort

The dictsort filter sorts a dictionary and returns a list of (key, value) tuples in the sorted order. By default, it sorts by key in ascending order, but you can sort by value instead, control case sensitivity, and reverse the sort direction.

This is useful when you want to display or process dictionary data in a predictable order. For example, you might have a dictionary of 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] attributes and want to display them sorted alphabetically by name, or you might want to sort a mapping of room names to temperatures so the warmest room appears first.

Usage

Here’s how to use this template function. Copy any example and adjust it to your setup.

As a filter 
{{ {"b": 2, "a": 1, "c": 3} | dictsort }}
Result (listAn ordered collection of values, like a list of entity IDs or a list of numbers. Written with square brackets in templates, for example [1, 2, 3].) 
[('a', 1), ('b', 2), ('c', 3)]

Function signature

The signature is a technical summary of this template function. It shows the name of the function, the values (called parameters) it accepts, and what type of data each parameter expects (for example, a piece of text or a number).

Function parameters that have a = with a value after them are optional. If you leave them out, the default value shown is used automatically. Function parameters without a default are required.

dictsort(
    value: dict,
    case_sensitive: bool = False,
    by: str = "key",
    reverse: bool = False,
) -> list[tuple]

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this filter.

value map Required

The dictionary to sort.

case_sensitive boolean (Optional, default: false)

Whether the sort should be case-sensitive. Defaults to false, meaning uppercase and lowercase letters are treated as equal.

by string (Optional, default: “key”)

Whether to sort by key or value. Defaults to key.

reverse boolean (Optional, default: false)

If true, sorts in descending order. Defaults to false.

Sort by value

Sort dictionary entries by their values instead of keys.

TemplateA template is an automation definition that can include variables for the action or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions. [Learn more] 
{{
  {"kitchen": 22.5, "bedroom": 19.8, "living_room": 21.3}
  | dictsort(by="value")
}}
Result (listAn ordered collection of values, like a list of entity IDs or a list of numbers. Written with square brackets in templates, for example [1, 2, 3].) 
[('bedroom', 19.8), ('living_room', 21.3), ('kitchen', 22.5)]

Reverse sort order

Sort in descending order to see the highest values first.

TemplateA template is an automation definition that can include variables for the action or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions. [Learn more] 
{{
  {"kitchen": 22.5, "bedroom": 19.8, "living_room": 21.3}
  | dictsort(by="value", reverse=true)
}}
Result (listAn ordered collection of values, like a list of entity IDs or a list of numbers. Written with square brackets in templates, for example [1, 2, 3].) 
[('kitchen', 22.5), ('living_room', 21.3), ('bedroom', 19.8)]

Good to know

  • Returns a list of (key, value) tuples, not a dictionary. Access items with result[0][0] for the first key.
  • Case-insensitive by default, which differs from sort. Pass case_sensitive=true to match exact case.
  • Sorting mixed-type values (strings and numbers together) raises an error.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Template, paste the example into the Template editor, and watch the result update on the right. Edit the values to see how the function adapts to your own 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].

More examples

Real scenarios where this function comes up in automations and templates. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Display sorted entity attributes

Sort and display all attributes of a sensor in alphabetical order.

TemplateA template is an automation definition that can include variables for the action or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions. [Learn more] 
{% for key, value in state_attr("sensor.weather", "forecast")[0] | dictsort %}
  {{ key }}: {{ value }}
{% endfor %}
Result (stringA piece of text, like a name, message, or entity ID. In templates, wrap strings in quotes, like "living_room" or "lights are on".) 
condition: sunny
temperature: 24
wind_speed: 12

Find the warmest room

Sort a temperature mapping by value in descending order and pick the first entry.

TemplateA template is an automation definition that can include variables for the action or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions. [Learn more] 
{% set temps = {"Kitchen": 22.5, "Bedroom": 19.8, "Living room": 21.3} %}
{% set sorted = temps | dictsort(by="value", reverse=true) %}
The warmest room is {{ sorted[0][0] }} at {{ sorted[0][1] }}°C
Result (stringA piece of text, like a name, message, or entity ID. In templates, wrap strings in quotes, like "living_room" or "lights are on".) 
The warmest room is Kitchen at 22.5°C

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with your template and expected result, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Tip

AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude can also explain or fix templates when you describe what you want in plain language.

Related template functions

These functions work well alongside this one: