Test if list: list

The list test checks whether a value is a list. It returns true for lists and false for everything else, including tuples, sets, dictionaries, and strings.

Jinja has no built-in test for lists. Without this test, you would need a long check like value is iterable and value is not string and value is not mapping, and that check would still match tuples and sets. This test is useful when a value might be a single item or a list, for example an entity attribute, and you need to handle each case differently.

Usage

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

{% if [1, 2, 3] is list %}
  It is a list
{% endif %}

It is a list

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 = are usually required. A few optional parameters have no default value, so the signature shows them without a = as well. To check whether a parameter is required, look at the parameter list below the signature. Each parameter is marked as Required or Optional.

The most common optional parameter without a default value is default. The default parameter sets the value a function returns when the function can’t produce a result, for example, when float gets text that isn’t a number. If you leave out default, there is no fallback value, so most functions raise an error and the template fails. The parameter list of each function says what happens. If you set default, the function returns your value instead.

round(
    value: Any,
    precision: int = 0,
    method: str = "common",
    default: Any,
) -> float | int | Any

list(
    value: Any,
) -> bool

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this test.

Good to know

• Only values of the list type pass. Tuples, sets, dictionaries, and strings do not. To test for those, use the tuple and set tests, or the mapping test for dictionaries.
• To accept any collection of values, use the iterable test. Strings are iterable too, so combine it with is not string if you want to exclude them.
• To convert a value to a list, use the list filter.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > 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.

Distinguish a list from other values

Check whether a value is a list rather than a tuple, string, or dictionary.

{{ [1, 2, 3] is list }}
{{ (1, 2, 3) is list }}
{{ "abc" is list }}
{{ {"a": 1} is list }}

true
false
false
false

Handle a single item or a list

Wrap a value in a list only when it is not already one, so the rest of your template can always treat it as a list.

{% set value = "light.kitchen" %}
{% set entities = value if value is list else [value] %}
{{ entities | count }}

1

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.

Related template functions

These functions work well alongside this one:

• Convert to list: list - Converts a value to a list.

• Get the type of a value: typeof - Returns the type name of a value as a string.