Unicode code point: ord

The ord filter returns the Unicode code point (an integer) for a single character. It wraps Python’s built-in ord() function. For example, A becomes 65, and a becomes 97.

This is useful when you need to work with character codes in templatesA 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 instance, you might need to convert characters to their numeric representation for protocol communication, compare characters numerically, or perform calculations based on character positions in the alphabet.

Usage

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

{{ "A" | ord }}

65

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.

ord(
    character: str,
) -> int

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this function.

Common character codes

A few commonly used character codes for reference:

A = {{ "A" | ord }}, Z = {{ "Z" | ord }}
a = {{ "a" | ord }}, z = {{ "z" | ord }}
0 = {{ "0" | ord }}, 9 = {{ "9" | ord }}

A = 65, Z = 90
a = 97, z = 122
0 = 48, 9 = 57

Good to know

• The input must be exactly one character. A string longer than one character raises an error.
• Works with any Unicode character, not just ASCII. The code point can be a large number for emoji or non-Latin scripts.

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.

Check if a character is uppercase

Use the code point to determine if a character is an uppercase letter.

{% set char = "H" %}
{% set code = char | ord %}
{{ code >= 65 and code <= 90 }}

true

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.