Filter items by attribute test: selectattr

The selectattr filter iterates over a list of objects and keeps only those where a specified attribute passes a given test. It is the attribute-based counterpart of select: while select tests the item itself, selectattr tests an attribute of each item.

This is one of the most frequently used filters in Home Assistant templates. It is the primary way to filter 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] state objects returned by expand. You can filter lights that are on, sensors above a threshold, devices in a specific area, or entities matching any condition based on their attributes. It is incredibly versatile and appears in the vast majority of templates that work with entity collections.

Usage

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

{{ expand("group.all_lights")
  | selectattr("state", "eq", "on")
  | map(attribute="entity_id")
  | list
}}

["light.kitchen", "light.living_room"]

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.

selectattr(
    value: list,
    attribute: str,
    *args: str,
) -> iterable

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this filter.

Filter by truthiness

When no test is specified, items are kept if the attribute value is truthy.

{{
  expand("group.all_lights")
  | selectattr("attributes.brightness")
  | map(attribute="entity_id")
  | list
}}

["light.kitchen", "light.living_room"]

Common tests

Equal to (eq)

{{
  expand("group.all_lights")
  | selectattr("state", "eq", "on")
  | map(attribute="name")
  | join(", ")
}}

Kitchen light, Living room light

Not equal to (ne)

{{
  expand("group.all_sensors")
  | selectattr("state", "ne", "unavailable")
  | map(attribute="entity_id")
  | list
}}

["sensor.temperature", "sensor.humidity", "sensor.pressure"]

Greater than (gt)

{{
  expand("group.temperature_sensors")
  | selectattr("state", "gt", "22")
  | map(attribute="entity_id")
  | list
}}

["sensor.kitchen_temp"]

Good to know

• Returns an iterable, not a list. Add | list before using it with length, first, last, or looping twice.
• Without a test name, items are kept when the attribute value is truthy. Zero, empty string, and None are treated as false.
• Numeric comparisons compare state strings alphabetically unless you convert first. "9" is greater than "10" as strings. Apply | map(attribute='state') | map('float') before comparing, or filter with a test that converts on the fly.

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.

Count lights on in a specific area

Filter entities by state and count the results.

{{
  expand("group.all_lights")
  | selectattr("state", "eq", "on")
  | list
  | length
}}

3

Filter by device class

Use dotted notation to filter by nested attributes like device class.

{{
  expand("group.all_sensors")
  | selectattr("attributes.device_class", "eq", "temperature")
  | map(attribute="entity_id")
  | list
}}

["sensor.bedroom_temp", "sensor.kitchen_temp",
 "sensor.living_room_temp"]

Find entities with state containing a substring

Use the contains test to match partial state values.

{{
  expand("group.media_players")
  | selectattr("state", "contains", "play")
  | map(attribute="name")
  | join(", ")
}}

Living room speaker, Bedroom speaker

Chain multiple selectattr filters

Apply multiple filters in sequence to narrow down results.

{{
  expand("group.all_lights")
  | selectattr("state", "eq", "on")
  | selectattr("attributes.brightness", "gt", 100)
  | map(attribute="name")
  | join(", ")
}}

Kitchen light, Living room light

Filter unavailable entities

Find entities that are unavailable or unknown.

{{
  expand("group.all_sensors")
  | selectattr("state", "in", ["unavailable", "unknown"])
  | map(attribute="entity_id")
  | list
}}

["sensor.outdoor_temp", "sensor.garage_humidity"]

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:

• Remove items by attribute test: rejectattr - Filters a list, removing items where a specified attribute passes a test. The opposite of selectattr.

• Filter items by test: select - Filters a list, keeping only items that pass a given test.

• Remove items by test: reject - Filters a list, removing items that pass a given test. The opposite of select.

• Transform list items: map - Applies a filter to each item or extracts an attribute from each item in a list.

• Expand groups into entities: expand - Expands groups and zones into a sorted list of individual entity state objects.