SHA256 hash: sha256

The sha256 template function calculates the SHA256 hash of a string and returns the result as a hexadecimal string. SHA256 produces a 256-bit (64-character hex) hash value and is part of the SHA-2 family of cryptographic hash functions.

This is a good general-purpose hash function suitable for generating secure identifiers, verifying data integrity, or creating unique keys. SHA256 is widely used and considered secure for most applications. For an even longer hash, use sha512. For shorter (but less secure) hashes, see md5 or sha1.

Usage

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

{{ sha256("Hello, World!") }}

dffd6021bb2bd5b0af676290809ec3a53191dd81c7f70a4b28688a362182986f

{{ "Hello, World!" | sha256 }}

dffd6021bb2bd5b0af676290809ec3a53191dd81c7f70a4b28688a362182986f

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.

sha256(
    value: str,
) -> str

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this function.

Good to know

• The result is always a 64-character lowercase hexadecimal string.
• The input is encoded as UTF-8 before hashing. Identical strings always produce the same hash.

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.

Create a verification hash

Generate a hash to verify that a message has not been tampered with.

{{ sha256("important_data_" ~ states("sensor.temperature")) }}

e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855

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:

• MD5 hash: md5 - Calculates the MD5 hash of a string.

• SHA1 hash: sha1 - Calculates the SHA1 hash of a string.

• SHA512 hash: sha512 - Calculates the SHA512 hash of a string.