Action

This node allows you to send a request to Home Assistant to perform specific actions. These actions could include tasks such as turning on a light (light.turn_on), selecting an option from a dropdown menu (input_select.select_option), or any other service call supported by Home Assistant. It serves as a bridge between Node-RED and Home Assistant, enabling automation flows to directly control devices or entities in your smart home setup.

Helpful Examples

Action Tips and Tricks

Configuration

Action required

• Type: string
• Accepts Mustache Templates

Action to perform

Floor

• Type: an array of floor ids
• Accepts Mustache Templates for ids

A list of floor ids that will be used as targets for the action

Area

• Type: an array of area ids
• Accepts Mustache Templates for ids

A list of area ids that will be used as targets for the action

Custom ids can be inserted into the list by adding a # at the end of the id

Device

• Type: an array of device ids
• Accepts Mustache Templates for ids

A list of device ids that will be used as targets for the action

Custom ids can be inserted into the list by adding a # at the end of the id

Entity

• Type: an array of entity ids
• Accepts Mustache Templates for ids

A list of entity ids that will be used as targets for the action

Label

• Type: an array of label ids
• Accepts Mustache Templates for ids

A list of label ids that will be used as targets for the action

Data

• Type: JSONata | JSON
• Accepts Mustache Templates when data type is JSON

JSON object to pass along.

Merge Context

• Type: string

If defined will attempt to merge the global and flow context variable into the config

Alternative Template Tags

• Type: boolean

Will change the tags used for the mustache template to <% and %>

Queue

• Type: none | first | all | last

Will store the first, last, or all messages received while disconnected from Home Assistant and send them once connected again

Block Input Overrides

• Type: boolean
• Default: true

Stop msg.payload values from overriding local config

Input

All properties need to be under msg.payload.

Sample input

{
    "action": "homeassistant.turn_on",
    "target": {
        "floor_id": ["first_floor"],
        "area_id": ["kitchen"],
        "device_id": ["8932894082930482903"],
        "entity_id": ["light.kitchen", "switch.garage_light"],
        "label_id": ["outdoor_lights"]
    }
    "data": {
        "brightness_pct": 50
    }
}

Merging

If the incoming message has a payload property with action set it will override any config values if set.

If the incoming message has a payload.data that is an object these properties will be merged with any config values set.

If the node has a property value in its config for Merge Context then the flow and global contexts will be checked for this property which should be an object that will also be merged into the data payload.

Merge Resolution

As seen above the data property has a lot going on in the way of data merging, in the end, all of these are optional and the rightmost will win if a property exists in multiple objects

Config Data, Global Data, Flow Data, Payload Data ( payload data property always wins if provided )

action

• Type: string

Action to call

data

• Type: JSON Object

Data to send with the action

target

• Type: JSON Object with floor_id, area_id, device_id, entity_id, and label_id as array properties

Targets of the action

Output

Value types:

• config: config properties of the node
• results: response from Home Assistant
• sent data: data sent to Home Assistant

References