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Use an automation condition when you need a one-time availability gate, a condition action when you need to check again later, wait_template when an already-satisfied state should pass immediately, and wait_for_trigger when only a new event should release the sequence. Put a timeout on every wait that must be bounded, then either stop with continue_on_timeout: false or branch on wait.completed.
The four building blocks and when to use each
Home Assistant automations and scripts use the same sequence building blocks. Availability logic is therefore a question of timing: do you want to decide once, check again at a later point, wait for a condition, or wait for a new event? The distinction matters because these blocks do not behave interchangeably.
| Need | Use | Important behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Decide whether to run when a trigger starts | Initial automation conditions |
The check is made once. A later state change does not recheck it or start a run. |
| Check availability after earlier actions | A Condition building block in actions |
If it fails, the remaining sequence stops. |
| Wait for a predicate that may already be true | wait_template |
An already-true template completes immediately; otherwise it is reevaluated as referenced state changes. |
| Wait for a new event from this point onward | wait_for_trigger |
An existing target state does not satisfy the wait; a new matching trigger must occur. |
| Prevent an endless wait | timeout |
By default, the sequence continues after the timeout. Set continue_on_timeout: false or branch explicitly. |
Home Assistant describes a condition as checking whether something is true “right now.” See the official automation conditions documentation for the evaluation rules and examples.
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Check availability before the automation runs
Put a condition in the automation’s top-level conditions when the actions should run only if an entity is acceptable at trigger time. This is a point-in-time gate, not a wait and not a retry mechanism. If the device is unavailable when the trigger fires, the run is rejected. If it becomes available a few seconds later, Home Assistant does not automatically rerun the same trigger.
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The exact state names depend on the integration. Many entities expose unavailable, but verify the states shown by your installation before writing the template. Replace every example entity ID below with an entity from your system.
alias: Run only when the device is available
triggers:
- trigger: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.example_trigger
to: "on"
conditions:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ not is_state('sensor.example_device', 'unavailable') }}"
actions:
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.exampleThis template allows every state except unavailable. If your integration has another failure state that should also block the action, include that state in the condition logic rather than assuming all integrations use the same vocabulary. Conversely, if an unknown state should be treated as unsafe, write a positive allow-list for the states you consider usable.
When a later availability change should start the work
A startup condition never waits for recovery. If “the sensor becomes available” is itself the event that should initiate the work, create a trigger for that state change and use conditions only for additional gates. This separates the event that starts the automation from the checks that decide whether the resulting actions are safe.
Check again inside the action sequence
An initial condition can become stale while earlier actions are running. For example, a sequence may turn on a relay, wait for another device, and only then attempt an operation that requires the original sensor to remain available. Add a Condition building block at that later point to make a fresh decision.
alias: Recheck before the final action
triggers:
- trigger: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.example_trigger
to: "on"
conditions: []
actions:
- action: script.prepare_device
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ not is_state('sensor.example_device', 'unavailable') }}"
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.exampleIf the condition fails, Home Assistant stops the remaining sequence. That behavior is useful when “do nothing further” is the correct result. It is not suitable when a failed check needs an explanation, cleanup, or alternate action.
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Use an explicit branch for fallback work
Use an If-then or Choose building block when the unavailable path needs its own actions. Put the availability test in the branch condition, keep the normal actions in then, and put notification or recovery actions in else. An explicit branch prevents a fallback from being accidentally executed after a successful wait or check.
actions:
- if:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ not is_state('sensor.example_device', 'unavailable') }}"
then:
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.example
else:
- action: notify.notify
data:
message: "The device is unavailable; the action was skipped."Use a plain Condition action when the sequence should simply stop. Use If-then or Choose when the failed path is part of the design.
Wait for availability with a bounded template wait
Choose wait_template when the condition itself is the thing you want to test and the current state should count. The template is evaluated as the wait starts. If it is already true, the automation continues immediately. If it is false, Home Assistant reevaluates it when entities referenced by the template change; time-based template functions have additional reevaluation behavior documented in the automation and script actions documentation.
This example waits up to 30 seconds for an entity to leave unavailable, then uses wait.completed to choose the outcome:
alias: Wait briefly for a device to recover
triggers:
- trigger: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.example_trigger
to: "on"
conditions: []
actions:
- wait_template: "{{ not is_state('sensor.example_device', 'unavailable') }}"
timeout: "00:00:30"
- if:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ wait.completed }}"
then:
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.example
else:
- action: notify.notify
data:
message: "Device did not become available before the timeout."The 30-second value is an illustrative configuration, not a universal recommendation. Choose a deadline that fits the device’s normal recovery time and the consequence of delaying the rest of the automation. A short deadline limits blocking but may reject a device that normally needs longer; a long deadline gives recovery more time but keeps the run active longer.
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Stop automatically when the deadline expires
Waits continue after timeout unless you change the default. Set continue_on_timeout: false when no later action should run after a failed wait:
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actions:
- wait_template: "{{ not is_state('sensor.example_device', 'unavailable') }}"
timeout: "00:00:30"
continue_on_timeout: false
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.exampleWith this form, the light action is reached only when the template succeeds before the deadline. If you need a notification, logging action, or cleanup on timeout, keep the default continuation and branch on wait.completed instead. The default and wait-result behavior are covered in Home Assistant’s script syntax documentation.
Wait for a new state-change event
Use wait_for_trigger when the automation must observe a new trigger event after the wait begins. This is different from testing the current state. If the target state is already present when the wait starts, the existing state alone does not complete the wait.
alias: Wait for a fresh ready event
triggers:
- trigger: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.example_trigger
to: "on"
conditions: []
actions:
- wait_for_trigger:
- trigger: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.example_device_ready
to: "on"
timeout: "00:00:30"
continue_on_timeout: false
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.exampleThis pattern is appropriate when “ready” must be a fresh transition—for example, when an upstream process signals completion and an old on state should not be reused. If the device is already ready and that should be enough, use a wait_template such as {{ is_state('binary_sensor.example_device_ready', 'on') }} instead.
Inspect the result of a trigger wait
After a wait with a timeout, Home Assistant exposes information through the wait variable. wait.completed indicates whether the template or trigger finished the wait. wait.remaining reports the unused portion of the timeout. For wait_for_trigger, wait.trigger contains the trigger that completed the wait and is none on timeout.
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actions:
- wait_for_trigger:
- trigger: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.example_device_ready
to: "on"
timeout: "00:00:30"
- choose:
- conditions:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ wait.completed }}"
sequence:
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.example
default:
- action: notify.notify
data:
message: "No new ready event arrived before the deadline."Use wait.trigger when several trigger alternatives are listed and the follow-up action depends on which one fired. Test wait.completed before reading trigger details so the timeout path cannot be mistaken for a successful event.
Design timeout behavior deliberately
Fail closed
Fail closed when continuing without a confirmed available or ready device could cause an unsafe, misleading, or irreversible action. Set continue_on_timeout: false and place dependent actions after the wait. The sequence ends when the deadline is reached.
Fail with a controlled fallback
Keep continuation enabled when timeout should produce a separate outcome: notify someone, record a diagnostic message, turn off a preparatory device, or select a degraded path. Branch on wait.completed; do not put fallback actions unconditionally after a wait, because they would also run after success.
Share one overall deadline across several waits
When a workflow has multiple sequential waits, use the remaining time from the first wait rather than giving every step a fresh full timeout. The wait.remaining value is intended for this pattern. Check whether the first wait completed, then use the remaining value for the next bounded wait and branch again on its result. This keeps the total automation run within the promised window instead of allowing several independent deadlines to accumulate.
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Understand interruptions, automation mode, and restarts
A wait is an active automation run, not a durable job stored for later completion. A Home Assistant restart stops scripts and automations that are waiting; a pending wait should not be described as resuming automatically after the restart.
Automation mode also affects an active wait. In restart mode, a new trigger cancels the previous run, including its current wait or delay, and starts a new run. If a wait seems to vanish when another trigger arrives, inspect the automation’s mode and the trace for the cancelled run. The official automation troubleshooting documentation explains traces and common interruption symptoms.
These interruptions are separate from a timeout. A timeout means the run reached its configured deadline. A cancellation or restart means the wait ended because the run itself was stopped, so do not treat those situations as equivalent success or timeout signals in operational messages.
A complete availability-aware pattern
The following pattern combines a startup gate, a bounded recovery wait, and an explicit success or timeout branch. The initial condition avoids starting work when the device is known to be unavailable. The wait handles a device that becomes unavailable after the trigger. The branch ensures that the timeout path sends a notification instead of silently continuing.
alias: Operate only after the device is ready
triggers:
- trigger: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.example_trigger
to: "on"
conditions:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ not is_state('sensor.example_device', 'unavailable') }}"
actions:
- action: script.prepare_device
- wait_template: "{{ not is_state('sensor.example_device', 'unavailable') }}"
timeout: "00:00:30"
- choose:
- conditions:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ wait.completed }}"
sequence:
- action: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.example
default:
- action: notify.notify
data:
message: "The device was not available within 30 seconds."Use this structure only when the initial gate and later wait represent two different decisions. If the device is allowed to be unavailable at trigger time and should simply recover within the deadline, remove the top-level condition and keep the wait. If no recovery is acceptable, replace the wait with a condition action that stops immediately.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| The wait appears stuck even though the entity is already in the target state. | The sequence uses wait_for_trigger, which requires a new event. |
Use wait_template when the current state should satisfy the wait. |
| Actions run after the deadline. | continue_on_timeout was omitted, so its default of true applied. |
Set it to false, or branch on wait.completed before dependent actions. |
| A later availability change never starts the automation. | The availability test was only an initial condition. | Add a trigger for the relevant state change if recovery should initiate a run. |
| The sequence stops before the final action. | A Condition building block inside the action sequence evaluated false. | Confirm the entity ID and actual state, or replace the stop-only condition with If-then/Choose logic. |
| The wait disappears when another trigger arrives. | The automation is in restart mode and the new run cancelled the old one. |
Inspect the automation mode and trace; design the workflow with cancellation in mind. |
| The wait is gone after Home Assistant restarts. | Waiting scripts and automations are stopped by a restart. | Decide how a fresh trigger or startup routine should reconstruct the work; do not assume the old wait resumes. |
Entity IDs and state values vary by integration. Verify them in your instance, then use the automation trace to see which condition, wait, and branch actually ran. Traces are particularly useful for distinguishing a false condition, a timeout, and a cancelled run.
Testing checklist before relying on the automation
- Run the automation while the checked entity is available and confirm that the normal action executes.
- Force or observe the entity’s unavailable state and verify that the startup condition blocks the run when appropriate.
- Test an already-available entity with
wait_template; it should pass without waiting for a new transition. - Test an already-on target with
wait_for_trigger; confirm that it waits for a new matching event instead of accepting the existing state. - Let each wait reach its deadline and verify whether the intended behavior is stop, notification, cleanup, or fallback.
- Trigger the automation again during an active wait and inspect the trace if the mode may cancel the first run.
- Check the entity’s real state names and the exact entity IDs used in every template.
- Restart Home Assistant during a test only if you have a safe recovery plan, and verify how a new trigger should rebuild the workflow.
For implementation details and additional syntax, consult Home Assistant’s building blocks and actions documentation, its conditions guide, and the troubleshooting guide.
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Choose the pattern by the decision you need
- “Should this run start now?” Use an initial condition.
- “Is it still safe after these earlier steps?” Use a Condition action.
- “Wait until this predicate is true, even if it is true already.” Use
wait_template. - “Wait for a fresh signal from this point onward.” Use
wait_for_trigger. - “Never wait forever.” Add a timeout.
- “What should happen when time runs out?” Choose between
continue_on_timeout: falseand an explicitwait.completedbranch.
Keeping those decisions separate makes an automation predictable: conditions gate runs, waits pause them, timeouts bound the pause, and branches define what failure means.
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