Set fan sleep timer

Use this action to set a sleep timer on a Modern Forms fan. When the timer expires, the fan turns off.

Sleep timers are not available on all fan models. On a fan without sleep timer support, this action fails with an error.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To set a fan sleep timer from an automation or a script:

  1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
  2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
  3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
  4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
  5. Select what you want to control. Under By target (see Targets), select your Modern Forms fan.
  6. From the actions shown for that target, under Modern Forms, select Set fan sleep timer.
  7. Enter the Sleep time in minutes.
  8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Sleep time (Required)

The number of minutes to set the timer for, from 1 to 1440 (one day).

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required. For how an automation or a script is built in YAML, refer to Automations in YAML and Scripts.

In YAML, refer to this action as modern_forms.set_fan_sleep_timer. A basic example looks like this:

ActionAn action makes Home Assistant do something, for example, turn on a light, send a notification, or activate a scene. Automations and scripts run a list of actions. [Learn more]
action: modern_forms.set_fan_sleep_timer
target:
  entity_id: fan.bedroom
data:
  sleep_time: 60

This turns the fan off after one hour.

Options in YAML

sleep_time integer Required

The number of minutes to set the timer for, from 1 to 1440 (one day).

Targets of the action

This action requires a target. The target is the object of the action. You can point the action at a single 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], a device, an area, a floor, or a label, and Home Assistant will run the action on every matching fan entity behind that target.

  • Entity: one specific fan entity, such as fan.living_room.
  • Device: every fan entity that belongs to a device.
  • Area: every fan entity in a room or area.
  • Floor: every fan entity on a floor.
  • Label: every fan entity that shares a label.

You can also select different target types in one action. For example, you can add a specific entity and an area as targets in the same action to run the action on both of them at once.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > Tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual 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] without writing a line of YAML.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup. In the visual editor, select the UI options listed in the example or paste the YAML code.

Tip

You don’t need to edit YAML to use these examples. Copy a YAML snippet from this page, open the visual automation editor in Home Assistant, and press Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on Mac). Home Assistant automatically converts the pasted YAML into the visual editor format, whether it’s a full automation, a single trigger, a condition, or an action.

Automation: run the bedroom fan for an hour at bedtime

This automation sets a one-hour sleep timer on the bedroom fan every night, so it runs while you fall asleep and then turns itself off.

  • Trigger: Time
    • At time: 22:30
  • Action: Modern Forms: Set fan sleep timer
YAML example for a nightly fan sleep timer
AutomationAutomations in Home Assistant allow you to automatically respond to things that happen in and around your home. [Learn more]
alias: "Bedroom fan sleep timer"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "22:30:00"
actions:
  - action: modern_forms.set_fan_sleep_timer
    target:
      entity_id: fan.bedroom
    data:
      sleep_time: 60

Still stuck?

To test the action on its own, run it in the automation editor with Run action, and check the message that it shows. To see what the action did when the automation ran, open the trace of that run. For details, refer to Testing automations. For common problems and their solutions, refer to Troubleshooting automations.

If that doesn’t help, the Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Tip

AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude can also explain actions or suggest the right one when you describe what you want in plain language.

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