Motion is not detected

The Motion is not detected condition passes when one or more motion sensors are not detecting motion. Use it in an automation for turning devices on or off, running security checks or sending alerts if motion is not detected. You can set up an automation to run only if motion is not being detected in a particular area of the house, for example.

Using this condition from the user interface

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

To use this condition in an automation:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. In the And if section, select Add condition.
4. From the search box, search for and select Motion is not detected.
5. Under Targets, select one or more motion entities, devices, an area, a floor, or a label.
6. If you selected more than one target, under Condition passes if, pick Any or All.
7. Under For at least, you can set for how long one or more motion sensors must be without detecting motion before the condition passes. Leave it at zero for the condition to pass as soon as the sensors stop detecting motion.
8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this condition 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 is built in YAML, refer to Automations in YAML.

In YAML, put the settings that are specific to this condition under options. Keep target, if the condition uses one, and general settings such as alias and enabled at the top level, next to condition.

In YAML, refer to this condition as motion.is_not_detected. A basic example looks like this:

condition: motion.is_not_detected
target:
  entity_id: binary_sensor.backyard_motion
options:
  for: "01:10:05"

This passes when the sensor binary_sensor.backyard_motion has not detected any motion for 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 5 seconds.

Options in YAML

Targets of the condition

This condition requires a target. The target is the object that Home Assistant will check. You can point the condition 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 evaluate every matching motion sensor behind that target.

• Entity: one specific motion sensor, such as binary_sensor.hallway_motion.
• Device: every motion sensor that belongs to a device.
• Area: every motion sensor in a room or area.
• Floor: every motion sensor on a floor.
• Label: every motion sensor that shares a label.

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

To learn which entities Home Assistant includes for a device, area, floor, or label, and how it handles several entities, refer to Automation targets.

Behavior with multiple targets

When you target more than one entity (or select an area, floor, or label that contains several), the Condition passes if option controls how the results combine:

• Any (default): the condition passes if at least one of the targeted entities matches. For example, if you check three smoke sensors and only one of them detects smoke, the condition still passes. This is useful for questions like “is there smoke anywhere in the house?”
• All: the condition passes only when every targeted entity matches. For example, if you check the same three smoke sensors, the condition passes only once all three report cleared. This is useful for “is the entire house safe now?” checks, so your automation does not send an all-clear while one room still has a reading.

Good to know

• When using the For at least option in your automation, if the sensors detect motion during that time period the condition will not pass and actions will not run. This is useful to make sure no one is at home or in an area before turning devices off, for example.
• In large rooms, motion sensors might not detect people that are quietly sitting in a place. If you want to make sure presence is detected, use multiple motion sensors in one area or combine sensors with presence detection.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Go to Settings > Automations & scenes, open an automation, and add this condition. Trigger the automation with and without the condition met, and watch whether it continues or stops.

More examples

Real scenarios where this condition gates an automation. 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.

Automation: close bedroom cover if no one is in the main floor

At the time of day when the sun is directly hitting the bedroom window, if no motion has been detected for 15 minutes in the main floor, close the bedroom cover to assure a refreshing night.

• Trigger: Time (at 17.30)
• Condition: Motion is not detected
  • Target: Sensors main floor
  • For at least: 00:15:00
• Action: Close cover
  • Target: Bedroom

alias: "Close the bedroom cover in the evening if no movement is detected"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "17:30:00"
conditions:
  - condition: motion.is_not_detected
    target:
      label_id: sensors_main_floor
    options:
      for: "00:15:00"
actions:
  - action: cover.close_cover
    target:
      entity_id: cover.bedroom_window

Still stuck?

To find out why the condition didn’t pass, check it live in the automation editor, and look at the trace of the 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 condition you’re using and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related conditions

Explore related conditions:

• Motion is detected: Tests if one or more motion sensors are detecting motion.