Input Datetime

The input_datetime integration allows the user to define date and time values that can be controlled via the frontend and can be used within automations and templates.

The preferred way to configure input datetime is via the user interface at Settings > Devices & services > Helpers. Click the add button and then choose the Date and/or time option.

To be able to add Helpers via the user interface you should have default_config: in your configuration.yamlThe configuration.yaml file is the main configuration file for Home Assistant. It lists the integrations to be loaded and their specific configurations. In some cases, the configuration needs to be edited manually directly in the configuration.yaml file. Most integrations can be configured in the UI. [Learn more], it should already be there by default unless you removed it. If you removed default_config: from your configuration, you must add input_datetime: to your configuration.yamlThe configuration.yaml file is the main configuration file for Home Assistant. It lists the integrations to be loaded and their specific configurations. In some cases, the configuration needs to be edited manually directly in the configuration.yaml file. Most integrations can be configured in the UI. [Learn more] first, then you can use the UI.

input_datetime can also be configured via YAML. To add three datetime inputs to your installation, one with both date and time, and one with date or time each, add the following lines to your configuration.yamlThe configuration.yaml file is the main configuration file for Home Assistant. It lists the integrations to be loaded and their specific configurations. In some cases, the configuration needs to be edited manually directly in the configuration.yaml file. Most integrations can be configured in the UI. [Learn more]:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
input_datetime:
  both_date_and_time:
    name: Input with both date and time
    has_date: true
    has_time: true
  only_date:
    name: Input with only date
    has_date: true
    has_time: false
  only_time:
    name: Input with only time
    has_date: false
    has_time: true

Attributes

A datetime input entity’s state exports several attributes that can be useful in automations and templates.

Restore state

If you set a valid value for initial, this integration will start with the state set to that value. Otherwise, it will restore the state it had prior to Home Assistant stopping.

Actions

Available actions: input_datetime.set_datetime and input_datetime.reload.

input_datetime.set_datetime

To set both the date and time in the same call, use date and time together, or use datetime or timestamp by itself. Using datetime or timestamp has the advantage that both can be set using one template.

input_datetime.reload

input_datetime.reload action allows one to reload input_datetime’s configuration without restarting Home Assistant itself.

Examples

The following example shows the usage of the input_datetime as a trigger in an automation:

# Example configuration.yaml entry
# Turns on bedroom light at the time specified.
automation:
  triggers:
    - trigger: time
      at: input_datetime.bedroom_alarm_clock_time
  actions:
    - action: light.turn_on
      target:
        entity_id: light.bedroom

To dynamically set the input_datetime you can call input_datetime.set_datetime. The values for date, time and/or datetime must be in a certain format for the call to be successful. (See action description above.) If you have a datetime object you can use its timestamp method. Of if you have a timestamp you can just use it directly.

# Sets time to 05:30:00
- action: input_datetime.set_datetime
  target:
    entity_id: input_datetime.XXX
  data:
    time: "05:30:00"
# Sets time to time from datetime object
- action: input_datetime.set_datetime
  target:
    entity_id: input_datetime.XXX
  data:
    time: "{{ now().strftime('%H:%M:%S') }}"
# Sets date to 2020-08-24
- action: input_datetime.set_datetime
  target:
    entity_id: input_datetime.XXX
  data:
    date: "2020-08-24"
# Sets date to date from datetime object
- action: input_datetime.set_datetime
  target:
    entity_id: input_datetime.XXX
  data:
    date: "{{ now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d') }}"
# Sets date and time to 2020-08-25 05:30:00
- action: input_datetime.set_datetime
  target:
    entity_id: input_datetime.XXX
  data:
    datetime: "2020-08-25 05:30:00"
# Sets date and time from datetime object
- action: input_datetime.set_datetime
  target:
    entity_id: input_datetime.XXX
  data:
    datetime: "{{ now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') }}"
# Sets date and/or time from UNIX timestamp
# This can be used whether the input_datetime has just a date,
# or just a time, or has both
- action: input_datetime.set_datetime
  target:
    entity_id: input_datetime.XXX
  data:
    timestamp: "{{ now().timestamp() }}"