diff --git a/homeassistant/components/automation/blueprints/motion_light.yaml b/homeassistant/components/automation/blueprints/motion_light.yaml
index aa787e3b2b5..c923778156d 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/automation/blueprints/motion_light.yaml
+++ b/homeassistant/components/automation/blueprints/motion_light.yaml
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ blueprint:
         entity:
           domain: binary_sensor
           device_class: motion
-    light_entity:
+    light_target:
       name: Light
       selector:
-        entity:
-          domain: light
+        target:
+          entity:
+            domain: light
 
 # If motion is detected within the 120s delay,
 # we restart the script.
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ trigger:
 
 action:
   - service: homeassistant.turn_on
-    entity_id: !placeholder light_entity
+    target: !placeholder light_target
   - wait_for_trigger:
       platform: state
       entity_id: !placeholder motion_entity
@@ -36,4 +37,4 @@ action:
       to: "off"
   - delay: 120
   - service: homeassistant.turn_off
-    entity_id: !placeholder light_entity
+    target: !placeholder light_target
diff --git a/homeassistant/const.py b/homeassistant/const.py
index 8917aa003a4..469c0fa7fbb 100644
--- a/homeassistant/const.py
+++ b/homeassistant/const.py
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ CONF_STATE = "state"
 CONF_STATE_TEMPLATE = "state_template"
 CONF_STRUCTURE = "structure"
 CONF_SWITCHES = "switches"
+CONF_TARGET = "target"
 CONF_TEMPERATURE_UNIT = "temperature_unit"
 CONF_TIMEOUT = "timeout"
 CONF_TIME_ZONE = "time_zone"
diff --git a/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py b/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py
index af42b6373ba..37d7f312d94 100644
--- a/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py
+++ b/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ from homeassistant.const import (
     CONF_SERVICE,
     CONF_SERVICE_TEMPLATE,
     CONF_STATE,
+    CONF_TARGET,
     CONF_TIMEOUT,
     CONF_UNIT_SYSTEM_IMPERIAL,
     CONF_UNIT_SYSTEM_METRIC,
@@ -881,7 +882,10 @@ PLATFORM_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
 
 PLATFORM_SCHEMA_BASE = PLATFORM_SCHEMA.extend({}, extra=vol.ALLOW_EXTRA)
 
-ENTITY_SERVICE_FIELDS = (ATTR_ENTITY_ID, ATTR_AREA_ID)
+ENTITY_SERVICE_FIELDS = {
+    vol.Optional(ATTR_ENTITY_ID): comp_entity_ids,
+    vol.Optional(ATTR_AREA_ID): vol.Any(ENTITY_MATCH_NONE, vol.All(ensure_list, [str])),
+}
 
 
 def make_entity_service_schema(
@@ -892,10 +896,7 @@ def make_entity_service_schema(
         vol.Schema(
             {
                 **schema,
-                vol.Optional(ATTR_ENTITY_ID): comp_entity_ids,
-                vol.Optional(ATTR_AREA_ID): vol.Any(
-                    ENTITY_MATCH_NONE, vol.All(ensure_list, [str])
-                ),
+                **ENTITY_SERVICE_FIELDS,
             },
             extra=extra,
         ),
@@ -942,6 +943,7 @@ SERVICE_SCHEMA = vol.All(
             vol.Optional("data"): vol.All(dict, template_complex),
             vol.Optional("data_template"): vol.All(dict, template_complex),
             vol.Optional(CONF_ENTITY_ID): comp_entity_ids,
+            vol.Optional(CONF_TARGET): ENTITY_SERVICE_FIELDS,
         }
     ),
     has_at_least_one_key(CONF_SERVICE, CONF_SERVICE_TEMPLATE),
diff --git a/homeassistant/helpers/selector.py b/homeassistant/helpers/selector.py
index 7ddd751753e..d81fa396c0b 100644
--- a/homeassistant/helpers/selector.py
+++ b/homeassistant/helpers/selector.py
@@ -111,3 +111,13 @@ class TimeSelector(Selector):
     """Selector of a time value."""
 
     CONFIG_SCHEMA = vol.Schema({})
+
+
+@SELECTORS.register("target")
+class TargetSelector(Selector):
+    """Selector of a target value (area ID, device ID, entity ID etc).
+
+    Value should follow cv.ENTITY_SERVICE_FIELDS format.
+    """
+
+    CONFIG_SCHEMA = vol.Schema({"entity": {"domain": str}})
diff --git a/homeassistant/helpers/service.py b/homeassistant/helpers/service.py
index c3700581b40..7aa4ac8b013 100644
--- a/homeassistant/helpers/service.py
+++ b/homeassistant/helpers/service.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from homeassistant.const import (
     ATTR_ENTITY_ID,
     CONF_SERVICE,
     CONF_SERVICE_TEMPLATE,
+    CONF_TARGET,
     ENTITY_MATCH_ALL,
     ENTITY_MATCH_NONE,
 )
@@ -136,6 +137,10 @@ def async_prepare_call_from_config(
     domain, service = domain_service.split(".", 1)
 
     service_data = {}
+
+    if CONF_TARGET in config:
+        service_data.update(config[CONF_TARGET])
+
     for conf in [CONF_SERVICE_DATA, CONF_SERVICE_DATA_TEMPLATE]:
         if conf not in config:
             continue
diff --git a/tests/components/automation/test_blueprint.py b/tests/components/automation/test_blueprint.py
index a601998a00d..a455d1de5b5 100644
--- a/tests/components/automation/test_blueprint.py
+++ b/tests/components/automation/test_blueprint.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ async def test_motion_light(hass):
                     "use_blueprint": {
                         "path": "motion_light.yaml",
                         "input": {
-                            "light_entity": "light.kitchen",
+                            "light_target": {"entity_id": "light.kitchen"},
                             "motion_entity": "binary_sensor.kitchen",
                         },
                     }
diff --git a/tests/helpers/test_selector.py b/tests/helpers/test_selector.py
index 9d2d57cd6d0..2c2034147a1 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/test_selector.py
+++ b/tests/helpers/test_selector.py
@@ -117,3 +117,16 @@ def test_boolean_selector_schema(schema):
 def test_time_selector_schema(schema):
     """Test time selector."""
     selector.validate_selector({"time": schema})
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "schema",
+    (
+        {},
+        {"entity": {}},
+        {"entity": {"domain": "light"}},
+    ),
+)
+def test_target_selector_schema(schema):
+    """Test entity selector."""
+    selector.validate_selector({"target": schema})
diff --git a/tests/helpers/test_service.py b/tests/helpers/test_service.py
index 6f2cd4ba130..93125fba96d 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/test_service.py
+++ b/tests/helpers/test_service.py
@@ -175,18 +175,25 @@ class TestServiceHelpers(unittest.TestCase):
             "entity_id": "hello.world",
             "data": {
                 "hello": "{{ 'goodbye' }}",
-                "data": {"value": "{{ 'complex' }}", "simple": "simple"},
+                "effect": {"value": "{{ 'complex' }}", "simple": "simple"},
             },
             "data_template": {"list": ["{{ 'list' }}", "2"]},
+            "target": {"area_id": "test-area-id", "entity_id": "will.be_overridden"},
         }
 
         service.call_from_config(self.hass, config)
         self.hass.block_till_done()
 
-        assert self.calls[0].data["hello"] == "goodbye"
-        assert self.calls[0].data["data"]["value"] == "complex"
-        assert self.calls[0].data["data"]["simple"] == "simple"
-        assert self.calls[0].data["list"][0] == "list"
+        assert dict(self.calls[0].data) == {
+            "hello": "goodbye",
+            "effect": {
+                "value": "complex",
+                "simple": "simple",
+            },
+            "list": ["list", "2"],
+            "entity_id": ["hello.world"],
+            "area_id": ["test-area-id"],
+        }
 
     def test_service_template_service_call(self):
         """Test legacy service_template call with templating."""