diff --git a/src/data/action.ts b/src/data/action.ts
index 5cc576f1ac..6dea0b308f 100644
--- a/src/data/action.ts
+++ b/src/data/action.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {
   mdiAbTesting,
+  mdiApplicationVariableOutline,
   mdiArrowDecision,
   mdiCallSplit,
   mdiCodeBraces,
@@ -30,4 +31,9 @@ export const ACTION_TYPES = {
   device_id: mdiDevices,
   stop: mdiHandBackRight,
   parallel: mdiShuffleDisabled,
-};
+  variables: mdiApplicationVariableOutline,
+} as const;
+
+export const YAML_ONLY_ACTION_TYPES = new Set<keyof typeof ACTION_TYPES>([
+  "variables",
+]);
diff --git a/src/panels/config/automation/action/ha-automation-action-row.ts b/src/panels/config/automation/action/ha-automation-action-row.ts
index a85feebf28..b66d7f4d3d 100644
--- a/src/panels/config/automation/action/ha-automation-action-row.ts
+++ b/src/panels/config/automation/action/ha-automation-action-row.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import {
   mdiPlay,
   mdiPlayCircleOutline,
   mdiRenameBox,
-  mdiStopCircleOutline,
   mdiSort,
+  mdiStopCircleOutline,
 } from "@mdi/js";
 import { UnsubscribeFunc } from "home-assistant-js-websocket";
 import { css, CSSResultGroup, html, LitElement, PropertyValues } from "lit";
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import "../../../../components/ha-card";
 import "../../../../components/ha-expansion-panel";
 import "../../../../components/ha-icon-button";
 import type { HaYamlEditor } from "../../../../components/ha-yaml-editor";
-import { ACTION_TYPES } from "../../../../data/action";
+import { ACTION_TYPES, YAML_ONLY_ACTION_TYPES } from "../../../../data/action";
 import { validateConfig } from "../../../../data/config";
 import {
   EntityRegistryEntry,
@@ -134,7 +134,9 @@ export default class HaAutomationActionRow extends LitElement {
     if (!changedProperties.has("action")) {
       return;
     }
-    this._uiModeAvailable = getType(this.action) !== undefined;
+    const type = getType(this.action);
+    this._uiModeAvailable =
+      type !== undefined && !YAML_ONLY_ACTION_TYPES.has(type as any);
     if (!this._uiModeAvailable && !this._yamlMode) {
       this._yamlMode = true;
     }
diff --git a/src/translations/en.json b/src/translations/en.json
index a038cb3cb4..a5e52f16ed 100755
--- a/src/translations/en.json
+++ b/src/translations/en.json
@@ -2566,6 +2566,9 @@
                 },
                 "parallel": {
                   "label": "Run in parallel"
+                },
+                "variables": {
+                  "label": "Define variables"
                 }
               }
             }