---
layout: page
title: "Template Cover"
description: "Instructions on how to integrate Template Covers into Home Assistant."
date: 2017-06-19 20:32
sidebar: true
comments: false
sharing: true
footer: true
ha_category: Cover
ha_release: 0.48
ha_iot_class: "Local Push"
logo: home-assistant.png
---
The `template` platform can create covers that combine components and provides the ability to run scripts or invoke services for each of the open, close, stop, position and tilt commands of a cover.
## {% linkable_title Configuration %}
To enable Template Covers in your installation, add the following to your
`configuration.yaml` file:
{% raw %}
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
cover:
- platform: template
covers:
garage_door:
friendly_name: "Garage Door"
value_template: "{{ states('sensor.garage_door')|float > 0 }}"
open_cover:
service: script.open_garage_door
close_cover:
service: script.close_garage_door
stop_cover:
service: script.stop_garage_door
```
{% endraw %}
{% configuration %}
covers:
description: List of your covers.
required: true
type: map
keys:
friendly_name:
description: Name to use in the frontend.
required: false
type: string
entity_id:
description: A list of entity IDs so the cover only reacts to state changes of these entities. This can be used if the automatic analysis fails to find all relevant entities.
required: false
type: [string, list]
value_template:
description: Defines a template to get the state of the cover. Valid values are `open`/`true` or `closed`/`false`. [`value_template`](#value_template) and [`position_template`](#position_template) cannot be specified concurrently.
required: exclusive
type: template
position_template:
description: Defines a template to get the state of the cover. Legal values are numbers between `0` (closed) and `100` (open). [`value_template`](#value_template) and [`position_template`](#position_template) cannot be specified concurrently.
required: exclusive
type: template
icon_template:
description: Defines a template to specify which icon to use.
required: false
type: template
open_cover:
description: Defines an action to run when the cover is opened. If [`open_cover`](#open_cover) is specified, [`close_cover`](#close_cover) must also be specified. At least one of [`open_cover`](#open_cover) and [`set_cover_position`](#set_cover_position) must be specified.
required: inclusive
type: action
close_cover:
description: Defines an action to run when the cover is closed.
required: inclusive
type: action
stop_cover:
description: Defines an action to run when the cover is stopped.
required: false
type: action
set_cover_position:
description: Defines an action to run when the cover is set to a specific value (between `0` and `100`).
required: false
type: action
set_cover_tilt_position:
description: Defines an action to run when the cover tilt is set to a specific value (between `0` and `100`).
required: false
type: action
optimistic:
description: Force cover position to use [optimistic mode](#optimistic-mode).
required: false
type: bool
default: false
tilt_optimistic:
description: Force cover tilt position to use [optimistic mode](#optimistic-mode).
required: false
type: bool
default: false
tilt_template:
description: Defines a template to get the tilt state of the cover. Legal values are numbers between `0` (closed) and `100` (open).
required: false
type: template
{% endconfiguration %}
## {% linkable_title Considerations %}
If you are using the state of a platform that takes extra time to load, the
Template Cover may get an `unknown` state during startup. This results
in error messages in your log file until that platform has completed loading.
If you use `is_state()` function in your template, you can avoid this situation.
For example, you would replace
{% raw %}`{{ states.switch.source.state == 'on' }}`{% endraw %}
with this equivalent that returns `true`/`false` and never gives an unknown
result:
{% raw %}`{{ is_state('switch.source', 'on') }}`{% endraw %}
## {% linkable_title Optimistic Mode %}
In optimistic mode, the cover position state is maintained internally. This
mode is automatically enabled if neither [`value_template`](#value_template) or
[`position_template`](#position_template) are specified. Note that this is
unlikely to be very reliable without some feedback mechanism, since there is
otherwise no way to know if the cover is moving properly. The cover can be
forced into optimistic mode by using the [`optimistic`](#optimistic)
attribute. There is an equivalent mode for `tilt_position` that is enabled
when [`tilt_template`](#tilt_template) is not specified or when the
[`tilt_optimistic`](#tilt_optimistic) attribute is used.
## {% linkable_title Examples %}
In this section you will find some real life examples of how to use this cover.
### {% linkable_title Garage Door %}
This example converts a garage door with a controllable switch and position
sensor into a cover.
{% raw %}
```yaml
cover:
- platform: template
covers:
garage_door:
friendly_name: "Garage Door"
position_template: "{{ states('sensor.garage_door') }}"
open_cover:
service: switch.turn_on
data:
entity_id: switch.garage_door
close_cover:
service: switch.turn_off
data:
entity_id: switch.garage_door
stop_cover:
service: switch.turn_on
data:
entity_id: switch.garage_door
icon_template: >-
{% if states('sensor.garage_door')|float > 0 %}
mdi:garage-open
{% else %}
mdi:garage
{% endif %}
```
{% endraw %}
### {% linkable_title Multiple Covers %}
This example allows you to control two or more covers at once.
{% raw %}
```yaml
homeassistant:
customize:
cover_group:
assume_state: true
cover:
- platform: template
covers:
cover_group:
friendly_name: "Cover Group"
open_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'open'
close_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'close'
stop_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'stop'
set_cover_position:
service: script.cover_group_position
data_template:
position: "{{position}}"
value_template: "{{is_state('sensor.cover_group', 'open')}}"
icon_template: >-
{% if is_state('sensor.cover_group', 'open') %}
mdi:window-open
{% else %}
mdi:window-closed
{% endif %}
entity_id:
- cover.bedroom
- cover.livingroom
sensor:
- platform: template
sensors:
cover_group:
value_template: >-
{% if is_state('cover.bedroom', 'open') %}
open
{% elif is_state('cover.livingroom', 'open') %}
open
{% else %}
closed
{% endif %}
script:
cover_group:
sequence:
- service_template: "cover.{{modus}}_cover"
data:
entity_id:
- cover.bedroom
- cover.livingroom
cover_group_position:
sequence:
- service: cover.set_cover_position
data_template:
entity_id:
- cover.bedroom
- cover.livingroom
position: "{{position}}"
automation:
- alias: "Close covers at night"
trigger:
- platform: sun
event: sunset
offset: '+00:30:00'
action:
- service: cover.set_cover_position
data:
entity_id: cover.cover_group
position: 25
```
{% endraw %}
### {% linkable_title Change The Icon %}
This example shows how to change the icon based on the cover state.
{% raw %}
```yaml
cover:
- platform: template
covers:
cover_group:
friendly_name: "Cover Group"
open_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'open'
close_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'close'
stop_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'stop'
value_template: "{{is_state('sensor.cover_group', 'open')}}"
icon_template: >-
{% if is_state('sensor.cover_group', 'open') %}
mdi:window-open
{% else %}
mdi:window-closed
{% endif %}
```
{% endraw %}
### {% linkable_title Change The Entity Picture %}
This example shows how to change the entity picture based on the cover state.
{% raw %}
```yaml
cover:
- platform: template
covers:
cover_group:
friendly_name: "Cover Group"
open_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'open'
close_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'close'
stop_cover:
service: script.cover_group
data:
modus: 'stop'
value_template: "{{is_state('sensor.cover_group', 'open')}}"
icon_template: >-
{% if is_state('sensor.cover_group', 'open') %}
/local/cover-open.png
{% else %}
/local/cover-closed.png
{% endif %}
```
{% endraw %}