---
layout: page
title: "Timer"
description: "Instructions on how to integrate timers into Home Assistant."
date: 2017-10-23 06:00
sidebar: true
comments: false
sharing: true
footer: true
logo: home-assistant.png
ha_category: Automation
ha_release: 0.57
ha_qa_scale: internal
---

The `timer` component aims to simplify automations based on (dynamic) durations.

When a timer finishes or gets canceled the corresponding events are fired. This allows you to differentiate if a timer has switched from `active` to `idle` because the given duration has elapsed or it has been canceled. To control timers in your automations you can use the services mentioned below. When calling the `start` service on a timer that is already running, it resets the duration it will need to finish and restart the timer without triggering any events. This for example makes it easy to create timed lights that get triggered by motion.  

<p class='note warning'>
With the current implementation timers don't persist over restarts. After a restart they will be idle again, together with their initial configuration.
</p>

To add a timer to your installation, add the following to your `configuration.yaml` file:

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
timer:
  laundry:
    duration: '00:01:00'
```

Configuration variables:

- **[alias]** (*Required*): Alias for the timer. Multiple entries are allowed.
  - **name** (*Optional*): Friendly name of the timer.
  - **duration** (*Optional*): Initial duration in seconds or `00:00:00` when Home Assistant starts. Defaults to 0.
  - **icon** (*Optional*): Set a custom icon for the state card.

Pick an icon that you can find on [materialdesignicons.com](https://materialdesignicons.com/) to use for your timer and prefix the name with `mdi:`. For example `mdi:car`, `mdi:ambulance`, or  `mdi:motorbike`.

## {% linkable_title Events %}

|           Event | Description |
| --------------- | ----------- |
| timer.cancelled | Fired when a timer has been canceled |
|  timer.finished | Fired when a timer has completed |

## {% linkable_title Services %}

#### {% linkable_title Service `timer.start` %}

Starts or restarts a timer with the provided duration. If no duration is given, it will either restart with its initial value, or continue a paused timer with the remaining duration. If a new duration is provided, this will be the new default for the timer until Home Assistant is restarted (which loads your default values). The duration can be specified as a number of seconds or the easier to read `01:23:45` format.  
If no `entity_id` is given all active timers will be started.

| Service data attribute | Optional | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| `entity_id`            |      yes | Name of the entity to take action, e.g., `timer.timer0`. |
| `duration`             |      yes | Duration in seconds or `00:00:00` until the timer finishes. |

#### {% linkable_title Service `timer.pause` %}

Pause a running timer. This will retain the remaining duration for later continuation. If no `entity_id` is given all active timers will be paused.

| Service data attribute | Optional | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| `entity_id`            |      yes | Name of the entity to take action, e.g., `timer.timer0`. |

#### {% linkable_title Service `timer.cancel` %}

Cancel an active timer. This resets the duration to the last known initial value without firing the `timer.finished` event. If no `entity_id` is given all active timers will be canceled.

| Service data attribute | Optional | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| `entity_id`            |      yes | Name of the entity to take action, e.g., `timer.timer0`. |

#### {% linkable_title Service `timer.finish` %}

Manually finish a running timer earlier than scheduled. If no `entity_id` is given all active timers will be finished.

| Service data attribute | Optional | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| `entity_id`            |      yes | Name of the entity to take action, e.g., `timer.timer0`. |


### {% linkable_title Use the service %}

Select <img src='/images/screenshots/developer-tool-services-icon.png' alt='service developer tool icon' class="no-shadow" height="38" /> **Services** from the **Developer Tools**. Choose **timer** from the list of **Domains**, select the **Service**, enter something like the sample below into the **Service Data** field, and hit **CALL SERVICE**.

```json
{
  "entity_id": "timer.timer0"
}
```

## {% linkable_title Examples %}

Set a timer called `test` to a duration of 30 seconds. 

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
timer:
  test:
    duration: '00:00:30'
```

### {% linkable_title Control a timer from the frontend %}

```yaml
# Example automations.yaml entry
- alias: Timerswitch
  id: 'Timerstart'
  # Timer is started when the switch pumprun is set to on. 
  trigger: 
  - platform: state
    entity_id: switch.pumprun
    to: 'on'
  action:
  - service: timer.start
    entity_id: timer.test

# When timer is stopped, the time run out, another message is sent
- alias: Timerstop
  id: 'Timerstop'
  trigger: 
  - platform: event
    event_type: timer.finished
    event_data: 
      entity_id: timer.test
  action:
  - service: notify.nma
    data:
      message: "Timer stop"
```

### {% linkable_title Control a timer from the frontend %}

With the [`script`](/components/script/) component you would be able to control a timer (see above for a `timer` configuration sample) manually.

```yaml
script:
  start_timer:
    alias: Start timer
    sequence:
      - service: timer.start
        entity_id: timer.test
  pause_timer:
    alias: Pause timer
    sequence:
      - service: timer.pause
        entity_id: timer.test
  cancel_timer:
    alias: Cancel timer
    sequence:
      - service: timer.cancel
        entity_id: timer.test
  finish_timer:
    alias: Finish timer
    sequence:
      - service: timer.finish
        entity_id: timer.test
```