---
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
ha_qa_scale: internal
---

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: boolean
        default: false
      tilt_optimistic:
        description: Force cover tilt position to use [optimistic mode](#optimistic-mode).
        required: false
        type: boolean
        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 %}