---
layout: page
title: "Folder Watcher"
description: "Component for monitoring changes within the filesystem."
date: 2018-03-11 14:00
sidebar: true
comments: false
sharing: true
footer: true
logo: home-assistant.png
ha_category: System Monitor
ha_iot_class: "Local Polling"
ha_release: 0.67
---

This component adds [Watchdog](https://pythonhosted.org/watchdog/) file system monitoring, publishing events on the Home-Assistant bus on the creation/deletion/modification of files.

To configure the `folder_watcher` component add to you `configuration.yaml` file:

```yaml
{% raw %}
folder_watcher:
  - folder: /config
{% endraw %}
```

{% configuration %}
folder:
  description: The folder path
  required: true
  type: string
patterns:
  description: Pattern matching to apply
  required: false
  default: "*"
  type: string
{% endconfiguration %}

## Patterns

Pattern matching using [fnmatch](https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/fnmatch.html) can be used to limit filesystem monitoring to only files which match the configured patterns. The following example shows the configuration required to only monitor filetypes `.yaml` and `.txt`.

```yaml
{% raw %}
folder_watcher:
  - folder: /config
    patterns:
      - '*.yaml'
      - '*.txt'
{% raw %}
```

## Automations

Automations can be triggered on filesystem event data using a data_template. The following automation will send a notification with the name and folder of new files added to that folder:

```yaml
{% raw %}
- action:
  - data_template:
      message: 'Created {{trigger.event.data.file}} in {{trigger.event.data.folder}}'
      title: New image captured!
      data:
        file: "{{trigger.event.data.path}}"
    service: notify.pushbullet
  alias: New file alert
  condition: []
  id: '1520092824697'
  trigger:
  - event_data: {"event_type":"created"}
    event_type: folder_watcher
    platform: event
{% endraw %}
```