---
title: Input Select
description: Instructions on how to integrate the Input Select integration into Home Assistant.
ha_category:
  - Automation
ha_release: 0.13
ha_iot_class:
ha_quality_scale: internal
ha_codeowners:
  - '@home-assistant/core'
ha_domain: input_select
---

The `input_select` integration allows the user to define a list of values that can be selected via the frontend and can be used within conditions of automation. When a user selects a new item, a state transition event is generated. This state event can be used in an `automation` trigger.

The preferred way to configure an input select is via the user interface at **Configuration** -> **Helpers**. Click the add button and then choose the **Dropdown** option.

To be able to add **Helpers** via the user interface you should have `default_config:` in your `configuration.yaml`, it should already be there by default unless you removed it.
If you removed `default_config:` from you configuration, you must add `input_select:` to your `configuration.yaml` first, then you can use the UI.

Input selects can also be configured via `configuration.yaml`:

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
input_select:
  who_cooks:
    name: Who cooks today
    options:
      - Paulus
      - Anne Therese
    initial: Anne Therese
    icon: mdi:panda
  living_room_preset:
    options:
      - Visitors
      - Visitors with kids
      - Home Alone
```

{% configuration %}
  input_select:
    description: Alias for the input. Multiple entries are allowed.
    required: true
    type: map
    keys:
      options:
        description: List of options to choose from.
        required: true
        type: list
      name:
        description: Friendly name of the input.
        required: false
        type: string
      initial:
        description: Initial value when Home Assistant starts.
        required: false
        type: map
        default: First element of options
      icon:
        description: Icon to display in front of the input element in the frontend.
        required: false
        type: icon
{% endconfiguration %}

<div class='note'>

Because YAML defines [booleans](https://yaml.org/type/bool.html) as equivalent, any variations of 'On', 'Yes', 'Y', 'Off', 'No', or 'N'  (regardless of case) used as option names will be replaced by True and False unless they are defined in quotation marks.

</div>

### Restore State

If you set a valid value for `initial` this integration will start with state set to that value. Otherwise, it will restore the state it had prior to Home Assistant stopping.

### Services

This integration provides three services to modify the state of the `input_select`.

| Service | Data | Description |
| ------- | ---- | ----------- |
| `select_option` | `option` | This can be used to select a specific option.
| `set_options` | `options`<br>`entity_id(s)` | Set the options for specific `input_select` entities.
| `select_previous` | | Select the previous option.
| `select_next` | | Select the next option.
| `reload` | | Reload `input_select` configuration |

### Scenes

Specifying a target option in a [Scene](/integrations/scene/) is simple:

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
scene:
  - name: Example1
    entities:
      input_select.who_cooks: Paulus
```

The list of options can also be set in a [Scene](/integrations/scene). In that case, you also need to specify what the new state will be.

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
scene:
  - name: Example2
    entities:
      input_select.who_cooks:
        options:
          - Alice
          - Bob
          - Paulus
        state: Bob
```


## Automation Examples

The following example shows the usage of the `input_select.select_option` service in an automation:

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
automation:
  - alias: example automation
    trigger:
      platform: event
      event_type: MY_CUSTOM_EVENT
    action:
      - service: input_select.select_option
        data:
          entity_id: input_select.who_cooks
          option: Paulus
```

To dynamically set the `input_select` options you can call `input_select.set_options`. The following example can be used in an automation rule:

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
automation:
  - alias: example automation
    trigger:
      platform: event
      event_type: MY_CUSTOM_EVENT
    action:
      - service: input_select.set_options
        data:
          entity_id: input_select.who_cooks
          options: ["Item A", "Item B", "Item C"]
```

Example of `input_select` being used in a bidirectional manner, both being set by and controlled by an MQTT action in an automation.

{% raw %}
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry using 'input_select' in an action in an automation
   
# Define input_select
input_select:
  thermostat_mode:
    name: Thermostat Mode
    options:
      - "auto"
      - "off"
      - "cool"
      - "heat"
    icon: mdi:target

# Automation.     
 # This automation script runs when a value is received via MQTT on retained topic: thermostatMode
 # It sets the value selector on the GUI. This selector also had its own automation when the value is changed.
- alias: Set Thermostat Mode Selector
  trigger:
    platform: mqtt
    topic: "thermostatMode"
   # entity_id: input_select.thermostat_mode
  action:
     service: input_select.select_option
     data:
      entity_id: input_select.thermostat_mode
      option: "{{ trigger.payload }}"

 # This automation script runs when the thermostat mode selector is changed.
 # It publishes its value to the same MQTT topic it is also subscribed to.
- alias: Set Thermostat Mode
  trigger:
    platform: state
    entity_id: input_select.thermostat_mode
  action:
    service: mqtt.publish
    data:
      topic: "thermostatMode"
      retain: true
      payload: "{{ states('input_select.thermostat_mode') }}"
```
{% endraw %}