This sensor iterates the state object and returns entities that have a state of unknown or unavailable.
The sensor state is a count of unavailable entities and the entity_id attribute is a list of those entity id's.
To use this template as is you must be running at least Home Assistant v2022.5.
The easiest way to use this sensor is to install it as a package.
If you already have packages enabled in your configuration, download package_unavailable_entities.yaml to your packages directory.
To enable packages in your configuation, create a folder in your config directory named packages and add the following line to your configuration.yaml file.
homeassistant:
packages: !include_dir_named packages
To create this sensor without using packages simply copy the relevant template code to an appropriate place in your configuration.yaml file. The ignored entities group and example automation are optional.
NOTE! You must reload templates, group entities (if you are using the ignored entities group), and automations (if you are utilizing the example automation) after adding the package or code to your configuration.
To change the time the sensor will ignore newly available entities that become unavailable, adjust the ignore_seconds value. The default value is 60, meaning a sensor is not reported as unavailable until it's state has been unknown or unavailable for at least 60 seconds.
A value for 'ignore_seconds' less than 5 seconds may cause template loop warnings in your home assistant log, particularly when template sensors are reloaded.
Stateless domains (button, scene etc.) are excluded by default. The group domain is also excluded as many groups will always have a state of unknown.
To track these domains remove them from the ignored domains filter.
Example - remove the input_button domain.
|rejectattr('domain','in',['button','event','group','input_text','scene'])
If you wish to ignore additional domains you can add them to the ignored domains filter.
Example - add the switch domain.
|rejectattr('domain','in',['button','event','group','input_button','input_text','scene','switch'])
If you want to monitor the group domain, you must add the following filter to the template if you are using the ignored entities group option as this group will usually have a state of unknown.
|rejectattr('entity_id','eq','group.ignored_unavailable_entities')
Uncomment the group.ignored_unavailable_entities declaration and add the entity_id's to ignore to the group entities list.
Search Test
If you have multiple entities to ignore that share a common uniquly identifiable portion of their entity_id name you can exclude them without having to add each individual sensor to the ingore_entities group adding filters with a search test to the template.
|rejectattr('entity_id','search','wifi_')
Be as specific as possible in your filters so you don't exclude unintended entities! For example, You have these sensors in your configuration and want to exclude just the wifi signal strengh sensors. Rejecting a search of 'wifi_' will also exclude the binary connected sensor.
- binary_sensor.wifi_connected
- sensor.wifi_downstairs
- sensor.wifi_upstairs
You can also use regex pattern matching in a seach rejectattr (selectattr) filter.
|rejectattr('entity_id','search','(_alarm_volume|_next_alarm|_alarms)')
The filter above effectively combines these three filters.
|rejectattr('entity_id','search','_alarm_volume')
|rejectattr('entity_id','search','_next_alarm')
|rejectattr('entity_id','search','_alarms')
Contains Test
The contains test can also be used if required. Regex matching is not available for the contains test.
|rejectattr('entity_id','contains','wifi_')
You can exclude entities from a specific integration by using an in test for the entity_id and the integration_entities() function.
|rejectattr('entity_id','in',integration_entities('hassio'))
You can exclude entities from a specific integration by using an in test for the entity_id and the device_entities() function.
|rejectattr('entity_id','in',device_entities('fffe8e4c87c68ee60e0ae84c295676ce'))
template:
- sensor:
- name: "Unavailable Entities"
unique_id: unavailable_entities
icon: "{{ iif(states(this.entity_id)|int(-1) > 0,'mdi:alert-circle','mdi:check-circle') }}"
state_class: measurement
unit_of_measurement: entities
state: >
{% set entities = state_attr(this.entity_id,'entity_id') %}
{{ entities|count if entities != none else none }}
attributes:
entity_id: >
{% set ignore_seconds = 60 %}
{% set ignored = state_attr('group.ignored_unavailable_entities','entity_id') %}
{% set ignore_ts = (now().timestamp() - ignore_seconds)|as_datetime %}
{% set entities = states
|rejectattr('domain','in',['button','event','group','input_button','input_text','scene'])
|rejectattr('entity_id','search','browser_')
|rejectattr('entity_id','search','_alarm_volume|_next_alarm|_alarms')
|rejectattr('entity_id','contains','_memory_percent')
|rejectattr('entity_id','in',integration_entities('hassio'))
|rejectattr('entity_id','in',device_entities('fffe8e4c87c68ee60e0ae84c295676ce'))
|rejectattr('last_changed','ge',ignore_ts) %}
{% set entities = entities|rejectattr('entity_id','in',ignored) if ignored != none else entities %}
{{ entities|map(attribute='entity_id')|reject('has_value')|list|sort }}
See Home Assistant Templating additional options.
You can configure the sensor to only monitor entities you specify instead of monitoring all entities and specifing the entities to ignore by using select or selectattr filters instead of reject and rejectattr filters. Remember, select filters are cumlative and entities may be already excluded by previous filters.
This example monitors only the sensor domain from the Shelly integration that contain the string "_power" in their entity_id.
template:
- sensor:
- name: "Unavailable Entities"
unique_id: unavailable_entities
icon: "{{ iif(states(this.entity_id)|int(-1) > 0,'mdi:alert-circle','mdi:check-circle') }}"
state_class: measurement
unit_of_measurement: entities
state: >
{% set ignore_seconds = 60 %}
{% set ignored = state_attr('group.ignored_unavailable_entities','entity_id') %}
{% set ignore_ts = (now().timestamp() - ignore_seconds)|as_datetime %}
{% set entities = states.sensor
|selectattr('entity_id','in',integration_entities('shelly'))
|selectattr('entity_id','contains','_power')
|rejectattr('last_changed','ge',ignore_ts) %}
{% set entities = entities|rejectattr('entity_id','in',ignored) if ignored != none else entities %}
{{ entities|map(attribute='entity_id')|reject('has_value')|list|sort }}
This sensor is simply a template sensor. You can create as many of them as you need in your configuration. I have many similar sensors in my configuration such as an offline zwave devices binary sensor and an unavailble media players sensor in addition to the default sensor defined in this package.
There is an example automation provided in the package that will display unavailable entities as a persistent notification. You can change this automation to meet your requirements. This automation is enabled by default. You can comment it out or delete it if not required.
By default the entity_id attribute of an entity is not displayed in a more_info dialogue to increase the effeciency of the HA databae. This template follows that standard. If you wish to display the entity id's in the more info dialogue, change the name of the entity_id attribute to something else in the template configuration. Don't forget to change it in the state template too!
state: >
{% set entities = state_attr(this.entity_id,'entities') %}
{{ entities|count if entities != none else none }}
attributes:
entities: >
Using the auto-entities and fold-entity-row plugins is an excellent way to display your unavailable entities sensor in your UI.
Closed Fold Entity Row
Open Fold Entity Row
