Table of Contents

Home Assistant Groups

Groups allow you to organize entities into logical collections for easier management, automation, and UI organization. This guide covers all aspects of Home Assistant groups.

Group Types Overview

  1. Basic Groups: Simple entity collections
  2. Domain Groups: All entities of a specific type
  3. Area-Based Groups: Entities grouped by physical location
  4. Functional Groups: Entities grouped by purpose
  5. Dynamic Groups: Template-based entity selection

Basic Groups Configuration

Simple Entity Groups

# Standard group configuration
group:
  living_room_lights:
    name: "Living Room Lights"
    entities:
      - light.ceiling_light
      - light.floor_lamp
      - light.table_lamp
    icon: mdi:lightbulb-group
    
  security_sensors:
    name: "Security Sensors"
    entities:
      - binary_sensor.front_door
      - binary_sensor.back_door
      - binary_sensor.motion_detector
      - binary_sensor.window_sensor
    icon: mdi:security

Device Tracking Groups

# Occupancy detection groups
group:
  family_devices:
    name: "Family Devices"
    entities:
      - device_tracker.john_phone
      - device_tracker.jane_phone
      - device_tracker.kids_tablet
    all: false  # Any device home = group home
    
  adults_only:
    name: "Adult Devices"
    entities:
      - device_tracker.john_phone
      - device_tracker.jane_phone
    all: true   # All devices must be home
    
  work_devices:
    name: "Work Devices"
    entities:
      - device_tracker.work_laptop
      - device_tracker.company_phone
    all: false

Climate and Environmental Groups

group:
  temperature_sensors:
    name: "Temperature Sensors"
    entities:
      - sensor.living_room_temperature
      - sensor.bedroom_temperature
      - sensor.kitchen_temperature
      - sensor.outdoor_temperature
    icon: mdi:thermometer
    
  humidity_sensors:
    name: "Humidity Sensors"
    entities:
      - sensor.living_room_humidity
      - sensor.bedroom_humidity
      - sensor.bathroom_humidity
    icon: mdi:water-percent
    
  climate_control:
    name: "Climate Control"
    entities:
      - climate.main_thermostat
      - climate.bedroom_ac
      - fan.ceiling_fan
      - switch.humidifier

Advanced Group Configurations

Room-Based Organization

# Complete room groups
group:
  living_room:
    name: "Living Room"
    entities:
      - light.living_room_ceiling
      - light.living_room_lamp
      - media_player.living_room_tv
      - sensor.living_room_temperature
      - binary_sensor.living_room_motion
      - switch.living_room_fan
    icon: mdi:sofa
    
  bedroom:
    name: "Bedroom"
    entities:
      - light.bedroom_ceiling
      - light.bedside_lamp
      - climate.bedroom_ac
      - sensor.bedroom_temperature
      - binary_sensor.bedroom_motion
      - switch.bedroom_fan
    icon: mdi:bed
    
  kitchen:
    name: "Kitchen" 
    entities:
      - light.kitchen_ceiling
      - light.under_cabinet
      - sensor.kitchen_temperature
      - binary_sensor.kitchen_motion
      - switch.coffee_maker
      - switch.dishwasher
    icon: mdi:chef-hat

Security and Safety Groups

group:
  door_sensors:
    name: "Door Sensors"
    entities:
      - binary_sensor.front_door
      - binary_sensor.back_door
      - binary_sensor.garage_door
      - binary_sensor.patio_door
    icon: mdi:door
    
  window_sensors:
    name: "Window Sensors" 
    entities:
      - binary_sensor.living_room_window
      - binary_sensor.bedroom_window
      - binary_sensor.kitchen_window
    icon: mdi:window-closed
    
  motion_sensors:
    name: "Motion Sensors"
    entities:
      - binary_sensor.living_room_motion
      - binary_sensor.bedroom_motion
      - binary_sensor.kitchen_motion
      - binary_sensor.outdoor_motion
    icon: mdi:motion-sensor
    
  smoke_detectors:
    name: "Smoke Detectors"
    entities:
      - binary_sensor.living_room_smoke
      - binary_sensor.bedroom_smoke
      - binary_sensor.kitchen_smoke
    icon: mdi:smoke-detector

Energy Management Groups

group:
  energy_monitors:
    name: "Energy Monitors"
    entities:
      - sensor.total_power_usage
      - sensor.solar_power_production
      - sensor.battery_charge_level
      - sensor.grid_power_import
    icon: mdi:lightning-bolt
    
  high_power_devices:
    name: "High Power Devices"
    entities:
      - switch.water_heater
      - switch.dryer
      - switch.air_conditioner
      - switch.electric_vehicle_charger
    icon: mdi:flash
    
  always_on_devices:
    name: "Always On Devices"
    entities:
      - switch.refrigerator
      - switch.router
      - switch.security_system
      - switch.nas_server

Dynamic and Template Groups

Template-Based Groups

# Template groups for dynamic membership
template:
  - sensor:
      - name: "Low Battery Devices"
        state: >
          {% set batteries = expand('group.battery_sensors') 
             | selectattr('state', 'is_number')
             | selectattr('state', 'lt', 20) 
             | map(attribute='name') | list %}
          {{ batteries | length }}
        attributes:
          devices: >
            {% set batteries = expand('group.battery_sensors') 
               | selectattr('state', 'is_number')
               | selectattr('state', 'lt', 20) 
               | map(attribute='name') | list %}
            {{ batteries }}
          icon: >
            {% set count = this.state | int %}
            {% if count == 0 %}
              mdi:battery
            {% elif count < 3 %}
              mdi:battery-alert
            {% else %}
              mdi:battery-alert-variant
            {% endif %}
            
  - binary_sensor:
      - name: "Any Windows Open"
        state: >
          {{ expand('group.window_sensors') 
             | selectattr('state', 'eq', 'on') 
             | list | length > 0 }}
        icon: >
          {% if this.state %}
            mdi:window-open
          {% else %}
            mdi:window-closed
          {% endif %}

Conditional Groups

# Groups that change based on conditions
automation:
  - id: update_active_lights_group
    alias: "Update Active Lights Group"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: 
          - group.all_lights
    action:
      - service: group.set
        target:
          entity_id: group.active_lights
        data:
          entities: >
            {{ expand('group.all_lights') 
               | selectattr('state', 'eq', 'on') 
               | map(attribute='entity_id') | list }}

Domain Groups (All Entities)

Automatic Domain Groups

# These are created automatically by Home Assistant
# group.all_lights - all light entities
# group.all_switches - all switch entities  
# group.all_binary_sensors - all binary sensor entities
# group.all_sensors - all sensor entities

# You can create custom domain groups
group:
  all_motion_sensors:
    name: "All Motion Sensors"
    entities: >
      {{ expand('binary_sensor') 
         | selectattr('attributes.device_class', 'eq', 'motion')
         | map(attribute='entity_id') | list }}
    icon: mdi:motion-sensor

Group Operations and Automation

Group State Logic

# Automation using group states
automation:
  - id: all_lights_off_notification
    alias: "All Lights Off Notification"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: group.all_lights
        to: 'off'
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "All lights are now off"
          
  - id: any_door_open_security
    alias: "Any Door Open Security Alert"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: group.door_sensors
        to: 'on'
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home
        state: 'armed_away'
    action:
      - service: notify.security_team
        data:
          message: "Door opened while armed: {{ trigger.to_state.name }}"

Group-Based Scene Control

# Scenes using groups
scene:
  - name: "Movie Night"
    entities:
      group.living_room_lights:
        state: 'on'
        brightness: 30
      group.entertainment_devices:
        state: 'on'
      group.ambient_lights:
        state: 'on'
        color_name: 'blue'
        
  - name: "Good Night"
    entities:
      group.all_lights:
        state: 'off'
      group.entertainment_devices:
        state: 'off'
      group.security_sensors:
        state: 'armed'

UI and Frontend Groups

Lovelace Card Groups

# Use groups in Lovelace cards
type: entities
title: "Living Room Controls"
entities:
  - group.living_room_lights
  - group.living_room_climate
  - group.living_room_entertainment

# Or expand group entities
type: entities
title: "All Lights"
entities:
  - entity: group.all_lights
    type: custom:fold-entity-row
    head:
      type: section
      label: "Lights"
    entities:
      - light.living_room
      - light.bedroom
      - light.kitchen

Group Badges and Monitoring

# Create monitoring dashboards
type: horizontal-stack
cards:
  - type: entity
    entity: group.security_sensors
    name: "Security"
    icon: mdi:shield-home
    
  - type: entity
    entity: group.climate_sensors
    name: "Climate"
    icon: mdi:home-thermometer
    
  - type: entity
    entity: group.energy_monitors
    name: "Energy"
    icon: mdi:flash

Advanced Group Patterns

Nested Groups

group:
  # Sub-groups
  upstairs_lights:
    name: "Upstairs Lights"
    entities:
      - light.master_bedroom
      - light.guest_bedroom
      - light.upstairs_hall
      
  downstairs_lights:
    name: "Downstairs Lights"
    entities:
      - light.living_room
      - light.kitchen
      - light.dining_room
      
  # Parent group containing sub-groups
  house_lights:
    name: "House Lights"
    entities:
      - group.upstairs_lights
      - group.downstairs_lights
      - light.outdoor_front
      - light.outdoor_back

Smart Group Management

# Automatically maintain groups based on entity attributes
automation:
  - id: update_battery_group
    alias: "Update Battery Sensors Group"
    trigger:
      - platform: homeassistant
        event: start
      - platform: time
        at: "00:00:00"
    action:
      - service: group.set
        target:
          entity_id: group.battery_sensors
        data:
          entities: >
            {{ states.sensor 
               | selectattr('attributes.device_class', 'eq', 'battery')
               | map(attribute='entity_id') | list +
               states.binary_sensor 
               | selectattr('attributes.device_class', 'eq', 'battery')
               | map(attribute='entity_id') | list }}

Group Statistics and Monitoring

# Create statistical sensors from groups
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      average_temperature:
        friendly_name: "Average Temperature"
        unit_of_measurement: "°C"
        value_template: >
          {{ expand('group.temperature_sensors') 
             | map(attribute='state') | map('float') 
             | average | round(1) }}
             
      total_power_usage:
        friendly_name: "Total Power Usage"
        unit_of_measurement: "W"
        value_template: >
          {{ expand('group.power_sensors') 
             | map(attribute='state') | map('float') 
             | sum | round(1) }}
             
      lights_on_count:
        friendly_name: "Lights On Count"
        value_template: >
          {{ expand('group.all_lights') 
             | selectattr('state', 'eq', 'on') 
             | list | length }}

Best Practices

  1. Logical Organization: Group entities by function, location, or type
  2. Descriptive Names: Use clear, descriptive names for groups
  3. Icon Selection: Choose appropriate icons for visual identification
  4. Nested Structure: Use hierarchical groups for complex organizations
  5. Documentation: Comment group purposes in configuration files
  6. Dynamic Updates: Use automations to maintain group membership
  7. Performance: Keep groups reasonably sized for better performance
  8. UI Integration: Design groups with frontend usage in mind

Troubleshooting Groups

Common Issues

  1. Entity Not Found: Verify entity IDs are correct
  2. Group Not Updating: Check entity states and group logic
  3. Performance Issues: Reduce group size or update frequency
  4. UI Display Problems: Verify group configuration in Lovelace

Debug Group States

# Template to debug group composition
template:
  - sensor:
      - name: "Group Debug Info"
        state: "{{ expand('group.test_group') | list | length }}"
        attributes:
          entities: "{{ expand('group.test_group') | map(attribute='entity_id') | list }}"
          states: "{{ expand('group.test_group') | map(attribute='state') | list }}"
          on_count: "{{ expand('group.test_group') | selectattr('state', 'eq', 'on') | list | length }}"

This comprehensive groups guide provides the foundation for organizing and managing entities effectively in Home Assistant.

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