Home AssistantHome AssistantContributors

    ↑↓ to moveEnter to openEsc to close

    Entity description

    A dataclass with the fixed properties of an entity, like its key, translation key, and device class, so many similar entities can share one class.

    In code
    EntityDescriptionSensorEntityDescription
    Also
    entity descriptions

    An integration with twenty sensors usually has one sensor class, and a list of twenty entity descriptions. Each description says what is different about one sensor.

    Related terms

    • EntityOne thing Home Assistant can show, measure, or control, like a light, a temperature sensor, or a switch. Every entity has a state.
    • Device classWhat an entity measures or is, like `temperature` or `door`. It sets the icon, the units, and how the frontend shows the entity.
    • Translation keyThe key that points to a text in an integration's `strings.json`, so the text can be translated. Integrations use keys, not English text in the code.