Move effect

Use this action to start the firmware-based Move effect on a multizone LIFX light. The effect scrolls the colors that are already on the light along its length, so it is a good fit for accent lighting behind a TV, under a kitchen counter, or along a hallway.

The Move effect runs on the light itself, so it keeps going even if Home Assistant restarts. Because the light animates its existing colors, the effect is invisible when every zone is set to the same color. Give the light something to move by choosing a theme, or by setting the colors first with Paint theme or Set state. To stop the effect, use Stop effect.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To start the Move effect from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the search box, search for and select Move effect.
6. Select what you want to control. Under By target (see Targets), pick the area your LIFX lights are in (like your living room or bedroom). You can also select a floor, a device, a specific entity, or a label.
7. Set Speed and Direction to control the animation. To recolor the light before the effect starts, pick a value in Theme.
8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as lifx.effect_move. A basic example looks like this:

action: lifx.effect_move
target:
  entity_id: light.living_room_strip
data:
  speed: 5
  direction: left

This scrolls the colors already on the living room strip to the left, taking five seconds for one complete cycle.

Options in YAML

Available themes

The Themes section of the LIFX integration page lists every theme by category, along with the renamed and retired themes and their replacements.

Targets of the action

This action requires a target. The target is the object of the action. You can point the action at a single entityAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more], a device, an area, a floor, or a label, and Home Assistant will run the action on every matching light entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific light entity, such as light.living_room.
• Device: every light entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every light entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every light entity on a floor.
• Label: every light entity that shares a label.

You can also select different target types in one action. For example, you can add a specific entity and an area as targets in the same action to run the action on both of them at once.

Good to know

• Only multizone lights run the Move effect. That means the LIFX Z, Lightstrip, Beam, Neon, Outdoor Neon, String, and Permanent Outdoor. If your target also covers other LIFX lights, those lights are skipped and the rest of the action still runs.
• When you target lights by entity and none of them is a LIFX light, the action fails with the message “The targets of action lifx.effect_move include no LIFX light”. If they include LIFX lights but no multizone light, it fails with “The targets of action lifx.effect_move include no LIFX multizone light”. When you target an area, floor, device, or label instead, lights the effect cannot run on are left alone and no error is returned.
• Theme is optional and Home Assistant applies no theme when you leave it out, so the light keeps whatever colors it already shows. Pick a theme when you want a known starting point.
• The effect is invisible when every zone on the light is the same color. Use Paint theme or Set state to give the light a mix of colors first, or choose a theme in this action.
• You can change the colors while the effect is running. The animation continues with the new colors.
• Power on is on by default, so a light that is off is turned on before the effect starts.
• To stop the animation, use Stop effect.
• You can also start this effect with default options by calling Turn on a light with the effect set to effect_move.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > Tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup. In the visual editor, select the UI options listed in the example or paste the YAML code.

Automation: start a moving light effect at sunset

Set an evening mood on the living room strip when the sun goes down, with the colors drifting slowly to the left.

• Trigger: Sunset
• Action: Move effect
  • Target: Living room strip (light.living_room_strip)

alias: "Start the Move effect at sunset"
triggers:
  - trigger: sun
    event: sunset
actions:
  - action: lifx.effect_move
    target:
      entity_id: light.living_room_strip
    data:
      speed: 10
      theme: evening

Automation: welcome someone home with a short light show

When someone arrives home, run a fast, colorful animation on the hallway beam for two minutes, then stop it.

• Trigger: Anne arrives home
• Action: Move effect
  • Target: Hallway beam (light.hallway_beam)
• Action: Stop effect
  • Target: Hallway beam (light.hallway_beam)

alias: "Welcome home light show"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: person.anne
    to: "home"
actions:
  - action: lifx.effect_move
    target:
      entity_id: light.hallway_beam
    data:
      speed: 1.5
      theme: party
  - delay:
      minutes: 2
  - action: lifx.effect_stop
    target:
      entity_id: light.hallway_beam

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related actions

Explore related actions:

• Paint theme: Paints either a provided theme or custom palette across one or more LIFX lights.

• Set state: Change the color, brightness, and power of a LIFX light in a single step.

• Color loop effect: Run an effect on LIFX lights that loops colors around the color wheel.

• Stop effect: Stop a running effect on LIFX lights.