2026.10.4
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Test if entity is hidden: is_hidden_entity

The is_hidden_entity template function checks whether an 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] has been marked as hidden in the entity registry. It returns true if the entity exists and is hidden, and false otherwise.

Hidden entities are ones you have chosen to hide from the default user interface. They still exist and still track state, but they are not shown on dashboards by default. This function is useful when you are looping over entities in an areaAn area in Home Assistant is a logical grouping of devices and entities that represents a room or space in your home, such as the living room, kitchen, or garage. [Learn more] or domainEach integration in Home Assistant has a unique identifier: The domain. It is often shown as the first part (before the dot) of entity IDs. and want to skip the ones that have been hidden. For example, you might want to count how many visible sensors are in a room, or build a dynamic dashboard card that only lists entities you have not hidden.

Usage

Here’s how to use this template function. Copy any example and adjust it to your setup.

TemplateA template is an automation definition that can include variables for the action or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions. [Learn more] 
{{ is_hidden_entity("sensor.internal_diagnostics") }}
Result (booleanA value that is either true or false. Used for on/off states, yes/no conditions, and similar binary choices.) 
true

Function signature

The signature is a technical summary of this template function. It shows the name of the function, the values (called parameters) it accepts, and what type of data each parameter expects (for example, a piece of text or a number).

Function parameters that have a = with a value after them are optional. If you leave them out, the default value shown is used automatically.

Function parameters without a = are usually required. A few optional parameters have no default value, so the signature shows them without a = as well. To check whether a parameter is required, look at the parameter list below the signature. Each parameter is marked as Required or Optional.

The most common optional parameter without a default value is default. The default parameter sets the value a function returns when the function can’t produce a result, for example, when float gets text that isn’t a number. If you leave out default, there is no fallback value, so most functions raise an error and the template fails. The parameter list of each function says what happens. If you set default, the function returns your value instead.

How to read a signature

Here is the signature of the round filter as an example:

round(
    value: Any,
    precision: int = 0,
    method: str = "common",
    default: Any,
) -> float | int | Any
  • round is the name of the function.
  • Between the parentheses are the parameters. Each parameter has a name, followed by a colon and the type of value the parameter expects. The type only tells you what kind of value to pass. For default: Any, you pass a value of any type, such as 0 or "unknown", not the word Any.
  • = 0 and = "common" are default values. You can leave out precision and method, and round uses these default values.
  • default has no =, but the parameter list marks default as optional. If you leave out default and round gets a value that isn’t a number, round raises an error.
  • -> shows the type of value the function returns.
  • Inside a signature, | means “or”. This function returns a decimal number, a whole number, or the value you passed as default.

round is a filter, so the first parameter, value, is the value before the |. For example, {{ 3.14159 | round(2) }} returns 3.14.

The types you’ll see most often:

  • str: text, such as "hello"
  • int: a whole number, such as 5
  • float: a decimal number, such as 3.14
  • bool: true or false
  • list: a list of values, such as [1, 2, 3]. list[str] is a list of texts.
  • dict: a set of keys and values, such as {"name": "Kitchen"}
  • datetime and timedelta: a date and time, and a duration. For details, refer to Dates and times.
  • None: no value
  • Any: any type of value

Some signatures use special forms:

  • *args means you can pass any number of values, separated by commas. For example, average(1, 2, 3).
  • value | name(...) means the function is a filter. The value before the | is passed to the filter as its first parameter. Some filter signatures, like the round example, show this value as the first parameter between the parentheses instead.
is_hidden_entity(
    entity_id: str,
) -> bool

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this function.

entity_id string Required

The entity ID to check. Returns true if the entity exists in the registry and is hidden. Returns false if the entity is not hidden or does not exist.

Good to know

  • Returns false for entities that do not exist in the registry, not just for visible ones.
  • This checks the registry “hidden” flag only. It does not detect entities filtered out by dashboard cards or custom visibility.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > Tools > Template, paste the example into the Template editor, and watch the result update on the right. Edit the values to see how the function adapts to your own 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].

More examples

Real scenarios where this function comes up in automations and templates. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Count visible entities in an area

Count the number of entities in an areaAn area in Home Assistant is a logical grouping of devices and entities that represents a room or space in your home, such as the living room, kitchen, or garage. [Learn more] that are not hidden, so you know how many are actually shown on the dashboard.

TemplateA template is an automation definition that can include variables for the action or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions. [Learn more] 
{{
  area_entities("Living Room")
  | reject("is_hidden_entity")
  | list
  | count
}}
Result (integerA whole number without decimal places, like 1, 42, or -5. Used for counts, indices, and whole values.) 
8

Filter out hidden entities from a list

Build a list of only the visible sensor entities in the kitchen.

TemplateA template is an automation definition that can include variables for the action or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions. [Learn more] 
{% for entity_id in area_entities("Kitchen")
  | select("match", "sensor.")
  | reject("is_hidden_entity") %}
  {{ entity_id }}
{% endfor %}

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with your template and expected result, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Tip

AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude can also explain or fix templates when you describe what you want in plain language.

Related template functions

These functions work well alongside this one: