2026.10.4
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Get last item: last

The last filter returns the last item of a list or the last character of a string. It provides a clean, readable way to access the end of a sequence.

This is commonly used to get the final result from a sorted or filtered list. For example, after sorting sensorsSensors return information about a thing, for instance the level of water in a tank. [Learn more] by their state value, last gives you the highest reading. After filtering a list of recent events, last gives you the most recent one. It pairs naturally with first to access both ends of a sequence.

Usage

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

As a filter 
{{ [10, 20, 30] | last }}
Result (integerA whole number without decimal places, like 1, 42, or -5. Used for counts, indices, and whole values.) 
30

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.
last(
    value: list,
) -> Any

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this filter.

value any Required

The list or string to get the last item from. Must be a non-empty sequence.

Good to know

  • If the sequence is empty, the result is undefined. It shows as empty, and the template editor shows a warning. If the template uses that result further, for example, in (items | last).name, you get an error. Chain with | default(value) for a fallback.
  • Filters like select and map return a generator. last can’t read a generator from the end, so it causes an error. Add | list before last.
  • A number causes an error. A string returns its last character.

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.

Get the highest temperature

Keep the states of temperature sensors that are numbers, convert them, sort them in ascending order, and pick the last (highest) one.

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] 
{{
  expand("sensor.temperature_sensors")
  | map(attribute="state")
  | select("is_number")
  | map("float")
  | sort
  | last
}}
Result (floatA number that can have decimal places, like 21.5 or 3.14. Used for temperatures, percentages, and other measurements that need precision.) 
23.5

Get the most recently changed entity

Sort entities by their last changed time and pick the last one.

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] 
{{
  expand("light.home_lights")
  | sort(attribute="last_changed")
  | map(attribute="entity_id")
  | list
  | last
}}
Result (stringA piece of text, like a name, message, or entity ID. In templates, wrap strings in quotes, like "living_room" or "lights are on".) 
light.bedroom

Last character of a string

The last filter also works on strings, returning the last character.

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] 
{{ "Hello" | last }}
Result (stringA piece of text, like a name, message, or entity ID. In templates, wrap strings in quotes, like "living_room" or "lights are on".) 
o

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: