Minimum value: min

The min template function returns the smallest value from a collection. The min filter comes from Jinja. Home Assistant adds a min function that wraps this filter. With the function, you can pass values as a list or as separate arguments.

This is useful whenever you need to find the lowest reading among multiple sensorsSensors return information about a thing, for instance the level of water in a tank. [Learn more]. For example, you might want to find the coldest room in your house, the lowest battery level across all your devicesA device is a model representing a physical or logical unit that contains entities., or the minimum energy usage in a set of readings. You can also use it with expand to work with groups of entities.

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]
{{ min(21.5, 22.0, 19.8) }}
Result (floatA number that can have decimal places, like 21.5 or 3.14. Used for temperatures, percentages, and other measurements that need precision.)
19.8

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.
min(
    *args: list | float,
    case_sensitive: bool = False,
    attribute: str | int | None = None,
) -> Any

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this function or filter.

values list Required

The values to find the minimum of. Can be a list or multiple separate arguments.

case_sensitive boolean (Optional, default: false)

Whether to compare text with case sensitivity. By default, uppercase and lowercase letters count as equal.

attribute string (Optional)

The attribute to compare when the values are objects or dictionaries. Supports dotted notation (for example, attributes.brightness).

Good to know

  • With one argument, the argument must be a list or another iterable. With two or more arguments, min compares the arguments directly.
  • The result has the same type as the items. For example, a list of numbers returns a number.
  • An empty list returns an undefined value. The output is empty, and Home Assistant logs a warning. Calling min() without arguments raises an error.
  • Strings are compared as text, not as numbers. For example, min("9", "21") returns "21". Convert state strings with float first.
  • Text comparison ignores case by default. Set case_sensitive=true to compare uppercase and lowercase letters as different.
  • Mixing strings and numbers in the input raises an error. Convert state strings with float first.
  • You can use min as a filter directly after map. You don’t need to add | list first.

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.

Minimum sensor value

Find the lowest temperature across multiple rooms.

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]
{{
  min(
    states("sensor.living_room_temperature") | float,
    states("sensor.bedroom_temperature") | float,
    states("sensor.kitchen_temperature") | float
  )
}}
Result (floatA number that can have decimal places, like 21.5 or 3.14. Used for temperatures, percentages, and other measurements that need precision.)
19.8

Minimum from a list

Pass a list directly to the function.

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]
{{ min([21.5, 22.0, 19.8]) }}
Result (floatA number that can have decimal places, like 21.5 or 3.14. Used for temperatures, percentages, and other measurements that need precision.)
19.8

Minimum across a group of entities

If you have a groupGroups are a way to organize your entities into a single unit. [Learn more] of sensors, expand the group and find the smallest value.

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.indoor_temperatures")
  | map(attribute="state")
  | map("float")
  | min
}}
Result (floatA number that can have decimal places, like 21.5 or 3.14. Used for temperatures, percentages, and other measurements that need precision.)
19.8

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: