2026.10.4
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Human-readable duration: timedelta_string

The timedelta_string template function converts a timedelta object into a human-readable string like “2 hours” or “1 day 30 minutes”. Unlike time_since and time_until, which compute the duration from the current time to a given datetime, timedelta_string works directly on an already-computed timedelta. This makes it useful when you’ve already calculated a duration from a subtraction or from a sensor, and just want to display it nicely.

Negative timedeltas are formatted using their absolute value.

You can control the level of detail with the optional precision parameter, which determines how many time components (years, months, days, hours, minutes, seconds) to include.

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] 
{{ timedelta_string(trigger.to_state.last_changed - trigger.from_state.last_changed) }}
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".) 
15 minutes

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.
timedelta_string(
    value: timedelta,
    precision: int = 1,
) -> str

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this function.

value timedelta Required

A timedelta object to format as a human-readable string. If the value is not a timedelta, it is returned unmodified.

precision integer (Optional, default: 1)

The number of time components to include in the output, from 1 to 6. A precision of 1 might return “2 hours”, while a precision of 2 might return “2 hours 30 minutes”. Use 0 to include all components. Higher precision gives more detail.

Controlling precision

By default, timedelta_string returns only the largest time component. Increase the precision to include more detail.

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] 
{{ timedelta_string(timedelta(hours=2, minutes=30), 1) }}
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".) 
3 hours
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] 
{{ timedelta_string(timedelta(hours=2, minutes=30), 2) }}
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".) 
2 hours 30 minutes
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] 
{{ timedelta_string(timedelta(hours=1, minutes=54, seconds=33), 0) }}
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".) 
1 hour 54 minutes 33 seconds

Good to know

  • If the input is not a timedelta, it is returned unmodified.
  • Negative timedeltas are formatted using their absolute value.
  • Durations shorter than one second return "0 seconds".
  • If you want to go the other direction — display how long ago a datetime was, or how long until a future one — use time_since or time_until instead.

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.

Show how long a door has been open

Display the elapsed time between two state changes in an automation.

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] 
{% set open_for = trigger.to_state.last_changed - trigger.from_state.last_changed %}
Open for {{ timedelta_string(open_for, 2) }}
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".) 
Open for 15 minutes 30 seconds

Format a duration from a sensor

Some integrations expose durations as ISO 8601 strings. Parse and display them.

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] 
{% set duration = as_timedelta(states("sensor.runtime")) %}
Running for {{ timedelta_string(duration) }}
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".) 
Running for 3 hours

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: