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Attribute Monitor

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Scott Gusler edited this page Feb 26, 2026 · 3 revisions

Attribute Monitor

The attribute monitor allows you to extract a single attribute from any entity and expose it as a dedicated sensor. This is useful for making specialized attributes available to automations, templates, and displays.

Overview

An attribute monitor sensor displays the current value of a specified entity attribute. Whenever the source entity's state or attributes change, the sensor updates in real-time.

Configuration

Basic Setup

  1. Go to Clockwork configuration
  2. Select "Add Calculation"
  3. Choose "Attribute Monitor"
  4. Fill in the following:
    • Calculation Name: A friendly name for your sensor (e.g., "Living Room Temperature")
    • Entity to Monitor: The entity containing the attribute you want to track
    • Attribute Name: The name of the attribute (e.g., "current_temperature", "battery")
    • Icon: Optional custom icon

Add Attribute Monitor

Example Configuration

{
  "type": "attribute",
  "name": "Living Room Temperature",
  "entity_id": "climate.living_room",
  "attribute": "current_temperature",
  "icon": "mdi:thermometer"
}

Common Use Cases

1. Temperature Monitoring

{
  "name": "Home Temperature Sensor",
  "entity_id": "climate.home",
  "attribute": "current_temperature"
}

Example: Extract current_temperature from a climate entity to use in automations or display on a dashboard.

2. Battery Level Tracking

{
  "name": "Front Door Battery",
  "entity_id": "binary_sensor.front_door",
  "attribute": "battery"
}

Example: Monitor battery levels of wireless devices without creating automation notifications.

3. Humidity Monitoring

{
  "name": "Bathroom Humidity",
  "entity_id": "sensor.bathroom",
  "attribute": "humidity"
}

Example: Track humidity levels for ventilation automations.

4. Target Temperature

{
  "name": "Set Point Temperature",
  "entity_id": "climate.living_room",
  "attribute": "target_temperature"
}

Example: Create a sensor showing the thermostat's target temperature setpoint.

5. RSSI (Signal Strength)

{
  "name": "Device Signal Strength",
  "entity_id": "sensor.device",
  "attribute": "rssi"
}

Example: Monitor WiFi signal strength for devices.

Supported Attribute Types

Attribute monitors work with any attribute type:

  • Numeric: Temperature, humidity, battery percentage, signal strength
  • String: Device name, model, status text
  • Boolean: Connection status, online/offline state
  • Date/Time: Last update, installation date
  • Custom: Any custom attribute your entities expose

Error Handling

If the source entity or attribute is missing, the sensor will:

  • Show None as the state
  • Display an error message in the _error attribute
  • Log a warning message
  • Continue listening for the entity/attribute to become available

Example error attribute:

_error: "Attribute 'current_temperature' not found on entity 'climate.living_room'"

Using Attribute Sensors in Automations

Numeric Comparisons

condition:
  - condition: numeric_state
    entity_id: sensor.living_room_temperature
    above: 72
    below: 85

String Matching

condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: sensor.device_status
    state: "connected"

In Templates

{% set temp = states('sensor.living_room_temperature') | float(0) %}
{% if temp > 75 %}
  Room is warm
{% endif %}

Dashboard Display

Display attribute sensors on your dashboard as regular sensors:

entities:
  - sensor.living_room_temperature
  - sensor.front_door_battery
  - sensor.bathroom_humidity
type: entities
title: Monitored Attributes

Performance Considerations

  • Lightweight: Each attribute monitor adds minimal overhead
  • Real-time Updates: Updates occur whenever the source entity changes
  • No Polling: Uses Home Assistant's event system, not interval-based polling
  • Multiple Monitors: You can monitor multiple attributes from the same entity

Troubleshooting

Sensor shows "None" state

Cause: The attribute doesn't exist on the entity Solution:

  1. Check the exact attribute name in the entity's details
  2. Verify the attribute exists (not all entities have all attributes)
  3. Check the sensor's _error attribute for details

Sensor not updating

Cause: The source entity was deleted or renamed Solution:

  1. Modify the sensor configuration with the correct entity ID
  2. Check Home Assistant logs for error messages
  3. Restart Home Assistant if the entity was recently added

Wrong attribute name

Solution:

  1. In Home Assistant, go to Developer Tools > States
  2. Find your entity in the list
  3. Look at the "Attributes" section to see available attributes
  4. Use the exact attribute name in Attribute Monitor configuration

Examples

Climate Entity Attributes

Monitor a climate.living_room entity:

  • current_temperature - Current measured temperature
  • target_temperature - Set point temperature
  • humidity - Current humidity percentage
  • preset_mode - Current mode (heat, cool, auto, etc.)
  • current_swing_mode - Swing mode setting

Sensor Entity Attributes

Monitor a sensor.weather entity:

  • temperature - Temperature value
  • humidity - Humidity percentage
  • pressure - Barometric pressure
  • wind_speed - Wind speed

Binary Sensor Entity Attributes

Monitor a binary_sensor.wireless_device entity:

  • battery - Battery level percentage
  • rssi - Signal strength
  • lqi - Link quality indicator

Next: Learn about Season Detection →

Previous: Back to Date Range Duration →

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