Input text - Spook 👻 a scary powerful toolbox for Home Assistant.

The input text helper in Home Assistant holds a piece of text that can be changed from the frontend or from automations, optionally kept to a length or a pattern, or hidden like a password.

Spook adds actions to the input text integration to create and delete these helpers from automations and scripts.

Devices & entities¶

Spook does not provide any new devices or entities for this integration.

Actions¶

Spook adds the following new actions to your Home Assistant instance:

Create an input text¶

Creates a new input text helper, the same as adding one on the helpers page. Great for a script that needs to hold on to some text only for itself: it can make one, and delete it again when it is done.

Open your Home Assistant instance and show the Actions tool with a specific action selected.

Action properties
Action	Input text: Create an input text 👻
Action name	`input_text.create`
Action targets	No targets
Action response	Optional, the `entity_id` of the new input text
Spook's influence	Newly added action
Tools	Try this action

Action data parameters
Attribute	Type	Required	Default / Example
`name`	string	Yes	`Last message`
`input_text_id`	string	No	`last_message`
`initial`	string	No	`Hello`
`min`	integer	No	`0`
`max`	integer	No	`100`
`pattern`	string	No	`[a-z ]*`
`mode`	string	No	`text`
`icon`	string	No	`mdi:message-text`
`unit_of_measurement`	string	No	`words`

The minimum length has to stay below the maximum, and an initial value has to fit between them; a call that does not is refused.

Without an input_text_id, the entity ID follows the name, as it does in the UI, and gets a number at the end if that name is already taken. With an input_text_id, you get exactly that entity ID or an error: one that is already taken is refused, rather than quietly given a number at the end.

Example action in YAML

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action: input_text.create
data:
  name: "Last message"
  input_text_id: last_message
  max: 255
response_variable: created

The new input text’s entity ID is then in {{ created.entity_id }}.

Delete an input text¶

Deletes one or more input text helpers made in the UI or with the action above, disabled ones included. Input texts set up in YAML can only be removed from the YAML.

Everything in the list is checked first: if one of them cannot be deleted, none of them are.

Action properties
Action	Input text: Delete an input text 👻
Action name	`input_text.delete`
Action targets	No targets
Action response	No response
Spook's influence	Newly added action
Tools	Try this action

Action data parameters
Attribute	Type	Required	Default / Example
`entity_id`	string \| list of strings	Yes	`input_text.last_message`

Example action in YAML

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action: input_text.delete
data:
  entity_id: input_text.last_message

Repairs¶

Spook has no repair detections for this integration.

Use cases¶

Some use cases for the enhancements Spook provides for this integration:

Let a script make the text helper it needs, and clean it up again afterwards, so the helpers page only has input texts you actually use.

Blueprints & tutorials¶

There are currently no known blueprints or tutorials for the enhancements Spook provides for this integration. If you created one or stumbled upon one, please let us know in our discussion forums.

Feature requests, ideas, and support¶

If you have an idea on how to further enhance this integration, for example, by adding a new action, entity, or repairs detection; feel free to let us know in our discussion forums.

Are you stuck using these new features? Or maybe you’ve run into a bug? Please check the Support page on where to go for help.