diff --git a/homeassistant/components/automation/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/automation/__init__.py
index 03eedd6d162..9e08a9cff1f 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/automation/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/automation/__init__.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ ENTITY_ID_FORMAT = DOMAIN + ".{}"
 GROUP_NAME_ALL_AUTOMATIONS = "all automations"
 
 CONF_ALIAS = "alias"
+CONF_DESCRIPTION = "description"
 CONF_HIDE_ENTITY = "hide_entity"
 
 CONF_CONDITION = "condition"
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ PLATFORM_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
         # str on purpose
         CONF_ID: str,
         CONF_ALIAS: cv.string,
+        vol.Optional(CONF_DESCRIPTION): cv.string,
         vol.Optional(CONF_INITIAL_STATE): cv.boolean,
         vol.Optional(CONF_HIDE_ENTITY, default=DEFAULT_HIDE_ENTITY): cv.boolean,
         vol.Required(CONF_TRIGGER): _TRIGGER_SCHEMA,
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/config/automation.py b/homeassistant/components/config/automation.py
index 7ca71fc4f93..17efdba3fb5 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/config/automation.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/config/automation.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class EditAutomationConfigView(EditIdBasedConfigView):
 
         # Iterate through some keys that we want to have ordered in the output
         updated_value = OrderedDict()
-        for key in ("id", "alias", "trigger", "condition", "action"):
+        for key in ("id", "alias", "description", "trigger", "condition", "action"):
             if key in cur_value:
                 updated_value[key] = cur_value[key]
             if key in new_value: