diff --git a/homeassistant/components/template/config_flow.py b/homeassistant/components/template/config_flow.py
index 71eb04d8ad92280d0c2b030c76673947b3a295a3..e6b7a436084c9a289fe919c0768a42e707161482 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/template/config_flow.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/template/config_flow.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def generate_schema(domain: str, flow_type: str) -> vol.Schema:
 
     if domain == Platform.SWITCH:
         schema |= {
-            vol.Required(CONF_VALUE_TEMPLATE): selector.TemplateSelector(),
+            vol.Optional(CONF_VALUE_TEMPLATE): selector.TemplateSelector(),
             vol.Optional(CONF_TURN_ON): selector.ActionSelector(),
             vol.Optional(CONF_TURN_OFF): selector.ActionSelector(),
         }
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/template/strings.json b/homeassistant/components/template/strings.json
index 649a1aa389862b08e0be77a872eceba9c99f4688..2c0a1cdf501cb5ea5e1935d821510e9cf2734d68 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/template/strings.json
+++ b/homeassistant/components/template/strings.json
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
           "name": "[%key:common::config_flow::data::name%]",
           "turn_off": "Actions on turn off",
           "turn_on": "Actions on turn on",
-          "state": "[%key:component::template::config::step::sensor::data::state%]"
+          "value_template": "Value template"
         },
         "data_description": {
           "device_id": "[%key:component::template::config::step::sensor::data_description::device_id%]"
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
         "data": {
           "device_id": "[%key:common::config_flow::data::device%]",
           "name": "[%key:common::config_flow::data::name%]",
-          "state": "[%key:component::template::config::step::sensor::data::state%]",
+          "value_template": "[%key:component::template::config::step::switch::data::value_template%]",
           "turn_off": "[%key:component::template::config::step::switch::data::turn_off%]",
           "turn_on": "[%key:component::template::config::step::switch::data::turn_on%]"
         },
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/template/switch.py b/homeassistant/components/template/switch.py
index f1973ff96d43a8c888b05d8cda5b18b7d44f59c9..e3dca1d5d8006092be7db298a9bb99b8908d483d 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/template/switch.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/template/switch.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ PLATFORM_SCHEMA = SWITCH_PLATFORM_SCHEMA.extend(
 SWICTH_CONFIG_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
     {
         vol.Required(CONF_NAME): cv.template,
-        vol.Required(CONF_VALUE_TEMPLATE): cv.template,
+        vol.Optional(CONF_VALUE_TEMPLATE): cv.template,
         vol.Optional(CONF_TURN_ON): selector.ActionSelector(),
         vol.Optional(CONF_TURN_OFF): selector.ActionSelector(),
         vol.Optional(CONF_DEVICE_ID): selector.DeviceSelector(),