diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
index 58ba4e117f8..d3d17815894 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
@@ -1324,17 +1324,13 @@ void GetTimeResponse::decode_field(void *self, uint32_t tag, const uint8_t *data
 uint8_t *ListEntitiesServicesArgument::encode_msg(const void *self,
                                                   uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM) {
   const auto &msg = *static_cast<const ListEntitiesServicesArgument *>(self);
-  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_bytes(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 1,
-                                          reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(msg.name.progmem_ptr()), msg.name.size());
+  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_string(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 1, msg.name);
   pos = ProtoEncode::encode_uint32(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 2, static_cast<uint32_t>(msg.type));
 #ifdef USE_API_USER_DEFINED_ACTION_METADATA
-  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_bytes(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 3,
-                                          reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(msg.description.progmem_ptr()),
-                                          msg.description.size());
+  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_string(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 3, msg.description);
 #endif
 #ifdef USE_API_USER_DEFINED_ACTION_METADATA
-  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_bytes(
-      pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 4, reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(msg.example.progmem_ptr()), msg.example.size());
+  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_string(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 4, msg.example);
 #endif
   return pos;
 }
@@ -1354,17 +1350,14 @@ uint32_t ListEntitiesServicesArgument::calc_size_msg(const void *self) {
 uint8_t *ListEntitiesServicesResponse::encode_msg(const void *self,
                                                   uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM) {
   const auto &msg = *static_cast<const ListEntitiesServicesResponse *>(self);
-  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_bytes(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 1,
-                                          reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(msg.name.progmem_ptr()), msg.name.size());
+  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_string(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 1, msg.name);
   pos = ProtoEncode::write_tag_and_fixed32(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 21, msg.key);
   for (auto &it : msg.args) {
     pos = ProtoEncode::encode_sub_message(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 3, it);
   }
   pos = ProtoEncode::encode_uint32(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 4, static_cast<uint32_t>(msg.supports_response));
 #ifdef USE_API_USER_DEFINED_ACTION_METADATA
-  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_bytes(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 5,
-                                          reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(msg.description.progmem_ptr()),
-                                          msg.description.size());
+  pos = ProtoEncode::encode_progmem_string(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, 5, msg.description);
 #endif
   return pos;
 }
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/proto.h b/esphome/components/api/proto.h
index 04ce317caca..55021186a62 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/proto.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/proto.h
@@ -498,6 +498,17 @@ class ProtoEncode {
     progmem_memcpy(pos, data, len);
     return pos + len;
   }
+  /// encode_progmem_bytes for a string field that may be in flash.
+  [[nodiscard]] static inline uint8_t *encode_progmem_string(uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM,
+                                                             uint32_t field_id, const ProgmemStringRef &ref) {
+    return encode_progmem_bytes(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, field_id,
+                                reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(ref.progmem_ptr()), ref.size());
+  }
+  [[nodiscard]] static inline uint8_t *encode_progmem_string_force(uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM,
+                                                                   uint32_t field_id, const ProgmemStringRef &ref) {
+    return encode_progmem_bytes_force(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, field_id,
+                                      reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(ref.progmem_ptr()), ref.size());
+  }
   [[nodiscard]] static inline uint8_t *encode_uint32_force(uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM,
                                                            uint32_t field_id, uint32_t value) {
     pos = encode_field_raw(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, field_id, 0);
diff --git a/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py b/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py
index 5c29733f342..aaa1663dbba 100755
--- a/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py
+++ b/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py
@@ -1285,10 +1285,9 @@ class PointerToStringBufferType(PointerToBufferTypeBase):
                 return _encode_call(encode_fn, str(tag), f"this->{self.field_name}")
         if self.progmem:
             return _encode_call(
-                "encode_progmem_bytes",
+                "encode_progmem_string",
                 str(self.number),
-                f"reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(this->{self.field_name}.progmem_ptr())",
-                f"this->{self.field_name}.size()",
+                f"this->{self.field_name}",
                 force=self.force,
             )
         if result := self._encode_bytes_with_precomputed_tag(
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/components/api/test_api_protobuf_generator.py b/tests/unit_tests/components/api/test_api_protobuf_generator.py
index 4927b620205..9d8eab69b90 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/components/api/test_api_protobuf_generator.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/components/api/test_api_protobuf_generator.py
@@ -419,8 +419,8 @@ def test_progmem_rejected_on_non_bytes_field() -> None:
     ("force", "max_len", "encode_fn"),
     [
         (True, 120, "encode_short_progmem_string_force("),
-        (False, None, "encode_progmem_bytes("),
-        (True, None, "encode_progmem_bytes_force("),
+        (False, None, "encode_progmem_string("),
+        (True, None, "encode_progmem_string_force("),
     ],
 )
 def test_progmem_string_field_copies_from_flash(