diff --git a/esphome/components/sml/__init__.py b/esphome/components/sml/__init__.py
index eaeddce390..1bf0d97d65 100644
--- a/esphome/components/sml/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/sml/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from esphome import automation
 import esphome.codegen as cg
 from esphome.components import uart
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
-from esphome.const import CONF_ID, CONF_ON_DATA, CONF_TRIGGER_ID
+from esphome.const import CONF_ID, CONF_ON_DATA
 
 CODEOWNERS = ["@alengwenus"]
 
@@ -18,24 +18,11 @@ CONF_SML_ID = "sml_id"
 CONF_OBIS_CODE = "obis_code"
 CONF_SERVER_ID = "server_id"
 
-sml_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("sml")
-
-DataTrigger = sml_ns.class_(
-    "DataTrigger",
-    automation.Trigger.template(
-        cg.std_vector.template(cg.uint8).operator("ref"), cg.bool_
-    ),
-)
-
 
 CONFIG_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
     {
         cv.GenerateID(): cv.declare_id(Sml),
-        cv.Optional(CONF_ON_DATA): automation.validate_automation(
-            {
-                cv.GenerateID(CONF_TRIGGER_ID): cv.declare_id(DataTrigger),
-            }
-        ),
+        cv.Optional(CONF_ON_DATA): automation.validate_automation({}),
     }
 ).extend(uart.UART_DEVICE_SCHEMA)
 
@@ -45,9 +32,9 @@ async def to_code(config):
     await cg.register_component(var, config)
     await uart.register_uart_device(var, config)
     for conf in config.get(CONF_ON_DATA, []):
-        trigger = cg.new_Pvariable(conf[CONF_TRIGGER_ID], var)
-        await automation.build_automation(
-            trigger,
+        await automation.build_callback_automation(
+            var,
+            "add_on_data_callback",
             [
                 (
                     cg.std_vector.template(cg.uint8).operator("ref").operator("const"),
diff --git a/esphome/components/sml/automation.h b/esphome/components/sml/automation.h
deleted file mode 100644
index d51063065d..0000000000
--- a/esphome/components/sml/automation.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-
-#include "esphome/core/automation.h"
-#include "sml.h"
-
-#include <vector>
-
-namespace esphome {
-namespace sml {
-
-class DataTrigger : public Trigger<const std::vector<uint8_t> &, bool> {
- public:
-  explicit DataTrigger(Sml *sml) {
-    sml->add_on_data_callback([this](const std::vector<uint8_t> &data, bool valid) { this->trigger(data, valid); });
-  }
-};
-
-}  // namespace sml
-}  // namespace esphome