diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
index 7c603d1e00..4fed73360b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ void APIServer::register_action_response_callback(uint32_t call_id, ActionRespon
   this->action_response_callbacks_.push_back({call_id, std::move(callback)});
 }
 
-void APIServer::handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, const std::string &error_message) {
+void APIServer::handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, StringRef error_message) {
   for (auto it = this->action_response_callbacks_.begin(); it != this->action_response_callbacks_.end(); ++it) {
     if (it->call_id == call_id) {
       auto callback = std::move(it->callback);
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ void APIServer::handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, const std
   }
 }
 #ifdef USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_ACTION_RESPONSES_JSON
-void APIServer::handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, const std::string &error_message,
+void APIServer::handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, StringRef error_message,
                                        const uint8_t *response_data, size_t response_data_len) {
   for (auto it = this->action_response_callbacks_.begin(); it != this->action_response_callbacks_.end(); ++it) {
     if (it->call_id == call_id) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.h b/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
index 017b7a3859..39d43ab1b0 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
@@ -143,10 +143,10 @@ class APIServer : public Component,
   // Action response handling
   using ActionResponseCallback = std::function<void(const class ActionResponse &)>;
   void register_action_response_callback(uint32_t call_id, ActionResponseCallback callback);
-  void handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, const std::string &error_message);
+  void handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, StringRef error_message);
 #ifdef USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_ACTION_RESPONSES_JSON
-  void handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, const std::string &error_message,
-                              const uint8_t *response_data, size_t response_data_len);
+  void handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, StringRef error_message, const uint8_t *response_data,
+                              size_t response_data_len);
 #endif  // USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_ACTION_RESPONSES_JSON
 #endif  // USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_ACTION_RESPONSES
 #endif  // USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_SERVICES
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/homeassistant_service.h b/esphome/components/api/homeassistant_service.h
index 2da6e15362..1fdcc51803 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/homeassistant_service.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/homeassistant_service.h
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@ template<typename... Ts> class TemplatableKeyValuePair {
 // the callback is invoked synchronously while the message is on the stack).
 class ActionResponse {
  public:
-  ActionResponse(bool success, const std::string &error_message) : success_(success), error_message_(error_message) {}
+  ActionResponse(bool success, StringRef error_message) : success_(success), error_message_(error_message) {}
 
 #ifdef USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_ACTION_RESPONSES_JSON
-  ActionResponse(bool success, const std::string &error_message, const uint8_t *data, size_t data_len)
+  ActionResponse(bool success, StringRef error_message, const uint8_t *data, size_t data_len)
       : success_(success), error_message_(error_message) {
     if (data == nullptr || data_len == 0)
       return;