Using the HACS dashboard
This section shows you how to use the HACS dashboard.
Browsing repositories¶
- To open HACS, in the Home Assistant sidebar, select the HACS icon.
- Each line in the data table represents a community repository that can be downloaded via HACS.
- To browse the repositories, use the search and filter functions.
- The HACS dashboard uses the same table features used elsewhere in Home Assistant.
- By default, the dashboard shows the repositories you have downloaded with HACS on top of the list.
- To view the repository documentation, the select the 3 dots menu, then select Show details.
- To view the source code, select Repository.
- Once you found the custom element you want to use in Home Assistant, download the repository.
Search repositories¶
You can search for both downloaded and available repositories in HACS.
- Enter your search term in the search field.
-
The search is not limited to the repository name or description. You can search for data from different categories, including:
- Author
- Type
- Description
- Name
- Status
- Topics
Filter repositories¶
-
To define filters, next to the searchbar, select the () Filters button.
2. There are currently 2 filter types:
- Status: For example, show only repositories that have been Downloaded or are New.
- Type: filters for a specific type of custom element, such as integration, dashboard, or theme.
-
Troubleshooting: Don't see the status or type in your table?
- Make sure the columns are not hidden
Downloading a repository¶
- In Home Assistant, open HACS and find the repository of interest.
-
Select the repository and view it's overview page.
- The main section of this view renders the README file of the repository.
- The badges on top provide some key information, such as author, GitHub stars, and number of open issues and pull requests.
- This page should also contain the documentation on how to use it.
- The content depends on the repository type and on the information the author provides.
-
To download the repository, in the bottom-right corner, select the Download button.
- Don't see a download button? The button doesn't show if the repository has already been downloaded.
Removing a repository¶
- In Home Assistant, open HACS and find the repository you want to remove.
- On the repository entry, select the 3 dots menu, then select Remove.
- This removes the repository that was stored in your Home Assistant configuration directory.
- Removing the repository does not remove the related data. Check the documentation of the repository for instructions on how to remove it.
Reporting an issue with a repository¶
If you're experiencing an issue with a particular custom element, always report the issue to the repository owner, not to HACS or Home Assistant.
- On the repository entry, select the 3 dots menu, then select Open issue.
- This opens the issue tracker of the GitHub repository for that custom element.
- To open an issue, in their repository, select New issue.
- Add a detailed description of your issue and submit.
Using the HACS Menu¶
At the top-right corner you will find the 3 dots () menu.
Here you can:
- Open the documentation of HACS itself
- Open the GitHub page of HACS itself.
- Open an issue for HACS itself.
- Add custom repositories.
- Dismiss all new repositories (if you have any).
- Show information about your HACS installation.
Dismissing new repositories¶
Any addition to HACS that you have not yet seen will show the status New. If you are sorting by status, they will show on top by default. If you want, you can dismiss these, so that they are no longer shown as new. This is similar to marking mails as read in your inbox.