Home Assistant dashboards

How to Create and Configure a Home Assistant Dashboard

Your Home Assistant dashboard is the screen where you see your devices and control them. This guide shows you how to use the default Overview, build a dashboard of your own, add and arrange cards, group devices, pick a theme, and choose the dashboard people see first.

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Overview or a dashboard of your own: which one to use

Home Assistant includes a default dashboard called Overview. It is built automatically from the areas and devices you have set up, so it works before you change anything. A dashboard you create yourself shows only what you place on it, in the order you choose.

Use Overview to check that your devices are connected and reporting. Build your own dashboard when you want one screen for a specific job, such as the devices in one room or the sensors you check every day.

In recent Home Assistant releases you can take control of the Overview and edit it. On older releases, create a new dashboard instead.

Create a new dashboard in four steps

  1. 01
    Open Settings, then select Dashboards.
  2. 02
    Select Add dashboard.
  3. 03
    Choose New dashboard from scratch, enter a title, and pick an icon.
  4. 04
    Save. The dashboard appears in the sidebar if you chose to show it there.

Add cards and arrange them on the screen

  1. 01
    Open your dashboard and select Edit dashboard.
  2. 02
    Select Add card, then pick a card type. Common choices are Entities, Button, Gauge, and History graph.
  3. 03
    Choose the devices or sensors the card should show, then select Save.
  4. 04
    Drag cards into the order you want.
  5. 05
    Select Done to leave edit mode.

The built-in cards cover most needs, so start with them. If you want display styles they do not offer, a custom card from HACS adds more options. Installing one does not require writing code.

Group devices by room or by task

A dashboard is easiest to read when each card answers one question. Give each room its own card, such as Kitchen or Bedroom, or give each task its own card, such as Security or Energy.

Entities card

A titled list of several devices in one group. Use it for a room or a task.

Stack card

Several cards placed together as one block, so they stay together when you move them.

Pick a theme and display options

  1. 01
    Open your user profile and choose the theme for your account. A theme appears in the list only after it is installed.
  2. 02
    Open the dashboard menu and check the layout options. Choose the layout that fits your screen width before you move cards by hand.

For a wall-mounted or always-on screen, a dark theme reduces glare in a dim room.

Edit the whole dashboard as text

Every dashboard is stored as Lovelace configuration, which is plain text. To see it, open the dashboard menu, select Edit dashboard, then select Raw configuration editor.

Copy the full text into a file and keep it before you change anything. Indentation matters: one misplaced space can stop the dashboard from loading.

Make one small change at a time, save, and check the result.

Make one dashboard the first screen people see

  1. 01
    Open Settings, then select Dashboards.
  2. 02
    Open the menu for the dashboard you want as the default.
  3. 03
    Choose the option that sets it as the default for users, then confirm.

Option names and menu locations differ between Home Assistant releases. If you cannot find the option, check the Dashboards page for a default or sidebar setting.

Fill your dashboard with the devices behind it

Connected Home Notes publishes practical guides about a local Home Assistant setup. They cover the device side of the work, so you can spend your time on the layout.

View all integrations →

Connect Home Assistant integrations

Add the services and devices that feed your dashboard.

Read the integrations guide

Zigbee motion sensors

Add motion sensors that show room activity on your dashboard.

Read the motion sensor guide

Zigbee door sensors

Add contact sensors that show whether a door or window is open.

Read the door sensor guide

Zigbee buttons

Add wireless buttons that trigger actions from your dashboard and automations.

Read the Zigbee buttons guide

Install custom cards with HACS

Add display styles the built-in cards do not offer.

Read the HACS guide

Common questions about Home Assistant dashboards

Do I need an add-on to build a dashboard?
No. The dashboard editor and the built-in cards come with Home Assistant. You only need extra software if you choose a custom card.
Why don't my changes show up?
Select Done or Save to leave edit mode, then refresh the browser tab. If the dashboard fails to load after a raw text edit, restore your saved copy and check the indentation.
Can I open my dashboard on a phone?
Yes. Open it in the Home Assistant mobile app or in a mobile browser at your Home Assistant address. Cards adjust to the narrower screen.
Can each person have their own dashboards?
Each person can open the dashboards they have access to from the sidebar. The default dashboard is the one that opens first, and it is set as described in the section above.

Ready to populate your dashboard?

Read our comprehensive integrations guide to start adding devices.

Connect your devices first →

Smart home guides from Connected Home Notes.