HACS is a community project with over 5,000 stars on GitHub. However, individual integrations are not officially approved by the Home Assistant team, so always read the documentation and reviews before installation.

Can HACS break my Home Assistant installation?

There's always a small risk with custom components. Always create a backup before installing new integrations, and only install from well-known repositories with active maintenance.

Why do I need a GitHub account?

HACS fetches all components from GitHub. A free GitHub account gives you access to more API calls and better speed.

How do I remove a HACS integration?

Go to HACS → find the integration → click on it → click the three dots → Remove → Restart Home Assistant.

Does HACS work with all Home Assistant installation types?

Yes, HACS works with Home Assistant OS, Supervised, Container and Core. However, the installation method varies - OS/Supervised use the add-on method, while Container/Core use the script method.

HACS Installation

Home Assistant Community Store (HACS) is a custom integration that gives you access to thousands of community-developed integrations, themes, and Lovelace cards. HACS is almost a must-have for all Home Assistant users.

What is HACS?

HACS works as an “app store” for Home Assistant, where you can:

Discover new custom integrations and components
Install with just a few clicks directly from the UI
Update everything from one place
Manage your installed add-ons

HACS on GitHub Official repository with source code and documentation

Prerequisites

Before you start, you need:

✅ Home Assistant running (OS, Supervised, Container or Core)
✅ A free GitHub account
✅ Access to Home Assistant web interface
✅ A backup of your system

Installation

The installation method depends on your Home Assistant installation type. You can see your type under Settings → About.

Container/Core Installation

If you’re running Home Assistant Container or Core, run this script:

# Run in your Home Assistant config directory
wget -O - https://get.hacs.xyz | bash -

Then restart Home Assistant and continue from step 6 above.

First Time in HACS

After installation, you’ll find HACS in the sidebar menu. Here’s an overview of the sections:

Integrations

Custom integrations that add new devices and services to Home Assistant

Frontend

Lovelace cards, themes and other UI components for your dashboard

Install Your First Integration

Let’s install a popular integration as an example:

Click HACS in the sidebar
Select Integrations
Click + Explore & download repositories (bottom right)
Search for e.g. “Nordpool” (electricity price integration)
Click on the integration and read the description
Click Download → select version → Download
Restart Home Assistant when prompted
Add the integration via Settings → Devices & Services → Add integration

Popular HACS Integrations

Here are some of the most popular integrations you can install:

Integration	Description	GitHub
Nordpool	Electricity prices from Nord Pool	GitHub
EPEX Spot	European electricity prices	GitHub
Adaptive Lighting	Automatic light adaptation	GitHub
Browser Mod	Advanced browser control	GitHub

Popular Frontend Components

Component	Description	GitHub
Mushroom Cards	Beautiful, minimalist cards	GitHub
ApexCharts Card	Advanced graphs and charts	GitHub
Mini Graph Card	Compact graphs	GitHub
Button Card	Customizable buttons	GitHub

Updating HACS Components

HACS makes it easy to keep everything updated:

Go to HACS in the sidebar
Look for an orange badge showing available updates
Click on the component with an update
Click Update and follow the instructions
Restart Home Assistant if required

From HACS 2.0, updates also appear in Home Assistant’s normal update overview.

Troubleshooting

HACS doesn’t show after installation

Make sure you’ve restarted Home Assistant
Clear browser cache (Ctrl+F5)
Check that HACS files are in custom_components/hacs/

GitHub API limit

HACS uses the GitHub API, which has limitations. If you get errors:

Wait 1 hour and try again
Make sure your GitHub account is properly connected

Integration doesn’t work after download

Check that you’ve restarted Home Assistant
Check the log under Settings → System → Logs
Read the integration’s documentation on GitHub
Search for solutions in Home Assistant Community forum

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HACS safe to use?: HACS is a community project with over 5,000 stars on GitHub. However, individual integrations are not officially approved by the Home Assistant team, so always read the documentation and reviews before installation.
Can HACS break my Home Assistant installation?: There's always a small risk with custom components. Always create a backup before installing new integrations, and only install from well-known repositories with active maintenance.
Why do I need a GitHub account?: HACS fetches all components from GitHub. A free GitHub account gives you access to more API calls and better speed.
How do I remove a HACS integration?: Go to HACS → find the integration → click on it → click the three dots → Remove → Restart Home Assistant.
Does HACS work with all Home Assistant installation types?: Yes, HACS works with Home Assistant OS, Supervised, Container and Core. However, the installation method varies - OS/Supervised use the add-on method, while Container/Core use the script method.

Next Steps

Now that you have HACS installed, you can:

Electricity Price Integration Install Nordpool or EPEX Spot to get electricity prices in Home Assistant

First Automation Learn to create your first automation

Last updated: December 2025