---
name: home-assistant-dashboards-cards
description: Home Assistant Lovelace dashboards and cards. Use when the user asks about dashboard structure, views/sections, card types, resources, or HACS cards, and when mapping those needs to ha-mcp dashboard tools.
---

# Home Assistant Dashboards & Cards

## Workflow

- Determine whether to create a new dashboard or edit an existing one.
- If editing, locate target cards first and transform config with a current `config_hash`.
- Use built-in cards unless a custom card is required.
- Discover entity IDs before wiring cards.
- Provide minimal, valid dashboard snippets or tool-driven changes.

## Tooling map (ha-mcp)

- Discover entities: `ha_get_overview`, `ha_search_entities`
- List/get dashboards: `ha_config_get_dashboard`
- Find cards: `ha_dashboard_find_card`
- Card docs: `ha_get_card_types`, `ha_get_card_documentation`
- Update config: `ha_config_set_dashboard`, `ha_config_update_dashboard_metadata`
- Resources: `ha_config_list_dashboard_resources`, `ha_config_set_dashboard_resource`, `ha_config_set_inline_dashboard_resource`, `ha_config_delete_dashboard_resource`
- HACS cards: `ha_hacs_info`, `ha_hacs_list_installed`, `ha_hacs_search`, `ha_hacs_download`

## Caveats

- Dashboard URL paths must contain a hyphen.
- Strategy dashboards require “Take Control” before editing.
- Resource changes may require a hard refresh.
- Jinja templates are not evaluated in core Lovelace YAML.

## References

All reference files are relative to the location of this SKILL.md file.

- Design patterns: `references/DESIGN_PATTERNS.md`
- Card schema guide: `references/CARD_SCHEMA_GUIDE.md`
- Custom resources: `references/CUSTOM_RESOURCES.md`