Install HACS on Home Assistant: Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to install HACS (Home Assistant Community Store) on Home Assistant with a step-by-step guide, safety tips, and ongoing maintenance from Install Manual.
Follow this guide to install HACS (Home Assistant Community Store) on a running Home Assistant setup. You’ll learn prerequisites, a clear step-by-step method, and how to configure repositories, update components, and maintain your installation. Ideal for homeowners, renters, and DIY enthusiasts who want broader integration options.
What HACS is and why install it
HACS, or Home Assistant Community Store, is a community-driven extension that unlocks a vast library of integrations, themes, and plugins for Home Assistant. According to Install Manual, HACS provides a safe and centralized way to discover, install, and manage community-made components, often faster than waiting for official updates. Based on Install Manual analysis, many homeowners complete the install with the guided steps. By adding HACS, homeowners gain access to popular custom integrations for devices and services that are not natively supported in the core HA distribution. This expanded ecosystem helps you tailor automations to your home’s unique setup, whether you’re automating lighting scenes, climate control, or security notifications. The trade-off is that community components can vary in quality and maintenance, so it’s important to vet repositories and monitor updates. Keep in mind that HACS is a powerful tool that should be used thoughtfully to avoid breaking existing automations.
Prerequisites and safety
Before attempting an HACS install, confirm that your Home Assistant environment is healthy and reachable. Ensure you have administrator access to the Home Assistant frontend and a reliable backup plan in place. Install Manual’s guidance emphasizes practicing due diligence: confirm your Home Assistant version supports the latest HACS release, and prepare to revert configurations if anything goes wrong. Do not proceed if you’re running a production system without a tested rollback strategy. While HACS is widely used, you should still review which repositories you enable and understand potential compatibility issues with core updates.
Tools and materials you’ll need
To install HACS smoothly, gather the essential tools and materials in advance. A functioning Home Assistant instance with admin access is required, along with a stable internet connection and a modern browser. Optional but recommended items include SSH access for direct host commands and a backup strategy (cloud or local). Having a test device or a separate snapshot channel helps you validate changes without disrupting daily use. This setup minimizes risk while enabling a broader range of integrations.
Understanding Home Assistant environments and compatibility
Home Assistant runs in several environments (HA OS, Supervised, Container, and Core). HACS is designed to work across these environments when you follow its installation flow, but some methods require access to the host filesystem. If you’re on Home Assistant OS or Supervised, use the recommended installer from the official HACS site to avoid manual filesystem edits. For non-standard installations, consult the official docs and consider using the web UI method through a stable command path. Always test new integrations in a controlled way to prevent automation conflicts.
Step-by-step: Installing HACS in Home Assistant
The following actions represent a practical walkthrough to install HACS within Home Assistant. Back up first, then download the official installer from get.hacs.xyz and run it on your HA host. After installation, restart Home Assistant and allow the integration to initialize. Finally, navigate to Settings > Devices & Services > Integrations to configure HACS and grant access to your account. If you encounter prompts about repositories or themes, choose trusted options and avoid enabling unverified sources. This process may vary slightly by installation type, so adapt as needed while keeping to core steps.
Configuring HACS after installation
Configuration after installation focuses on connecting HACS to your Home Assistant account, enabling repository discovery, and setting update preferences. Start by opening HACS from the left-hand menu and following the on-screen prompts to authorize the installer and grant repository access. Next, add the repositories you want (custom integrations, themes, and plugins) and begin installing components. Review each installed item’s dependencies and compatibility notes, updating as needed to maintain stability. Regularly visiting the HACS dashboard helps you stay current with new releases and community contributions.
Common issues and troubleshooting
While HACS is generally reliable, issues can arise from network restrictions, outdated core components, or conflicting integrations. If the installer cannot fetch repositories, check your network firewall, DNS, and ensure the host has outbound access. If a newly added repository breaks something, disable it from the HACS dashboard and reintroduce it after confirming compatibility. For failed updates, review Home Assistant logs, confirm Python and integrations are compatible, and re-run the installer if needed. Community forums and the official docs are valuable resources when problems persist.
Security, updates, and maintenance
Security should be a central consideration when extending Home Assistant with community components. Keep HACS and all installed integrations up to date and monitor the repositories you enable for reported vulnerabilities or breaking changes. Regular backups before updates minimize risk, and using a dedicated user account for HACS activities can reduce unintended changes to core automations. The maintenance routine should include monthly checks for updates and quarterly reviews of installed repositories to trim unused ones.
Best practices and optimization
Adopt best practices to maximize stability and performance when using HACS. Prefer well-maintained repositories with clear documentation and active issue trackers. Limit the number of enabled repositories to those essential for your automations to avoid clutter and potential conflicts. Periodically prune unused integrations and review automations for performance impact. Document changes in a changelog to simplify troubleshooting in the future.
Authority sources and references
For authoritative guidance on installation and security, consult the Home Assistant documentation, the official HACS site, and U.S. government cybersecurity resources. See Home Assistant docs at https://www.home-assistant.io/docs, HACS at https://gethacs.xyz, and CISA guidelines at https://www.cisa.gov. These sources provide trusted context for safe and effective customization of your smart home setup.
Next steps and community resources
With HACS installed, begin exploring curated repositories that fit your devices and automations. Join community forums, watch instructional videos, and participate in discussions to learn tips and troubleshooting tricks from other homeowners and DIY enthusiasts. Maintain a habit of incremental changes, testing each new component before fully rolling it out. This approach helps you grow your smart home capabilities without destabilizing your existing automations. The Install Manual team recommends documenting changes and maintaining a cautious update rhythm to balance new features with stability.
Tools & Materials
- Running Home Assistant instance(On supported hardware (HA OS, Supervised, or Container) with network access)
- Admin access to Home Assistant UI(Needed to install and configure HACS)
- Web browser (Chrome/Edge/Firefox)(Used to access the UI and installer)
- Stable internet connection(Required for downloading HACS and updates)
- Backup solution (local or cloud)(Create a full backup before installing)
- SSH/Terminal access (optional)(Useful for host-level commands if not using the UI installer)
- Git client (optional)(Only for advanced manual installations)
Steps
Estimated time: 30-60 minutes
- 1
Back up your HA configuration
Create a full backup of your Home Assistant configuration and verify you can restore from it if needed. Document current automations and customizations so you can compare later. This minimizes risk if an integration causes a conflict.
Tip: Store a copy off-device if possible; include companion configs and secrets. - 2
Prepare the official HACS installer
Navigate to get.hacs.xyz and prepare to download the installer script. Ensure you are using the official source to avoid tampered code. Do not run unknown scripts on your HA host.
Tip: Bookmark the official installer URL and verify the certificate before downloading. - 3
Run the HACS installer on your HA host
Execute the installer as instructed by the official page, which will place HACS in the custom_components directory. Follow prompts, and allow the script to complete without interruption. This step may require a short wait while dependencies are fetched.
Tip: Run the installer from a terminal with monitoring enabled so you can see progress. - 4
Restart Home Assistant
After installation finishes, perform a full restart of Home Assistant so the new components are loaded. This ensures the integration registers with the UI correctly.
Tip: If you cannot access the UI, use the host console to trigger a restart. - 5
Open HACS in the Home Assistant UI
Go to Settings > Devices & Services > Integrations and search for HACS. Follow the on-screen prompts to authorize and connect the repository. This step enables the curated catalog of community components.
Tip: Keep an eye on the screen for any permission prompts and grant necessary access. - 6
Configure HACS and connect repositories
In the HACS dashboard, add the repositories you want (custom integrations, themes, plugins) and review their compatibility notes. Install a few trusted components to validate functionality before expanding.
Tip: Start with widely-used, actively maintained repositories. - 7
Test installed components and automations
Test the newly added components in a controlled environment. Check for errors in logs and ensure automations still trigger as expected. If issues occur, disable problematic repositories and re-test.
Tip: Test on a small scale before broad deployment. - 8
Set up updates and maintenance
Enable update checks inside HACS and schedule periodic reviews of installed repositories. Plan regular backups before major changes to keep your system resilient.
Tip: Create a monthly maintenance reminder. - 9
Document changes and plan next steps
Document all new integrations, their sources, and any caveats. Use this documentation to guide future upgrades and to onboard others to your setup.
Tip: Maintain a changelog and update it after each significant addition.
Got Questions?
What is HACS and what does it do?
HACS stands for Home Assistant Community Store. It provides access to community-built integrations, themes, and plugins that extend Home Assistant beyond the core features. It is widely used to enhance automation possibilities, with ongoing maintenance by contributors.
HACS is the Home Assistant Community Store that adds community-made integrations and themes to expand what you can automate.
Is HACS official and safe to use?
HACS is not an official Home Assistant component, but it is widely adopted and actively maintained by the community. Use trusted repositories and conduct due diligence, including backups and testing, to maintain system safety.
HACS is community-supported, not official, so stick to trusted repositories and backups.
Do I need SSH or terminal access to install HACS?
Most installations use the official installer downloaded from get.hacs.xyz, which can be run from a Home Assistant host with terminal access. Some environments may require SSH or Terminal access to run the installer or perform host-level commands.
You may need terminal access to run the installer on some setups.
Will HACS affect Home Assistant core updates?
HACS operates alongside Home Assistant core. Some custom components may require updates to stay compatible after core updates. Always check compatibility notes in HACS before updating or removing components.
HACS runs with core HA, but check compatibility after core updates.
What should I do if an installed repository breaks automations?
Disable the problematic repository from the HACS dashboard and test automations again. If issues persist, restore from your backup and re-evaluate the repository choice.
If a repo breaks things, disable it and test again; consider restoring from backup if needed.
How do I remove HACS later?
To remove HACS, delete the custom_components/hacs directory and restart Home Assistant, then remove any remaining HACS settings from your integrations. A clean uninstall helps prevent leftover configurations from affecting HA.
To remove HACS, delete the folder and restart HA.
Watch Video
Main Points
- Back up before installing HACS.
- Follow the official installer from get.hacs.xyz.
- Authorize HACS and connect trusted repositories.
- Test changes in a controlled way before broad rollout.
- Maintain regular updates and backups for stability.
