Help Center
Getting started & FAQ
Everything you need to go from zero to a beautiful Home Assistant dashboard — plus answers to the questions we hear most.
How to get started
1Tour the demo
No account needed — open the interactive demo to explore the full interface with a fully furnished example home. Everything you click is live; it just runs on sample data instead of your own Home Assistant.
2Choose how to run it
Self-host for free with Docker — pull the image and serve it on your own network. Or skip the setup with the hosted plan: create an account and you're ready in seconds. Either way, HAPulse talks to your Home Assistant directly from your browser.
3Connect Home Assistant
Enter your Home Assistant URL and choose Sign in with Home Assistant — you log in on Home Assistant's own page, so your password never touches HAPulse. Advanced users can paste a long-lived access token instead. On the hosted plan your HA must be reachable over HTTPS (e.g. Nabu Casa Cloud or a reverse proxy with a valid certificate).
4Make it yours
HAPulse reads your HA configuration directly, so well-organized areas, friendly entity names, and people make it look great out of the box. Turn on Edit Mode to drag sections to reorder, resize cards, star favorites, and hide anything you don't need.
Frequently asked questions
Is HAPulse free?
Yes — the open-source version is completely free to self-host with Docker, with no feature restrictions. The hosted plan is a paid subscription that runs HAPulse for you: no setup, always up to date, and your settings are backed up to your account.
Is my data and access token safe?
Your browser connects to your Home Assistant directly over an encrypted connection. Your access token stays in your browser and is never sent to or stored on our servers. The hosted plan stores only your account and dashboard layout — never your HA traffic or token.
Does it work with my Home Assistant?
HAPulse works with any standard Home Assistant instance over WebSocket. When self-hosting, it can reach HA on your local network. On the hosted plan (served over HTTPS), your HA also needs to be reachable over HTTPS — for example via Nabu Casa Cloud or a reverse proxy with a valid TLS certificate.
What’s the difference between OAuth login and an access token?
Sign in with Home Assistant uses HA’s own OAuth login, so you authenticate on Home Assistant’s page and your password never touches HAPulse — this is the recommended option. A long-lived access token (Profile → Security in Home Assistant) is an alternative for advanced setups.
Self-host or hosted — which should I pick?
Self-hosting is free and keeps everything on your own infrastructure; you manage the Docker container and updates, and your settings live in your own Home Assistant. The hosted plan requires no setup, is always up to date, and keeps your settings in your HAPulse account rather than tied to one Home Assistant. Both connect to your HA directly from the browser, and both sync your settings across your devices.
Do my settings sync across devices?
Yes, on both. Self-hosting stores your theme, layout, favorites, and hidden items in your own Home Assistant, so they sync across every browser and device you use with the same Home Assistant login — and they survive clearing your browser data. On the hosted plan they are saved to your HAPulse account instead, so they follow you everywhere you sign in and stay backed up independently of your Home Assistant. Either way you can export and import a settings file at any time.
How do I customize the layout?
Open Settings and turn on Edit Mode (admins only). A pencil icon appears in every page header. While editing, drag sections to reorder them, drag a card’s handle to resize it, adjust section height, and click the eye icon to hide anything you don’t need. Turn Edit Mode off to lock it in.
Is there a mobile app?
HAPulse is a responsive web app that works great on phones and tablets today. Native mobile apps are planned for a later phase.
Is HAPulse affiliated with Home Assistant or Nabu Casa?
No. HAPulse is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Home Assistant or Nabu Casa.
Where can I get help?
Join the community on Discord or watch walkthroughs on YouTube — links are in the footer. You can also browse the open-source project on GitHub.