Adding Devices and Integrations
Understanding Integrations
In Home Assistant, an "integration" is a connection to a device, service, or platform. It is the bridge between Home Assistant and the outside world. There are integrations for physical devices (like a Philips Hue bridge or a Z-Wave USB dongle), cloud services (like weather providers or Spotify), and even for other smart home platforms (like HomeKit or Google Home). As of early 2026, there are over 2,700 integrations available.
When you add an integration, Home Assistant creates "entities" for each capability of the connected device. A single smart light bulb might create several entities: a light entity (on/off, brightness, color), a sensor entity (power consumption), and a diagnostic entity (signal strength). These entities are the building blocks for everything in Home Assistant: dashboards, automations, and scripts all work with entities.
Adding Your First Integration
Let us walk through adding a common integration. We will use Philips Hue as an example since it is one of the most popular smart lighting systems, but the process is similar for most integrations.
- Go to Settings in the sidebar, then Devices & Services.
- If Home Assistant has already discovered your Hue bridge on the network, it will appear under "Discovered." Click Configure next to it.
- If it has not been discovered, click Add Integration in the bottom right, search for "Philips Hue," and select it.
- Follow the prompts. For Hue, you will be asked to press the button on your Hue bridge to authorize the connection.
- Home Assistant will import all your Hue lights, sensors, and switches. Each device appears with all its capabilities as individual entities.
- Assign devices to the correct rooms (called "Areas" in Home Assistant) for better organization.
Common Integration Types
Smart home integrations generally fall into a few categories, and understanding them helps you plan your setup:
Hub-based integrations connect to a bridge or hub device. Examples include Philips Hue, Lutron Caseta, IKEA DIRIGERA, and Aqara. These are typically the most reliable because the hub handles the direct communication with devices, and Home Assistant talks to the hub over your local network.
Direct radio integrations use a USB dongle plugged into your Home Assistant server to communicate with devices directly. ZigBee (using Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA) and Z-Wave (using Z-Wave JS) work this way. This gives you the most control and eliminates the need for manufacturer hubs, but it requires purchasing a compatible radio dongle ($20 to $40).
Wi-Fi device integrations connect to smart devices directly over your network. Many Tuya, TP-Link Kasa, Shelly, and ESPHome devices work this way. Some connect locally, while others require a cloud connection through the manufacturer's servers.
Cloud integrations connect to manufacturer cloud services to control devices. Examples include Ecobee, Ring, Nest (cloud-to-cloud), and many others. These depend on an internet connection and the manufacturer's servers being operational. Where possible, prefer local integrations, but cloud integrations are sometimes the only option for certain devices.
Service integrations connect to non-device services that enhance your smart home. Weather services (OpenWeatherMap, Met.no), calendar services (Google Calendar, CalDAV), media services (Spotify, Plex), and utility services (energy providers, transit APIs) all fall into this category.
Zigbee and Z-Wave: Going Hub-Free
One of the most popular approaches in the Home Assistant community is using a Zigbee or Z-Wave USB coordinator to control devices directly, without manufacturer hubs. This has several advantages: you avoid buying expensive hubs from each manufacturer, you get a unified interface for all devices regardless of brand, and you have more control over the mesh network.
For Zigbee, the two main options are ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation), which is built into Home Assistant, and Zigbee2MQTT, which runs as a separate service and uses MQTT for communication. Both support a wide range of Zigbee devices. ZHA is easier to set up. Zigbee2MQTT supports more devices and provides more advanced configuration options.
Popular Zigbee coordinators include the SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus (based on the CC2652P chip) and the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 dongle from Nabu Casa (which also supports Thread). For Z-Wave, the Zooz ZST39 LR and the Aeotec Z-Stick 7 are well-regarded options.
Organizing with Areas and Labels
As you add devices, organization becomes important. Home Assistant provides two main organizational tools:
Areas represent physical locations in your home: Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, Garage, and so on. Assign each device to the area where it is physically located. Areas are used in dashboards, voice commands ("turn off the living room"), and automations.
Labels let you tag devices and entities with custom categories. You might label all your security devices with "Security," all outdoor devices with "Outdoor," or all holiday lights with "Christmas." Labels are useful for creating filtered views on your dashboard and for building automations that target groups of related devices.
Take the time to organize your devices properly when you add them. It takes a few extra seconds per device, but it saves hours of confusion later when you have dozens or hundreds of entities and need to find the right one quickly.
Troubleshooting Device Connections
If a device is not discovered or will not connect, try these steps in order. Ensure the device is powered on and connected to your network. Check that the integration is installed and configured correctly. Restart the integration from the Devices and Services page. Check the Home Assistant logs (Settings, then System, then Logs) for error messages. Search the Home Assistant Community forums for your specific device model. As a last resort, remove the integration completely and re-add it from scratch.