What is a Feature Request
Guidelines from the Blog: Go to this HA Blog Link to better understand what role Feature Requests play in the development of Home Assistant and how you can help.
Feature Requests (FR’s)
- ARE for suggestions about missing capabilities in some aspect of the HA system overall.
- Are NOT about a problem with your specific configuration, nor about hardware, nor any non-core addon or custom configuration.
This post contains several sections to help you accomplish your purpose in being on this page.
- Am I in the right place?
- How to help search/promote existing FR’s (there’s a good chance someone else thought of it!)
- How to write a good FR
- Other Related Topics
1. Am I in the right place?
This FR page is only for #4 below: Devices and Services
There are four top-level categories of Feature Request discussions, each with their own community.
- (Web) Frontend (All user-interaction capabilities and features on the web)
- iOS App
- Android App
- Device and Service support (this page)
If you have a feature request for one of the other topics…don’t waste time here!
This forum is not watched for suggestions in the other three categories.
Your post will not be seen here by the people that can act on it.
2. Searching / Promoting Existing FR’s
Remember to search
Search the appropriate Feature Requests Catalog on the correct page (see above) first before you take the time to write up your idea…and accidentally add a duplicate.
If you find an FR that is close to what you would like to see, consider voting for that one instead. The forum tool is pretty good at guessing about things that are similar, and search is also a good idea.
If your Feature Request is determined by us to be a duplicate, it will be immediately closed or merged
Vote for the one that is already there to add your voice.
Always remember to vote for your own Feature Request
If you won’t even vote for it, noone will.
The more votes, the more likely it will be seen which makes it more likely that it will be worked on.
3. How to write a good Feature Request
Focus: Feature Requests work best if you pick an integration or core function to change
Clearly state why it is not to your liking, then what you think it should do or what features you think are missing.
Use a good title
This goes a long way to attract attention to your problem/solution. Proper tags are also essential in helping people classify what you are referring to.
ALWAYS include a link to the core Integration
This is so we can tell exactly the software you are wanting a change to. If the integration has a listed owner, that is another resource to get your question answered.
If you have a specific idea how to fix the issue, that should be added next
Examples and details that would convince others that this is a good idea are helpful here either on your Feature Request or the one you found to vote for.
Remember your audience
You are trying to recruit (usually) another community member to help you make your idea happen. While the Nabu Casa Devs are known to frequent this category, there are more Community Members and they are more often the resource that takes on projects not in the main stream of the Home Assistant.
4. Other Related Topics
Feature Requests are NEVER for:[/u]
- Asking for help to fix your specific configuration problem / question.
- Asking for new ZHA, ESPHome, Zigbee2MQTT, ZWaveJS, etc. hardware to be added. These links will take you to those places.
- Anything related to non-core Custom Integrations or Add-Ons.
Existing Non-core custom integrations
If you want to see an existing CI become part of the core, that is the responsibility of the Individual custom integration developer. Encourage them to develop the integration for core.
If you are looking for a new custom integration or add-on
Most integrations for new things start out as custom integrations or add-ons. We encourage you to develop them and contribute to the opensource project.
Add-ons with a few exceptions are NOT written by the Nabu-Casa team, and are created by interested Community Contributors like You. Therefore Feature Requests for these things are pleas to the community for help, not requests to change Home Assistant Core.
We suggest a post in Social - Home Assistant Community instead of here to promote your idea to interested parties and offer to help to get your ball rolling.
Finally, a little commentary…
Why it is more important than ever to ask the companies that you purchase hardware from to join the Works With Home Assistant Program and provide local access into their devices.