Sometimes searching for what you want to find here in the Community Forum can be frustrating. The Forums base software (Discourse) has a search tool that is somewhat effective, but it relies on only the answers provided by other users in the app to answer your question. It does do a good job of popping up similar topics when you are starting a new topic however. (So please pay close attention to the side panel when you are adding a new topic)
If you use a search engine like DuckDuckGo or Google or others and the add keywords like “Home Assistant” to your specific query, you get the Community Forum answers and the answers from the Home Assistant Official Docs which is good. You also get links to buying the zWave device you are trying to connect (not buy), YouTube links that might be 3 years old and no longer relevant to your software version, people complaining on Reddit, and 10 people with their own website that might or might not know what Home Assistant is. In other words INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
Fortunately most search engines have a site: keyword. We can use that to narrow our search to just reliable sources like 'home-assistant.io` which id the website address that contains both the Home Assistant Official Docs and all the Community Forum posts at the same time.
For instance to see the Community Forum and the main Home Assistant Docs website:
when typed into Google you get:
When typed into DuckDuckGo you get ~the same thing with a couple of paid ad responses on the top.
I have not tried other search engines.
To see only the Home Assistant Docs, use:
If you want to see only what’s in the Community Forum, use:
When you use the Search Function in HomeAssistant Community Forum, there are several ways to narrow down Your Search
When using the Search Box in this Community Forum, in the Top-Right Menu, You initially get 2 Choices when you click in the SearchBox, " In This Topic & In All Topics and Posts "
If you are already in a “huge” Topic which is relevant to your Question, then click “This Topic” and you will only get Posts from this Topic, relevant to your search-words, Search-Words is always the Key !, so try to variate and narrow down your search if/when you don’t find an imidiate answer to your thoughts/question.
When you get a “long” list with scroll-bar to the right, then scroll to the Bottom and Click “More”
Then all results will open, with More Options, I.E to sort the results.
To narrow down or specify Your Search even further, You can click Advance Filter ( To the left )
Something to think about is the Date of the posted Topic/Answer, as the answers can already be outdated, and therefore might not work for Your specific case.
And Don’t dispare or give up, there are +100000000 Topic and Answers, So even You wouldn’t want even more Topic/Posts/Answers to search in, and read, to find a solution for Your case.
Try to avoid opening yet another Topic in this Forum just because you find it easier, and hope you get better or faster help.
You just make it a even more pita for your self and others to try and find a solution/answer.
In the Menu above You also find Integrations !, Here you can search for Native HA integrations/Components, Functions, with links to their specific Documentation.
The Documentations ( Docs ) is also for Users, who needs more specific information about a Native Cards, View, Templates, Automations, Functions and Components etc. Most with basic examples and relevant Links. which eventually can help you being more specific when using the Search Function, or find the need to open a Topic