Works with Python dashboard builders, ha_card_utils.py module, and Lovelace YAML dashboards.

Home Assistant Dashboard Cards

Quick Start

Create a mini-graph-card with multiple entities that keeps its title static:

from ha_card_utils import add_static_title_to_mini_graph

card = {
    "type": "custom:mini-graph-card",
    "name": "Last 24 Hours",
    "hours_to_show": 24,
    "entities": [
        {"entity": "sensor.office_temperature", "name": "Office"},
        {"entity": "sensor.bedroom_temperature", "name": "Bedroom"},
    ],
}

add_static_title_to_mini_graph(card)
# Title now stays "Last 24 Hours" instead of changing to "Office"/"Bedroom" on hover

Table of Contents

1. When to Use This Skill
2. What This Skill Does
3. The Static Title Problem
4. Core Utilities 4.1. Static Title Fix 4.2. Color Gradients 4.3. Section Separators 4.4. Info Cards
5. Common Patterns 5.1. Three-Graph Layout (1hr, 24hr, 1wk) 5.2. Section Structure with Separators 5.3. Sensor Sections with History
6. Color Scheme Presets
7. Supporting Files
8. Expected Outcomes
9. Requirements
10. Red Flags to Avoid

When to Use This Skill

Explicit Triggers

• “Create HA dashboard cards”
• “Add mini-graph-card with static title”
• “Add color gradient to graph”
• “Create dashboard section with separator”
• “Fix mini-graph title changing on hover”

Implicit Triggers

• Building Home Assistant dashboards programmatically
• Working with custom:mini-graph-card and multiple entities
• Creating sensor history graphs with time ranges
• Organizing dashboard sections visually
• Adding context/explanation cards to dashboards

Problem Detection

• User reports mini-graph-card titles changing dynamically
• Dashboard needs visual thresholds (color-coded values)
• Need consistent section organization across dashboards
• Multiple graphs showing same data at different time ranges

What This Skill Does

This skill provides reusable utilities for creating Home Assistant Lovelace dashboard cards with:

1. Static Titles – Prevents mini-graph-card from changing titles on hover
2. Color Gradients – Adds threshold-based color coding to graphs
3. Section Separators – Creates visual section headers with icons
4. Info Cards – Adds informational cards with colored borders
5. Common Patterns – Implements standard layouts (3-graph rows, sensor sections)

All utilities are available in ha_card_utils.py and work with both Python dashboard builders and YAML configurations.

Usage

1. Import utilities: from ha_card_utils import add_static_title_to_mini_graph, add_color_gradient_to_mini_graph, create_bubble_separator, COLOR_SCHEMES
2. Choose utility: Static title (hover fix), color gradient (thresholds), separator (sections), info card (context)
3. Apply to card: Pass card dict to utility function, it modifies in place
4. Save dashboard: Use WebSocket API or manual YAML to save configuration
5. Verify: Check dashboard, test hover behavior, validate colors display correctly

See Core Utilities section for detailed function usage.

The Static Title Problem

The Problem

When custom:mini-graph-card displays multiple entities, hovering over different sensor lines causes the card title to dynamically change to the entity name.

Example:

• Card title: “Last 24 Hours”
• Entities: Office (green), Bedroom (blue)
• Hover over Office line → title changes to “Office”
• Hover over Bedroom line → title changes to “Bedroom”

This is confusing because the title should indicate the time range, not which sensor is hovered.

The Solution

Use card_mod with CSS to overlay static text using a ::after pseudo-element and hide the dynamic title.

CSS Pattern:

card_mod:
  style: |
    .header .name {
      visibility: visible !important;
    }
    .header .name::after {
      content: "Last 24 Hours" !important;
      visibility: visible !important;
    }
    .header .name > * {
      display: none !important;
    }

How It Works:

1. Keep header container visible
2. Inject static text via ::after pseudo-element
3. Hide dynamic child elements with display: none

Technical Deep Dive

See references/static_title_technique.md for complete CSS explanation, DOM structure analysis, and alternative approaches.

Core Utilities

4.1. Static Title Fix

Function: add_static_title_to_mini_graph(card: dict) -> dict

Forces mini-graph-card titles to remain static regardless of hover state.

Usage:

from ha_card_utils import add_static_title_to_mini_graph

card = {
    "type": "custom:mini-graph-card",
    "name": "Last Hour",
    "hours_to_show": 1,
    "entities": [
        {"entity": "sensor.temperature", "name": "Office"},
    ],
}

add_static_title_to_mini_graph(card)
# Adds card_mod CSS to force static title

When to Use:

• Any mini-graph-card with multiple entities
• Time-range graphs (Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last Week)
• Comparison graphs showing multiple sensors

4.2. Color Gradients

Function: add_color_gradient_to_mini_graph(card: dict, thresholds: list[dict]) -> dict

Adds threshold-based color gradients to graphs for visual feedback.

Usage:

from ha_card_utils import add_color_gradient_to_mini_graph

thresholds = [
    {"value": 0, "color": "#3498db"},    # Blue: Cold
    {"value": 20, "color": "#2ecc71"},   # Green: Comfortable
    {"value": 30, "color": "#e74c3c"},   # Red: Hot
]

add_color_gradient_to_mini_graph(card, thresholds)

When to Use:

• Temperature graphs (cold/comfortable/hot zones)
• Air quality sensors (good/moderate/poor ranges)
• Battery levels (full/medium/low/critical)
• Any sensor with meaningful value thresholds

Note: This removes fixed entity colors so the gradient can take effect.

4.3. Section Separators

Function: create_bubble_separator(name: str, icon: str, enhanced: bool = False) -> dict

Creates bubble-card separators for organizing dashboard sections.

Usage:

from ha_card_utils import create_bubble_separator

# Standard separator
separator = create_bubble_separator("Temperature", "mdi:thermometer")

# Enhanced separator with gradient background
separator = create_bubble_separator(
    "Temperature",
    "mdi:thermometer",
    enhanced=True
)

Enhanced Features:

• Gradient background with spacing
• Larger font and bold text
• Thicker separator line

When to Use:

• Major section headers (enhanced=True)
• Sub-section labels (enhanced=False)
• Organizing related cards into groups

4.4. Info Cards

Function: create_info_card(content: str, border_color: str, background_color: str | None = None) -> dict

Creates markdown cards with colored borders for explanations and context.

Usage:

from ha_card_utils import create_info_card

info = create_info_card(
    "**Lower resistance = more pollution.** Good air quality: >100 kΩ",
    "#e74c3c"  # Red border
)

When to Use:

• Explaining sensor readings
• Providing context for air quality/gas sensors
• Warning messages or alerts
• Instructions for manual controls

Color Suggestions:

• #e74c3c (Red) – Warnings, critical info
• #f1c40f (Yellow) – Cautions, tips
• #3498db (Blue) – Informational notes
• #2ecc71 (Green) – Success, good status

Common Patterns

5.1. Three-Graph Layout (1hr, 24hr, 1wk)

Display the same sensor data at three time ranges in a horizontal row:

from ha_card_utils import add_static_title_to_mini_graph

def create_three_graph_row(entity_id: str, entity_name: str):
    """Create 3 graphs showing 1 hour, 24 hours, and 1 week."""
    return {
        "type": "horizontal-stack",
        "cards": [
            add_static_title_to_mini_graph({
                "type": "custom:mini-graph-card",
                "name": "Last Hour",
                "hours_to_show": 1,
                "entities": [{"entity": entity_id, "name": entity_name}],
            }),
            add_static_title_to_mini_graph({
                "type": "custom:mini-graph-card",
                "name": "Last 24 Hours",
                "hours_to_show": 24,
                "entities": [{"entity": entity_id, "name": entity_name}],
            }),
            add_static_title_to_mini_graph({
                "type": "custom:mini-graph-card",
                "name": "Last Week",
                "hours_to_show": 168,  # 7 days × 24 hours
                "entities": [{"entity": entity_id, "name": entity_name}],
            }),
        ],
    }

When to Use:

• Comparing short-term vs long-term trends
• Temperature, humidity, air quality history
• Any sensor where time-range comparison is valuable

5.2. Section Structure with Separators

Organize dashboard sections with enhanced separators and sub-sections:

from ha_card_utils import create_bubble_separator

section = {
    "type": "vertical-stack",
    "cards": [
        # Major section header
        create_bubble_separator("Temperature", "mdi:thermometer", enhanced=True),

        # Sub-section label
        {
            "type": "custom:bubble-card",
            "card_type": "separator",
            "name": "Current Readings",
            "icon": "mdi:home-thermometer",
        },

        # Sensor cards here...

        # Sub-section label
        {
            "type": "custom:bubble-card",
            "card_type": "separator",
            "name": "Temperature History",
            "icon": "mdi:chart-line",
        },

        # Graph row here...
    ],
}

Structure Pattern:

1. Enhanced separator (major section)
2. Sub-section separator (current readings)
3. Sensor cards (Mushroom template cards showing current values)
4. Sub-section separator (history)
5. Three-graph row (time-range comparison)

5.3. Sensor Sections with History

Complete sensor section combining current values, context, and history. See examples/complete-sections.md for full implementation.

Pattern:

1. Enhanced separator (section header)
2. Sub-section separator (current readings)
3. Sensor cards (Mushroom template cards)
4. Sub-section separator (history)
5. Three-graph row with color gradients and static titles

Color Scheme Presets

The COLOR_SCHEMES dict provides preset thresholds for common sensor types.

Temperature: Cold (10°C, blue) → Comfortable (18°C, green) → Warm (26°C, yellow) → Hot (32°C, red)

Humidity: Dry (0%, red) → Low (30%, green) → Comfortable (60%, yellow) → High (80%, red)

Air Quality: Poor (low kΩ, red) → Moderate (orange) → Good (green) → Excellent (high kΩ, blue)

from ha_card_utils import COLOR_SCHEMES

# Use presets
temp_thresholds = [
    COLOR_SCHEMES["temperature"]["cold"],
    COLOR_SCHEMES["temperature"]["comfortable"],
    COLOR_SCHEMES["temperature"]["warm"],
    COLOR_SCHEMES["temperature"]["hot"],
]

# Or customize
custom_thresholds = [
    {"value": 15, "color": "#3498db"},
    {"value": 22, "color": "#2ecc71"},
    {"value": 28, "color": "#e74c3c"},
]

See references/color_gradients.md for complete color palette and threshold recommendations.

Supporting Files

• references/static_title_technique.md – Complete technical reference for card_mod CSS technique, DOM structure analysis, and alternative approaches
• references/color_gradients.md – Color threshold guide with visual examples and color palette recommendations
• examples/complete-sections.md – Full examples of temperature, humidity, and air quality sections with complete implementations

Expected Outcomes

Successful Card Creation

✓ Static Title Applied
  Card: "Last 24 Hours"
  Has card_mod: True
  CSS injected: .header .name::after

✓ Color Gradient Applied
  Thresholds: 4 levels (Cold/Comfortable/Warm/Hot)
  Entity colors removed: True
  Gradient active: True

✓ Section Created
  Cards: 8 (separator, sub-headers, sensors, graphs)
  Three-graph row: 1hr, 24hr, 1wk
  All titles static: True

Common Issues

Issue: Title still changes on hover

• Cause: card-mod not installed or card_mod syntax error
• Fix: Install card-mod via HACS, check CSS quotes/braces

Issue: Color gradient not visible

• Cause: Entity colors override gradient
• Fix: add_color_gradient_to_mini_graph() removes entity colors automatically

Issue: Separator not showing gradient

• Cause: Using enhanced=False or card-mod not applied
• Fix: Use create_bubble_separator(name, icon, enhanced=True)

Requirements

HACS Custom Cards

• card-mod – Required for CSS styling and static titles
• mini-graph-card – Compact graph visualization
• bubble-card – Section separators and buttons
• mushroom – Modern entity cards (optional, for current readings)

Python Dependencies

• websocket-client – For WebSocket API communication
• Python 3.10+ – For type hints and dict syntax

Home Assistant

• Version 2023.5+ recommended
• Lovelace dashboards enabled
• Long-lived access token configured

Project Files

• ha_card_utils.py – Core utilities module
  • Skill copy: Available in this skill directory (~/.claude/skills/ha-dashboard-cards/ha_card_utils.py)
  • Project copy: Original in HA project (~/projects/play/ha/ha_card_utils.py)
  • Can be imported directly if working in the HA project, or copy to your project directory
• CLAUDE.md – Project configuration with HA instance details (in HA project)

Red Flags to Avoid

1. Not using static titles on multi-entity graphs – Always apply add_static_title_to_mini_graph() when showing multiple entities
2. Hardcoding card_mod CSS – Use utility functions instead of copy-pasting CSS
3. Missing card-mod installation – Verify card-mod is installed before using utilities
4. Entity colors override gradients – Remove entity colors when using color_thresholds
5. Inconsistent section structure – Follow the pattern: enhanced separator → sub-section → cards → sub-section → graphs
6. Wrong time ranges – Use 1/24/168 hours for consistent time-range comparisons
7. Missing info cards – Add context for air quality sensors and complex readings
8. No color gradients on sensor graphs – Use thresholds for visual feedback on temperature/humidity/air quality
9. Not using preset color schemes – Use COLOR_SCHEMES for consistency across dashboards
10. Forgetting to import utilities – Always from ha_card_utils import ... at top of file

Notes

• CSS Escaping: When using card_mod in Python, use {{ and }} to escape braces in f-strings
• Title Synchronization: The content value in card_mod must match the name value for consistency
• Performance: CSS overlays have negligible performance impact
• YAML Compatibility: All utilities work with YAML by copying the generated card_mod structure
• Dashboard Builder Pattern: Use dashboard_builder.py as the single source of truth for programmatically managed dashboards
• Standalone Dashboards: Complex multi-view dashboards (Irrigation, Solar) can be managed directly in HA UI
• Testing: Test card changes in a separate dashboard before applying to production dashboards
• Version Control: Commit ha_card_utils.py and dashboard builders to git for reproducibility

Applied Successfully:

• Enviro+ dashboard (15 mini-graph cards with static titles)
• Temperature/Humidity/Air Quality sections with color gradients
• Enhanced separators for major sections
• Info cards explaining gas sensor readings

Dashboard URL: http://192.168.68.123:8123/enviro-plus/new-panel