How to Set Up a Local Security Dashboard in Home Assistant

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A well-designed security dashboard gives you instant visibility into your home security state — open doors, motion sensors, camera feeds, alarm status, and lock states on a single screen. Here is how to build one in Home Assistant that looks professional and updates in real time.

Planning Your Dashboard Layout

A security dashboard should answer these questions at a glance: Is the alarm armed or disarmed? Are all doors and windows closed? Are any motion sensors currently detecting motion? What do the cameras see right now? Are all locks locked?

Step 1: Create a New Dashboard

In Home Assistant, go to Settings → Dashboards → Add Dashboard. Name it “Security” and choose a shield icon. Switch to Edit mode and select “Start with an empty dashboard.”

Step 2: Add the Alarm Control Panel Card

type: alarm-panel
entity: alarm_control_panel.home_alarm
name: Security System
states:
  - arm_away
  - arm_home
  - arm_night

The alarm panel card shows the current alarm state with color coding (green = disarmed, yellow = armed home, red = triggered) and includes the keypad for code entry.

Step 3: Door and Window Status Grid

type: entities
title: Doors and Windows
entities:
  - entity: binary_sensor.front_door
    name: Front Door
  - entity: binary_sensor.back_door
    name: Back Door
  - entity: binary_sensor.kitchen_window
    name: Kitchen Window
state_color: true

With state_color: true, open sensors show in red and closed sensors show in green automatically.

Step 4: Live Camera Grid

type: grid
columns: 2
square: false
cards:
  - type: picture-entity
    entity: camera.frigate_front_door
    name: Front Door
    show_state: false
  - type: picture-entity
    entity: camera.frigate_backyard
    name: Backyard
    show_state: false

Step 5: Lock Status Row

type: entities
title: Locks
entities:
  - entity: lock.front_door
    name: Front Door Lock
state_color: true

Locked shows green, unlocked shows red. Tap any lock entity to lock or unlock directly from the dashboard.

Step 6: Motion Sensor Status

type: glance
title: Motion Sensors
entities:
  - entity: binary_sensor.entry_motion
    name: Entry
  - entity: binary_sensor.living_room_motion
    name: Living Room
state_color: true

Making the Dashboard Tablet-Friendly

Mount an old iPad or Android tablet near your entry door showing this dashboard in kiosk mode (full-screen, no browser chrome). The Home Assistant Companion app has a kiosk mode setting. A $30–50 used tablet makes a dedicated security panel that is always on and always current.