YAML Common Controls In Home Assistant: Header Not Showing?

Hey folks, let's dive into a bit of a Home Assistant head-scratcher! We've got a situation where the common-controls strategy in YAML isn't displaying the header, even though the Home Assistant experimental section does show the title without any extra configuration. This is a bit of a head-scratcher, and we're here to get to the bottom of it.

The YAML Conundrum: Missing Headers

So, here's the deal: when we use the common-controls strategy in our YAML configuration, we're not seeing the header we expect. This is a bummer because headers help us organize and understand what's going on in our dashboards. You know, keeping things tidy! We can set the title in YAML, as shown in the config, but we expect the strategy to handle it automatically, unless we manually override it in our YAML. The user is fully aware of how to set the title in YAML, as you can see from the configuration. But, it would be really nice if the common-controls strategy automatically took care of the title, just like the Home Assistant experimental section does.

Here's a snippet of the YAML configuration being used:

sections:
  - strategy:
      # title: Veel gebruikt
      # icon: mdi:gesture-double-tap
      type: common-controls
      limit: 12
      hide_empty: false
#       exclude_entities: []

And here's what the user is seeing: an image of the dashboard, with the common-controls not showing the header, but another Home Assistant experimental section does show the title. The Espresso card is also not showing up because it is a favorite on that dashboard. This is a bit inconsistent, and it's what's causing the confusion.

The Expected Behavior: Show Those Headers!

What we want to see is the header, just like the Home Experimental dashboard does. It's all about consistency and making sure our dashboards are easy to understand at a glance. Having a header instantly tells us what that section of the dashboard is about. It's the small things that make a big difference in user experience, right?

Let's break down the steps to reproduce this issue. It's pretty straightforward:

1. Use the YAML configuration provided above. It's simple, but it should be enough to trigger the issue.
2. Observe the dashboard. The common-controls section should be displayed, but without a header.
3. Compare it to other sections, like the Home Experimental dashboard, which does show titles. This will highlight the inconsistency.

If we follow these steps, we should see the issue in action. It's pretty clear-cut.

Home Assistant Version and Browser Details

The user is running Home Assistant Core version 2025.10.0. It would be helpful to know what the last working version was, so we can pinpoint if this is a recent regression. The user is experiencing the issue in any browser, meaning it's not browser-specific. We don't have specific information on the operating system being used to run the browser, but it's likely not the root cause.

Troubleshooting and Further Investigation

Let's consider the frontend configuration: The YAML code is provided, showing the common-controls strategy being used. We don't have any JavaScript errors in the browser console or inspector. Unfortunately, we don't have any additional information to go on.

This situation could stem from a few different possibilities. Perhaps there's a configuration nuance we're missing, or there might be a bug in how the common-controls strategy renders titles. Let's look at the main points:

• YAML Configuration: Double-check the YAML syntax. Is there any typos or misconfigurations that might be causing the header not to show? It's always a good idea to validate the YAML to make sure everything is formatted correctly.
• Home Assistant Core Version: Since this is a newer version of Home Assistant, it is possible there's a bug. Try to search the Home Assistant community forums or the GitHub repository for any known issues related to the common-controls strategy and title display. This could save you time on troubleshooting.
• Frontend Caching: If the problem persists, try clearing your browser cache. Sometimes, outdated cached files can cause display issues.
• Custom Components/Integrations: Although the issue is about core components, if you have any custom components or integrations that might be interfering with the frontend, it is worth temporarily disabling them to see if the problem resolves.
• Home Assistant Community: Join the Home Assistant community forums or subreddits. There are thousands of users with very similar experiences, and they can help in figuring out what is going on. Post details about your issue, and see if the problem resolves.

Conclusion: Header Hunters Unite!

So, we've identified an issue where the common-controls strategy in YAML isn't showing the header as expected. This is a minor issue that affects dashboard organization and ease of use, but it is important to get it right.

We've gone over the YAML configuration, the expected behavior, and the steps to reproduce the issue. It seems like the common-controls strategy might not be automatically generating the header, even though it should, or it could be missing in the current configuration. Remember to check the Home Assistant community forums or GitHub issues to see if others are experiencing similar issues.

This is an interesting problem, and hopefully, with a bit more investigation, we can get those headers showing up and make our dashboards even better!

For more information about Home Assistant and YAML configuration, check out these useful links:

• The official Home Assistant Documentation