Why Won't My HACS Custom Integration Update in Home Assistant?
- GitHub API rate limit exceeded pausing all HACS downloads
- Integration update requires Home Assistant restart to take effect
- HACS does not have write permission to the custom_components directory
Problem Description
Your HACS custom integrations or plugins show an available update in the HACS dashboard but clicking Update does nothing, the update fails silently, or the integration reverts to the old version after Home Assistant restarts. HACS update failures are caused by GitHub rate limiting the repository download, the integration requiring a Home Assistant restart that has not been performed, or a file permission issue in the custom_components directory preventing HACS from writing the updated files.
Why This Happens in Real Homes
This usually shows up when GitHub API limits are hit, the host file path is write-restricted, or restart-dependent updates were not fully applied. HACS can show an available update, but the runtime component remains on old code after restart.
Start by checking GitHub token/rate limits and confirming custom_components permissions before repeated update clicks. In most setups, that restores normal update flow.
Symptoms
- HACS shows update available but Update button produces no result
- Integration version does not change after running HACS update
- HACS update appears to run successfully but old version persists after HA restart
- HACS dashboard shows error downloading repository during update
- Multiple integrations fail to update at the same time
- Update works once then fails on the next available update
Recognize these? Here's what usually causes it.
Common Causes
- GitHub API rate limit exceeded pausing all HACS downloads
- Integration update requires Home Assistant restart to take effect
- HACS does not have write permission to the custom_components directory
- Git repository for the integration moved or renamed breaking the HACS reference
- HACS itself needs updating before integration updates can be fetched
- Integration update incompatible with current Home Assistant version
Most fixes happen in the first 3 steps.
Do not manually edit files in the custom_components directory while HACS is updating an integration. Manual file edits during an active HACS update corrupt the downloaded files and leave the integration in a broken state that requires a clean re-install.
Step-by-Step Solution
Confirm Home Assistant and HACS versions
Check that core Home Assistant and HACS are both on supported versions. Update failures often occur when repository metadata expects newer core APIs.
Verify GitHub token and rate limits
Make sure your GitHub token is valid and not rate-limited, then reauthenticate in HACS if needed. Expired credentials can silently block update checks.
Refresh repository and clear stale cache
Force a repository refresh and clear browser cache/session in Home Assistant frontend. Cached manifest data can hide available updates until explicitly refreshed.
Inspect logs for dependency or import errors
Review Home Assistant logs for integration-specific stack traces after restart. Many failed updates are actually dependency breakages discovered during component load.
Restart Home Assistant after applying updates
After updating integrations, restart Home Assistant to load new code paths and validate entities/services. A full restart is required for many custom component updates to activate.
Quick Solutions
Still having issues? This is usually the deeper cause below.
If the device became unresponsive after a firmware update, a factory reset usually clears the corrupted state — the update itself is rarely the root cause.
Add your GitHub account to HACS settings at initial setup not just when problems occur. An authenticated HACS session with raised rate limits prevents the majority of HACS update failures without any troubleshooting needed.
Home Assistant issues that only appear after restart are a well-known quirk — triggers that require prior state history simply can't fire until that history rebuilds.
- GitHub API rate limit exceeded pausing all HACS downloads
- Integration update requires Home Assistant restart to take effect
- HACS does not have write permission to the custom_components
- Git repository for the integration moved or renamed breaking
- HACS itself needs updating before integration updates can be
Before you go — try one of these (they fix most cases).
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Official Manufacturer Manual
Home Assistant provides official product documentation through their online manual rather than downloadable PDF. Access setup guides, troubleshooting steps, and product specifications for your Home Assistant with HACS.
Source: home-assistant.io
Need More Help? Home Assistant Support
Note: The contact information below connects you directly to Home Assistant's official customer support team, not Trunetto. They can help with warranty claims, device replacements, and advanced technical issues.
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