- topic: Platform
  description: "[Platforms](/docs/configuration/platform_options/) make the connection to a specific software or hardware platform. For example, the `pushbullet` platform works with the service pushbullet.com to send notifications."
- topic: Component
  description: "[Components](/docs/configuration/platform_options/) provide the core logic for the functionality in Home Assistant. Like `notify` provides sending notifications."
- topic: Condition
  description: "[Conditions](/docs/scripts/conditions/) are an optional part of an automation that will prevent an action from firing if they are not met."  
- topic: Service
  description: "[Services](/docs/scripts/service-calls/) are called to perform actions."
- topic: Action
  description: "[Actions](/docs/automation/action/) are events that fires once all triggers and conditions have been met."
- topic: Event
  description: "An [event](/docs/configuration/events/) is when something happens."
- topic: Entity
  description: "An [entity](/docs/configuration/platform_options/) is the representation of a single device, unit or web service."
- topic: Device
  description: "A device is usually a physical unit which can do or observe something."
- topic: Hassbian
  description: "[Hassbian](/docs/installation/hassbian/) is a customized operating system specifically tailored for Raspberry Pi users. It is one of the easiest way of installing and running Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi."
- topic: Discovery
  description: "[Discovery](/components/discovery/) is the automatic setup of zeroconf/mDNS and uPnP devices after they are discovered."
- topic: Group
  description: "[Groups](/components/group/) are a way to organize your entities into a single unit."
- topic: Automation
  description: "[Automations](/docs/automation/) offer the capability to call a service based on a simple or complex trigger. Automation allows a condition such as sunset to cause an event, such as a light turning on."
- topic: Trigger
  description: "A [trigger](/docs/automation/trigger/) is a set of values or conditions of a platform that are defined to cause an automation to run."
- topic: Template
  description: "A [template](/docs/automation/templating/) is an automation definition that can include variables for the service or data from the trigger values. This allows automations to generate dynamic actions."
- topic: Script
  description: "[Scripts](/docs/scripts/) are components that allow users to specify a sequence of actions to be executed by Home Assistant when turned on."
- topic: Scene
  description: "[Scenes](/components/scene/) capture the states you want certain entities to be. For example a scene can specify that light A should be turned on and light B should be bright red." 
- topic: HADashboard
  description: "[HADashboard](/docs/ecosystem/hadashboard/) is a modular, skinnable dashboard for Home Assistant that is intended to be wall mounted, and is optimized for distance viewing."
- topic: hass
  description: "HASS or [hass](/docs/tools/hass/) is often used as an abbreviation for Home Assistant. It is also the command line tool."
- topic: Hass.io
  description: "[Hass.io](/hassio/) is an operating system that will take care of installing and updating Home Assistant, is managed from the Home Assistant UI, allows creating/restoring snapshots of your configuration, and can easily be extended."
- topic: Cookbook
  description: "The [Cookbook](/cookbook/) contains a set of configuration examples of Home Assistant from the community."
- topic: Packages
  description: "[Packages](/docs/configuration/packages/) allow you to bundle different component configurations together."
- topic: Customize
  description: "[Customization](/docs/configuration/customizing-devices/) allows you to overwrite the default parameter of your devices in the configuration."
- topic: Zone
  description: "[Zones](/components/zone/) are areas that can be used for presence detection."
- topic: Frontend
  description: "The [frontend](/components/frontend/) is a necessary component for the UI, it is also where you can define your themes."