[#entity-icons]
= Entity icons

The `icon` field is configured on each entity definition in `config.yaml`. It sets an icon for the entity *type* (for example, all `server` instances share the same icon).

Entity icons use the same icon system as actions. See xref:action_customization/icons.adoc[Icons] for the full range of supported formats — Unicode aliases, HTML entities, Iconify, image paths, and custom-webui assets.

== Configuration

Add `icon` under an entity definition alongside `file`, `name`, and `properties`:

[source,yaml]
----
entities:
  - file: /etc/OliveTin/servers.yaml
    name: server
    icon: ssh
    properties:
      - name: hostname
        title: Hostname

  - file: /etc/OliveTin/containers.json
    name: container
    icon: <iconify-icon icon="logos:docker-icon"></iconify-icon>
----

If `icon` is omitted or empty, no icon is shown for that entity type. Unlike actions, entity types do not get a default icon.

=== Short-name aliases

OliveTin resolves a few common short names to Unicode HTML entities at config load time. These are convenient for entity types that match common action categories:

[cols="1,1", options="header"]
|===
| Alias | Typical use

| `ssh`
| Servers accessed over SSH

| `ping`
| Network hosts

| `box`
| Containers or packages

| `backup`
| Backup targets

| `restart` / `reboot`
| Systems or services

| `light`
| Lights or switches

| `robot`
| Automation targets
|===

The full alias list is in the xref:action_customization/icons.adoc#icons[Icons] documentation and in the source file `service/internal/config/emoji.go`.

=== Custom-webui image paths

A path containing `/` (that does not start with `<`) is expanded to an `<img>` tag pointing at `/custom-webui/`. For example, `icons/server.png` becomes an image served from `<config-dir>/custom-webui/icons/server.png`.

== Where icons appear

Entity icons are shown in the web UI next to the entity type name, not next to individual instances.

=== Entities page

On the Entities page, each entity type section heading shows the configured icon beside the type name (for example, `Entity: server`).

=== Entity details page

When viewing a single entity instance, the icon appears in the page title beside the instance name. The icon comes from the entity type definition, not from fields in the entity data file.

=== API

The `icon` field is included on:

* `EntityDefinition` — returned by `GetEntities` for each entity type
* `Entity` — returned by `GetEntity` for a single instance (same type-level icon)

== What entity icons do not affect

* **Individual instances** — icons are per entity type in `config.yaml`, not per row in the entity data file. You cannot give `server1` a different icon from `server2` through entity configuration alone.
* **Dashboards** — entity fieldsets and directories use their own `icon` fields on dashboard components. See xref:dashboards/intro.adoc[Dashboards].
* **Action buttons** — actions have their own `icon` field. An entity-bound action does not inherit the entity type icon automatically.

== Example

[source,yaml]
----
entities:
  - file: entities/servers.yaml
    name: server
    icon: ssh
    properties:
      - name: hostname
        title: Hostname
      - name: ip
        title: IP

  - file: entities/containers.json
    name: container
    icon: box
----

With this configuration, the Entities page shows a key icon beside the `server` section and a box icon beside the `container` section. Opening any server instance shows the same key icon in the details page title.

== What's next?

* xref:action_customization/icons.adoc[Icons] — full icon format reference (Iconify, Unicode, images, and offline hosting)
* xref:entities/intro.adoc[Entities] — overview of entities in OliveTin
* xref:entities/properties.adoc[Entity properties] — configure which fields appear in the entity list