---
title: "Homarr App Widget — Embedded App Links with Status Checks"
aliases: [homarr-app-widget, homarr-link-widget]
tags: [homarr, homelab, self-hosted, dashboard, widgets]
sources: [raw/Homarr documentation 2.md]
created: 2026-04-19
updated: 2026-04-19
---

## What It Does

The **App widget** places a clickable link to any app or website directly on your board. It optionally shows a live status indicator so you can tell at a glance whether Homarr can reach the target URL.

Distinct from the [[wiki/homelab/homarr-bookmarks-widget|Bookmarks widget]] (which groups multiple links in one tile) — the App widget represents a single app and can display richer metadata.

## Adding the Widget

Follow the standard widget-add flow described in the Homarr getting-started docs (Widgets section). The widget requires at least one app to be configured in [[wiki/homelab/homarr-apps|Homarr Apps]] before it can be used.

## Configuration Options

| Option | Description | Values | Default |
|--------|-------------|--------|---------|
| Choose app | Select from your configured apps list | Any app | — |
| Open in new tab | Open the link in a new browser tab | yes / no | yes |
| Show app name | Display the app's name on the tile | yes / no | yes |
| Description display mode | How to show the app description | Hidden / shown modes | Hidden |
| Layout | Arrange the widget content | Vertical / horizontal | Vertical |
| Enable status check | Ping the app URL to show reachability | yes / no | yes |

## Status Check Behavior

- When enabled, Homarr pings the app's configured URL (or Ping URL if set separately — see [[wiki/homelab/homarr-apps|Homarr Apps]])
- Result shown as a color-coded indicator on the tile
- Can be disabled per-board globally via **Board → Behaviour → Disable app status** (see [[wiki/homelab/homarr-boards|Homarr Boards]])
- Can be disabled globally via **Settings → Boards → Force disable app status** (see [[wiki/homelab/homarr-settings|Homarr Settings]])

## Key Takeaways

- App widget = single app tile with optional live status indicator
- Requires an app to exist in the Apps list first; the widget just references it
- URL vs Ping URL split: the widget opens the main URL but status-checks the Ping URL
- Status check can be suppressed at three levels: widget config, board behaviour, or global settings
- Use Bookmarks widget instead when you want multiple links in one tile
- Layout toggle (vertical/horizontal) controls icon/text arrangement within the tile

## Sources

- `raw/Homarr documentation 2.md` — Homarr v1.59.2 official docs, App widget section
