Ideas in Hearts of Iron IV cover national spirits, laws and advisors — the modifiers attached to your country. The add_ideas command grants any of them instantly, ignoring the usual political power cost and prerequisites.
How to add an idea
- Open the console with the
~key. - Type
add_ideasfollowed by the idea's exact internal ID. - Press
Enter— the national spirit, law or advisor applies to your country immediately.
Examples
add_ideas tank_manufacturer_3— adds a tank designeradd_ideas free_trade— switches to the Free Trade lawadd_ideas extensive_conscription— raises your conscription law
Finding idea IDs
Find the exact ID for any national spirit, law or advisor in the idea IDs list. See the full add_ideas command reference, which also covers removing ideas with remove_ideas.
Frequently asked questions
What is the add_ideas command in HOI4?
add_ideas [idea ID] grants any national spirit, law or advisor instantly. Ideas are the modifiers attached to your country, and the command lets you add them without meeting the usual requirements.
How do I find idea IDs in HOI4?
Browse the idea IDs list on this site. It covers national spirits, laws and advisors, and each entry shows the exact ID to use with add_ideas — type or copy it exactly, as the command needs the internal ID, not the display name.
Can add_ideas switch laws like Free Trade?
Yes. Laws are ideas too, so add_ideas free_trade switches your trade law to Free Trade, and the same works for economy and conscription laws — bypassing the political power cost and any prerequisites.
How do I remove an idea I added?
Use remove_ideas [idea ID] to take an idea back off your country. This is useful for clearing a national spirit or reverting a law you set with add_ideas.