---
title: Finding your way around
order: 4
updated: 2026-07-12
---

# Finding your way around

The app is one window split into two: a **sidebar** on the left that lists the modules you can open, and the **current screen** filling the rest. Every module you open replaces what is on the right; the sidebar stays put. Learn the shell once — the sidebar, how pages are laid out, and the way records open in floating panels instead of new tabs — and every module in the app behaves the same way.

The app runs two ways from the same code: in your **browser** (the web app) and as an installed **desktop app** (built with Tauri). Almost everything is identical between them. Where a control exists only on the desktop app, this page says so.

## The app shell

Whatever screen you are on, the frame around it never changes:

- The **sidebar** runs down the left edge. It is the primary way to move between modules.
- The **content area** fills the rest of the window and shows the screen you picked.
- On the **desktop app only**, a thin **title bar** sits across the very top with the window controls (minimize, maximize, close).

When you hover the sidebar and it slides open, the content area behind it dims slightly so your eye stays on the menu — nothing has changed on the page, it is just resting behind the menu.

## The sidebar

The sidebar lists every module you are allowed to open. Each entry is either a single screen (like *Dashboard* or *Settings*) or a **parent** that expands to reveal its sub-pages (like *Sales* or *Inventory*).

### Expanding and collapsing

The sidebar starts **collapsed** to a narrow strip of icons. Move your mouse over it and it **slides open** to show the full text labels; move away and it collapses again. You do not click anything to open it — hovering is enough. (On the desktop app you can also turn the sidebar off entirely — see [Switching to the menu bar](#switching-to-the-menu-bar).)

- A module with sub-pages shows a small chevron. While the sidebar is open, hovering that parent **reveals its sub-pages** indented beneath it; move away and they fold back up.
- Clicking a single-screen entry (or a sub-page) opens it in the content area.
- Sub-pages only appear while the sidebar is open — they do not pop out of the collapsed strip.

### The modules

These are the top-level modules, in sidebar order, with the sub-pages each one reveals. **You only see a module if you have permission for at least one screen inside it** — see [Why some modules are missing](#why-cant-i-see-a-module-someone-else-has) below.

- ***Dashboard*** — the analytics snapshot and printable reports. Everyone sees this entry; if you have no dashboard permission it simply shows a greeting instead of widgets. See [Your dashboard](/docs/getting-started/dashboard).
- ***Sales*** — *Add Enquiry*, *View* (the enquiry bank), and *Orders*.
- ***Procurement*** — *Add to Cart*, *RFQ Cart*, *Enquiries* (RFQs already sent), and *Purchase Orders*.
- ***Inventory*** — *Stock*, *In Stock*, and *Delivery Receipt*.
- ***Human Resources*** — *Attendance*, *Expenses*, and *HR Settings*.
- ***Data Entry*** — *Products*, *Customers*, *Suppliers*, and *Utilities* (manufacturers, product units, and warehouses).
- ***AI*** — *Inbox* and *AI Settings*. This whole section only appears when your firm has AI features enabled **and** you hold the matching AI permission.
- ***Settings*** — firm, user, and template configuration. This entry is always shown; the screens inside it are individually permission-gated.

### Pages that aren't in the sidebar

Several screens are real pages but are deliberately **kept out of the sidebar** to stop it from getting crowded. You reach them from a button or an options menu on a related page instead — for example:

- *Follow Up* (customer follow-ups) and *Order Acknowledgment* open from within the *Sales* screens.
- *Vendor Follow-Up*, *PO Follow-Up*, and the *Send* screens for receipts open from the header menu of their parent page in *Procurement* / *Inventory*.
- *Pending Transfer*, *Sample Delivery*, and *Delivery Note* open from the header menu on the *Stock* page.

If this guide points you at one of these and it is not in your sidebar, that is expected — open the parent page and look for its options menu.

## The desktop title bar

**Desktop app only.** A thin bar across the top of the window carries the standard window controls on the right:

- **Minimize** — sends the window to the taskbar.
- **Maximize / Restore** — toggles the window between full-screen and a floating window.
- **Close** — closes the window (this does **not** sign you out; see [Signing out](#signing-out)).

You can drag the window by grabbing any empty part of this bar.

The web app has **no** title bar — your browser already provides the window frame, tabs, and address bar.

### Auto-hiding the title bar

By default the title bar **hides itself when the window is maximized** to give you the whole screen. Push your mouse to the very top edge and it slides back down; move away and it tucks up again. When the window is *not* maximized the bar always stays visible. You can turn this behaviour off under [Personalization](/docs/settings/personalisation) (*Auto Hide Titlebar*) so the bar is always shown.

## Switching to the menu bar

**Desktop app only.** If you would rather not give up screen width to the sidebar, open [Personalization](/docs/settings/personalisation) and turn on **Disable Sidebar**. The sidebar disappears and the same modules move into a **menu bar** across the desktop title bar — click a module name to drop down its sub-pages, exactly like a classic desktop application menu.

- This option has **no effect in the web app** — the web app always uses the sidebar.
- The menu bar lists the same permission-filtered modules as the sidebar; nothing is added or removed, only relocated.

## Making the app easier to read

A few display preferences change how the whole app looks. They all live under *Settings → Personalization* — see [Personalization](/docs/settings/personalisation) for the full list. The ones that affect getting around are:

- **Dark Mode** — switches the entire app between a light and a dark theme. Available in both the web and desktop apps.
- **Zoom Level** — scales the whole interface. The three levels are `Less Zoomed` (`90%`), `Normal` (`100%`, the default), and `Zoomed` (`120%`). Handy on very high-resolution or small screens. On the desktop app the standard <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+scroll browser zoom is switched off on purpose so the layout can't be knocked out of shape by accident — use this setting instead.
- **Low Performance Mode** *(desktop app only)* — trims animations to keep older or low-memory machines responsive. Toggling it reloads the app.

There is no theme or zoom control on the title bar or sidebar — these all live in *Settings → Personalization*.

## Working inside a page

Once you open a module, most screens are built from the same parts, so they feel familiar wherever you are:

- A **header** at the top names the screen and holds its main action.
- An ***Add*** button — labelled with the record type, e.g. *Add Customer* or *Add Godown* — opens a form for creating a new record.
- A **search box**, where the screen has one, narrows the list to matching records. Which columns it looks at is decided by that screen.
- A **table** lists the records, one row each, with sorting, column controls, and pagination on the larger lists.
- **Row actions** — right-click a row (or use its inline actions menu) for the things you can do to that record: view, edit, delete, and so on.
- An **options / header menu** on many pages holds the less-common actions and the [pages that aren't in the sidebar](#pages-that-arent-in-the-sidebar).

The table, search box, and modal behaviour are shared across the whole app and are documented in depth in [Tables, search, and modals](/docs/getting-started/tables-and-actions).

## Modals and moving between records

Most actions — opening a record, filling a form, confirming a deletion — happen in a **modal**: a panel that floats in the middle of the screen with the page dimmed behind it, instead of taking you to a whole new screen. You never lose your place, and closing the modal drops you straight back where you were.

This app leans on modals for navigation too, which is worth understanding:

### Drilling from record to record

When you open a **linked record from inside a modal** — say you're looking at an enquiry and you click through to the customer on it — the customer opens as a **new modal stacked on top** of the enquiry, rather than replacing it. You can keep drilling, and each step adds another layer. The topmost panel is always the one you're working in; the ones beneath wait for you to come back to them.

### Going back

- **Close the top panel** with its close button (the corner ✕) or its *Cancel* button. That peels off just the topmost layer and reveals the one beneath — so you step back through the records one at a time.
- Your **browser's Back button** (or the desktop app's back gesture) does the same thing while any modal is open: it closes the **topmost** modal instead of leaving the page. Only when no modal is open does Back move you to the previous page.
- Pressing <kbd>Esc</kbd> or clicking the dimmed backdrop also closes the top modal — **except** on forms and other panels that switch this off so you don't lose typed-in work by mis-clicking. Those you must close with *Cancel* or by saving.

### Jumping to a different module

If you click a **sidebar entry** (or a link that leads to a full page rather than a record) while modals are open, the app **closes the whole stack** and takes you to that module as a normal full screen. You won't be left with panels hanging over an unrelated page.

## Signing out

Signing out is **not** on the sidebar or the title bar. Open *Settings*, go to the **Security** section, and sign out from there. Closing the browser tab or the desktop window on its own does **not** sign you out — your session stays valid so you can come back without logging in again. See [Signing in](/docs/getting-started/signing-in) and [Security](/docs/settings/security).

## Common questions

### How do I go back?

If you're in a modal, close it with its ✕ or *Cancel* button, or press your browser's Back button — either one closes the top panel and returns you to what was behind it. If you're on a full screen, use the browser Back button or pick another module from the sidebar. There is no separate in-app "back" arrow.

### Can I open more than one record at once?

Yes. Opening a linked record from inside another record **stacks** it on top, and you can keep drilling several layers deep. Each Back / close step peels off one layer. Switching to a different module from the sidebar, though, closes the whole stack at once.

### How do I tell which screen I am on?

The screen's title is printed in the header at the top of the content area, and the matching sidebar entry is highlighted while you hover the sidebar open.

### Why can't I see a module someone else has?

The sidebar only lists modules you have permission for. A parent module (like *Sales* or *AI*) disappears entirely if you can't open any screen inside it. If a feature described in this guide isn't in your sidebar, ask your administrator to grant the permission — see [Users and permissions](/docs/settings/users-and-permissions).

### The sidebar keeps sliding open when I don't want it to.

That's the hover behaviour — the sidebar expands whenever your pointer is over it. On the **desktop app** you can turn the sidebar off completely and move navigation into the title-bar menu instead: *Settings → Personalization → Disable Sidebar*. See [Switching to the menu bar](#switching-to-the-menu-bar).

### The desktop title bar vanished — where did it go?

When the desktop window is maximized, the title bar auto-hides to give you more room. Move your mouse to the very top edge of the screen and it slides back down. To keep it on screen permanently, turn off *Auto Hide Titlebar* in [Personalization](/docs/settings/personalisation).

### Where's the search box for the whole app?

There isn't one global search. Each list has its own search box that matches the columns that screen cares about — the customer list searches customer names, the enquiry list searches enquiries, and so on. See [Tables, search, and modals](/docs/getting-started/tables-and-actions).

### How do I change the theme or make the text bigger?

Both live in *Settings → Personalization*: *Dark Mode* for the light/dark theme and *Zoom Level* for the overall scale. See [Personalization](/docs/settings/personalisation).

### How do I sign out?

Open *Settings → Security* and sign out from there. Closing the window doesn't sign you out. See [Signing in](/docs/getting-started/signing-in).