# Navigating the Dashboard

The dashboard is your home base in Kaana. It provides an overview of your projects, tasks, and key metrics at a glance.

## Dashboard Layout

### Navigation Sidebar

On the left side, you'll find the main navigation menu:

* **Dashboard** - Return to this overview page
* **Projects** - View and manage all projects
* **Documents** - Access your document library
* **Activities** - Track meetings, emails, and notes
* **Issues** - View and manage issues
* **Reports** - Access analytics and exports
* **Planning** - Program planner, blueprints, and playbooks
* **Organizations** - Manage client organizations
* **Contacts** - Your contact directory
* **Settings** - Account and system settings

### Main Content Area

The center of the dashboard displays:

* **Key Metrics** - Important numbers like active projects, open tasks, and pending issues
* **Recent Activity** - Latest updates across your projects
* **Quick Actions** - Shortcuts to common tasks
* **Upcoming Deadlines** - Tasks and milestones due soon

## Personalizing Your View

### Rearranging Navigation

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Go to **Settings** > **Preferences**
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Drag and drop menu items to reorder
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Your preferences are saved automatically
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Dashboard Widgets

Some dashboard sections can be customized:

* Collapse sections you don't need
* Expand sections to see more details
* Some sections may be filtered based on your role

### Quick Actions

From the dashboard, you can quickly:

* **Create a new project** - Click the "+" button or "New Project"
* **Add a task** - Start typing in the quick task input
* **Upload a document** - Drag and drop files
* **Log an activity** - Record meetings or notes

## Searching

Use the search bar at the top to find:

* Projects by name
* Contacts by name or email
* Documents by title
* Tasks by description

Search results are organized by category for easy navigation.

## Notifications

The notification icon shows alerts for:

* Tasks assigned to you
* Mentions in comments
* Project updates
* Upcoming deadlines

Click the bell icon to view your notification history.

## Getting Help

* Look for the **?** icon for context-sensitive help
* Access the Help Center from the user menu
* Contact support through the Settings page