Navigation & Interface

Learn how to navigate Workestra's interface, use the command palette, and master keyboard shortcuts for maximum productivity.

Workestra's interface is designed to help you move quickly between modules, find what you need, and stay focused on your work. This guide covers all the navigation patterns you'll use every day.

full dashboard with navigation elements labeled

Screenshot needed � add an annotated image showing this UI

The left sidebar is your main navigation hub. It provides access to all modules and platform features.

Module Icons

The sidebar displays icons for each enabled module:

Dashboard — Your workspace home with quick stats and AI insights
Inbox — Unified email and notification center
Knowledge Base — Team documentation and wiki
CRM — Contacts, deals, companies, and campaigns
Recruiting — Jobs, candidates, and hiring pipeline
Projects — Tasks, cycles, epics, and roadmaps
Support — Tickets and customer service
Finance — Invoicing, expenses, and quotations
Analytics — Reports and business intelligence

Collapsible Sections

Click any module icon to expand its sub-navigation
Click the same icon again to collapse it
The sidebar remembers your preference across sessions

Hover over a module icon to see its name in a tooltip, even when collapsed.

Workspace Switcher

At the bottom of the sidebar, you'll find the workspace switcher:

Click your workspace name to open the switcher
Select a different workspace from the list
Or click Create New Workspace to start fresh

Hover any workspace row in the switcher to reveal a pin icon. Clicking it sets that workspace as your default — it'll open automatically every time you log in, on every browser and every device. See Default Workspace for details.

The header spans the top of your screen and provides context and quick actions.

Quick Add Button (+)

The + button in the header (or Cmd+Shift+N / Ctrl+Shift+N) opens a command-menu style dialog for quickly creating new records from anywhere in the app:

Option	What it does
Contact	Opens the contacts page with the create modal ready
Company	Opens the companies page with the create modal ready
Quote	Navigates to the new quotation form
Invoice	Navigates to the new invoice form
Project	Navigates to the new project form

Use arrow keys to navigate, Enter to select, and Esc to close. The dialog supports full keyboard navigation.

When creating a Contact via Quick Add, you can select a Company in the create form to link them immediately. No need to create the contact first and then go back to link it.

The breadcrumb shows your current location:

CRM > Contacts > John Smith

Click any part of the breadcrumb to navigate up the hierarchy.

Global Search Bar

The search bar in the header provides quick access to common actions:

Search for contacts, deals, companies, tickets, and more
Jump to recent items
Access common actions like "Create Contact" or "New Task"

Command Palette (Cmd+K)

The command palette is the fastest way to get things done in Workestra. Open it anytime with Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows).

What You Can Search

The command palette searches across 12+ entity types:

Entity Type	Example Search	Result
Contacts	"john smith"	Contact profile
Deals	"acme corp deal"	Deal pipeline card
Companies	"acme"	Company record
Tickets	"support #1234"	Ticket details
Invoices	"inv-2024-001"	Invoice view
Tasks	"quarterly review"	Task detail page
Projects	"website redesign"	Project overview
Knowledge Base	"onboarding guide"	KB document
Pages	"CRM settings"	Settings page
Actions	"create contact"	Opens create dialog

Keyboard Shortcuts Within Cmd+K

Key	Action
↑ ↓	Navigate results
Enter	Select highlighted item
Esc	Close command palette
Cmd+K	Open/re-open palette

Recent searches appear at the top of the command palette for quick access to items you use frequently.

Click your avatar in the top-right corner to access:

Profile & Settings

Profile — Update your name, job title, avatar, timezone
Settings — Workspace and personal preferences
Theme — Toggle between light and dark mode

Account Actions

Switch Workspace — Change to another workspace
Help & Support — Access documentation and support
Logout — Sign out of your account

Settings Hub

Workestra has a two-tier settings structure:

Platform Settings

Platform settings affect your entire workspace:

Workspace — Company profile, branding, industry
Team Members — Add/remove users, assign roles
Roles & Permissions — Custom roles and access control
Modules — Enable/disable modules
Billing — Subscription and invoices
Security — Password, 2FA, sessions
Integrations — Connected accounts
AI Configuration — Provider settings and features

Module Settings

Each module has its own settings page for module-specific configuration:

CRM Settings — Pipeline stages, price books, email templates
Recruiting Settings — Email intake, fairness mode, AI config
Projects Settings — Default templates, label management
Support Settings — SLA policies, email processors, templates
Finance Settings — Tax rates, numbering, PEPPOL

Some settings require Admin or Owner permissions to modify. Contact your workspace administrator if you need changes you can't make.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts to work faster:

Global Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Cmd+K / Ctrl+K	Open command palette
Cmd+Shift+N / Ctrl+Shift+N	Open Quick Add menu
Cmd+/ / Ctrl+/	Open AI assistant
?	Show keyboard shortcuts help

Shortcut	Action
g then d	Go to Dashboard
g then i	Go to Inbox
g then k	Go to Knowledge Base
g then c	Go to CRM
g then r	Go to Recruiting
g then p	Go to Projects
g then s	Go to Support
g then f	Go to Finance
g then a	Go to Analytics

Action Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
n then c	New Contact
n then d	New Deal
n then t	New Task
n then j	New Job
n then i	New Invoice
n then k	New KB Document

Shortcut	Action
Esc	Close modal/dialog
Cmd+Enter	Save/submit form
Cmd+Shift+Enter	Save and create another

Pin Favorite Pages

You can pin frequently used pages to your browser bookmarks for even faster access. The URL structure is consistent:

https://your-workspace.workestra.app/crm/contacts
https://your-workspace.workestra.app/projects/tasks

Use Breadcrumbs for Context

When deep in a record (like a specific contact), use breadcrumbs to understand where you are and navigate back up:

CRM > Contacts > John Smith > Activities > Meeting Notes

Keyboard-First Workflow

Power users can operate almost entirely from the keyboard:

Cmd+K to open command palette
Type to search for what you need
Enter to navigate
? anytime to see available shortcuts

On mobile devices, the sidebar collapses into a hamburger menu:

Tap the ☰ menu icon to open navigation
Swipe left to close
Bottom tab bar provides quick access to Dashboard, Inbox, and Create actions

Next Steps

Explore the Dashboard — See what's on your home screen
Learn about the Inbox — Master your unified notification center
Try the AI Assistant — Get help from your AI copilot