Navigating the Dashboard
Official guide · English · Version 9c253d0cf11816df
The DirectSale dashboard uses a sidebar navigation pattern that gives you quick access to every section of the platform. This guide explains each part of the sidebar, what every menu item does, and how role-based access controls what you see.
Sidebar Overview
The sidebar offers Classic and New Panel navigation. New Panel regroups the same destinations into Sales, Catalog, Customer Care, Online Store and workspace areas. Switching menus does not grant new permissions or change your catalog. Dashboard appearance and Standard/Simplified forms are separate choices under Settings > Appearance.
The sidebar is a fixed panel on the left side of the screen (or the right side for RTL languages like Arabic and Persian). It contains:
- Header -- The brand name and collapse toggle button.
- Store Info -- Your store name and role (when expanded).
- Navigation Menu -- All the main sections of the platform, organized into groups separated by dividers.
- Footer -- Language selector, theme toggle, and logout button.
The footer also provides Help for the central guide. Use Complete Learning Directory to find task guides and Smart Help for grounded assistance when enabled for your tenant.
Collapsing the Sidebar
The sidebar can be collapsed to save screen space:
- Click the chevron button in the sidebar header to toggle between expanded and collapsed states.
- When expanded (default), the sidebar is 256px wide and shows icons with text labels.
- When collapsed, the sidebar shrinks to 64px and shows only icons. Hover over an icon to see a tooltip with the menu item name.
Store Information Panel
Below the sidebar header, when the sidebar is expanded, you will see a panel showing:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| "Dashboard" label | A small text label indicating you are in the dashboard area. |
| Store Name | Your business name, displayed in bold. Long names are truncated with an ellipsis. |
| Team Member Info | If you are logged in as a team member (not the owner), your display name and role are shown below the store name in blue text (e.g., "Sarah Johnson (manager)"). |
This panel is hidden when the sidebar is collapsed.
Navigation Menu Items
The navigation menu is divided into three sections, separated by horizontal dividers. Each item has an icon and a text label.
Section 1: Overview
| Menu Item | Icon | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | Grid layout icon | /dashboard |
The main overview page with stats cards and quick actions. Your starting point after login. |
| Analytics | Bar chart icon | /dashboard/analytics |
Detailed analytics and reporting. View conversation trends, message statistics, hourly activity patterns, top products, revenue data, and platform breakdowns. |
Section 2: Commerce & Operations
| Menu Item | Icon | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Products | Package icon | /dashboard/products |
Manage your product catalog. Add, edit, delete, import, and export products. Generate AI descriptions and images. View processing pipeline status. |
| Media | Image icon | /dashboard/media |
Upload and manage images and other media files used across your store. |
| Orders | Shopping cart icon | /dashboard/orders |
View and manage customer orders. Filter by status, date, and payment state. Track order lifecycle from placement to delivery. |
| Returns | Rotate icon | /dashboard/returns |
Handle product return requests and process refunds. |
| Coupons | Ticket icon | /dashboard/coupons |
Create and manage discount codes and promotional campaigns. |
| Cart Recovery | Refresh icon | /dashboard/cart-recovery |
View abandoned carts and set up automated recovery campaigns to bring customers back. |
| Shipping | Truck icon | /dashboard/shipping |
Configure shipping rules, carriers, zones, and rates for your deliveries. |
| Services | Briefcase icon | /dashboard/services |
Create and manage service-based offerings (e.g., consultations, repairs). |
| Appointments | Calendar icon | /dashboard/appointments |
View and manage appointment bookings from customers who book your services. |
| Integrations | Link icon | /dashboard/connections |
Connect external platforms and services. Sync products, orders, and data with third-party systems. |
| Multichannel | Layers icon | /dashboard/multichannel |
Manage your presence across multiple sales channels and marketplaces. |
Section 3: Communication & Configuration
| Menu Item | Icon | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversations | Message icon | /dashboard/conversations |
View all customer chat sessions across all channels. Read messages, take over from the AI, and respond directly. |
| Channels | Send icon | /dashboard/channels |
Connect customer messaging platforms and check reply settings. |
| Chat Studio | Sparkles icon | /dashboard/chat-studio |
Configure assistant identity, languages, voice, product presentation and handoff. |
| Knowledge Base | Document icon | /dashboard/knowledge-base |
Maintain your business articles, FAQs and policies. |
| Auto Replies | Message icon | /dashboard/auto-replies |
Configure prepared replies and their matching rules. |
| App Store | Puzzle piece icon | /dashboard/app-store |
Browse and install apps and extensions that add new functionality to your platform. |
| Storefront | Store icon | /dashboard/storefront |
Build and customize your online store. Configure the homepage, header, footer, pages, SEO, and analytics. |
| Deploy | Server icon | /dashboard/deploy |
Deploy your storefront to production. Connect custom domains and manage your live site. |
| Accounting | Pie chart icon | /dashboard/accounting |
Full accounting module with chart of accounts, invoices, contacts, tax rates, payment terms, budgets, treasury, and inventory tracking. |
| Widget | Code icon | /dashboard/widget |
Configure the embeddable AI chat widget. Generate API keys, customize appearance, set allowed domains, and get the installation code. |
| Account | Settings gear icon | /dashboard/usage |
View your account usage, subscription details, and billing information. |
| Settings | Settings icon | /dashboard/settings |
General, appearance/forms, security, notifications, checkout and backups. |
| Billing / Team / Support | Workspace controls | /dashboard/billing, /dashboard/team, /dashboard/support |
Manage subscriptions, staff access and support requests where authorized. |
| Notifications | Bell icon | /dashboard/notifications |
Inspect notification history and recipient settings. |
Active State
The currently active menu item is highlighted with a blue background and white text (in both light and dark modes). A menu item is considered active when:
- The current page URL exactly matches the menu item's path, OR
- The current page URL starts with the menu item's path followed by a
/(for sub-pages).
For example, if you are on /dashboard/products/add, the Products menu item will be highlighted.
Pending Reviews Indicator
The Products menu item has a special indicator. When there are pending product reviews awaiting moderation, a small yellow star icon appears on the Products menu item. This badge updates automatically every 30 seconds so you always know when reviews need attention.
Role-Based Menu Visibility
Not all team members see the same menu items. The items visible to each role are determined by the role-based access system. This ensures team members only see sections relevant to their responsibilities.
Full Access Roles
| Role | Visible Items |
|---|---|
| Owner | All menu destinations, subject to enabled modules and operation-specific permissions |
| Admin | All menu destinations, subject to enabled modules and operation-specific permissions |
Restricted Roles
Manager
Managers have access to most operational destinations, including Deploy. Visibility does not authorize owner-only actions such as linking tenants:
| Visible Items |
|---|
| Dashboard, Analytics, Products, Media, Orders, Returns, Coupons, Cart Recovery, Shipping, Services, Appointments, Channels, Integrations, Marketplace, Multichannel, Conversations, Knowledge Base, Auto Replies, Chat Studio, App Store, Storefront Content, Reviews, Blog, Storefront, Deploy, Accounting, Account, Notifications, Settings, Support |
Info: Menu visibility, module availability and permission to perform a specific action are separate checks. If an operation is owner-only, opening its page as a Manager does not bypass that requirement.
Accountant
Accountants see a minimal set of items focused on financial operations:
| Visible Items |
|---|
| Dashboard, Accounting, Multichannel, Account, Notifications, Support |
Operator
Operators have access to customer-facing and order-processing features:
| Visible Items |
|---|
| Dashboard, Conversations, Orders, Media, Shipping, Appointments, Accounting, Multichannel, Notifications, Support |
Info: The Operator role is designed for customer support staff and fulfillment teams. They can view and respond to conversations, process orders and shipments, and manage appointments.
Viewer
Viewers have read-only access to a limited set of sections:
| Visible Items |
|---|
| Dashboard, Conversations, Analytics, Media, Account, Notifications, Support |
How Filtering Works
When a restricted role logs in:
- The system checks the user's role against the role-menu access configuration.
- Menu items that the role does not have access to are completely hidden from the sidebar -- they do not appear at all.
- Section dividers are automatically removed if all items in a section are hidden, keeping the navigation clean.
- If all items in a section group are removed, that entire section (including its divider) disappears.
Warning: Even though a menu item may be hidden from the sidebar, accessing the URL directly will still load the page. Access control for data is enforced at the API level, so unauthorized users will see error messages or empty data if they try to access restricted pages directly.
Sidebar Footer
The bottom section of the sidebar contains three utility buttons:
Language Selector
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Globe icon | Click to open the language selection popup. |
| Current language name | Displayed next to the icon when the sidebar is expanded (e.g., "English"). |
When you click the globe icon:
- A popup menu appears above the button listing all 18 available languages.
- The currently selected language has a blue checkmark next to it.
- Click any language to switch. The page will reload with the new language applied.
- Your preference is saved in a browser cookie (
NEXT_LOCALE) and persists for one year.
Available languages: English, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, French, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, German, Korean, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Urdu, and Hebrew.
Theme Toggle
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Moon icon (light mode) | Click to switch to dark mode. |
| Sun icon (dark mode) | Click to switch to light mode. |
| Label | Shows "Dark mode" or "Light mode" when the sidebar is expanded. |
The theme change is instant and applies to all dashboard pages.
Logout Button
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Logout icon | Click to sign out of your account. |
| Label | Shows "Logout" when the sidebar is expanded. |
| Hover effect | The button turns red on hover to indicate it is a destructive action. |
When you click Logout:
- Your access and refresh tokens are removed from the browser.
- Your session state is cleared.
- You are returned to a logged-out state and can navigate to the login page.
Navigation Tips
- Use the collapse toggle when you need more screen space for content-heavy pages like the Products table or Conversations inbox.
- Check the notification bell in the top-right corner regularly for important alerts about orders, stock levels, and system issues.
- Bookmark frequently used pages -- the dashboard uses standard URLs so browser bookmarks work perfectly.
- Use keyboard shortcuts in your browser (like back/forward navigation) to move between recently visited pages.
- Watch for the review star indicator on the Products menu item -- it means customers have submitted reviews that need your attention.
Sub-Navigation Within Sections
Many sections have their own sub-pages that you access by clicking deeper into the section. For example:
| Section | Sub-Pages |
|---|---|
| Products | Product list, Add product, Import products, Categories, Product settings |
| Storefront | Setup, Homepage builder, Header, Footer, Pages, SEO, Analytics |
| Accounting | Dashboard, Chart of Accounts, Sales Invoices, Contacts, Tax Rates, Payment Terms, Budgets, Treasury, Inventory, Products, Settings |
| Settings | General, Security, Notifications, Integrations, Checkout, Data & Privacy, Backup & Restore |
| Shipping | Shipping rules and configuration |
Sub-pages are typically accessed through tabs, buttons, or links within the section's main page. The sidebar menu item for the parent section remains highlighted when you are on any sub-page.
Next Steps
Now that you understand how to navigate the dashboard, learn about the Dashboard Overview page and the key metrics it displays.