# Navigate in Nuvolos

Navigation in Nuvolos mirrors the [organisational hierarchy](https://docs.nuvolos.com/features/nuvolos-basic-concepts/organisational-hierarchy): organisations contain spaces, spaces contain instances, and instances hold your working material. What you can see and do at each level depends on your [role](https://docs.nuvolos.com/administration/roles). The UI provides four main navigation elements to move through this hierarchy.

## The Dashboard

The **Dashboard** is your starting point after logging in. It shows your recent activity, quick-access cards for your most-used applications, in the context of the latest organisation you have worked in. You can return to the Dashboard at any time by clicking the **Nuvolos logo** in the top left corner.

## The breadcrumb

The breadcrumb bar at the top of the screen shows your current position in the hierarchy and provides links to higher levels. It helps you understand where you are and lets you quickly navigate back.

For example, when viewing an instance, the breadcrumb shows the organisation, space, and instance name. You can click any level to navigate there directly, or return to the **Dashboard** by clicking the first element. You can navigate to anywhere using just the *breadcrumbs*.

### Selecting a space

You only see spaces where you have access to at least one instance. When you select a space from the breadcrumb, Nuvolos automatically opens an instance for you: if you have access to the Master instance, it opens that; otherwise, it opens the first instance you have editor access to. You can always switch to a different instance using the instance level in the breadcrumb.

## The sidebar

The sidebar only shows up once you are in the context of a space and instance. It always refers to the currently selected space/instance combination — switching instance via the breadcrumb updates the sidebar accordingly. From top to bottom, the icons lead to:

* Overview
* Files
* Tables
* Applications
* Snapshot creation
* Staging and distribution

Hover over an icon to see its label. The currently active view is highlighted with a darker background.

## The organisation selection

The first level of the breadcrumb doubles as an organisation selector. Depending on which [organisation](https://docs.nuvolos.com/nuvolos-basic-concepts/organisational-hierarchy#organisations) you are working in, you will see different datasets, projects, and courses. If you cannot find a particular space, check that you have selected the correct organisation.