> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nuvolos.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nuvolos.com/getting-started/find-your-way-around.md). # Find your way around Nuvolos mirrors the way computational research and teaching projects are organised: Organisations maintain projects, projects consists of various stages of workflows organised in working environments, and working environments consist of files, data, and software applications. The interface follows that same shape. Nuvolos consists of projects (*Spaces*), organised into *Organisations*, and projects contain working environments (*Instances*), which further have various *States*, containing files, data and applications. Once you know the four navigation elements below, you can reach anything in the platform within a few clicks. This page is a quick tour. For the conceptual model behind the hierarchy, see [The hierarchy and resource model](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts/organisational-hierarchy.md). For the role-based view of what you can see and do at each level, see [Roles and permissions](/concepts/roles-secrets-and-identity/roles.md). ## The four navigation elements Nuvolos provides four ways to move through the platform. You will use all of them, often in combination. * **The Dashboard** - your starting point after logging in. * **The breadcrumbs bar** - your position in the hierarchy and a way to jump between levels. * **The sidebar** - actions available within the currently selected Instance. * **The Account & Settings menu** - your profile, secrets, API keys, and resource monitoring. ### The Dashboard The Dashboard is your starting point after logging in. It shows your recent activity and quick-access cards for your most-used Applications, in the context of the most recent *Organisation* you worked in. You can return to the Dashboard at any time by clicking the **Nuvolos logo** in the top left corner. ### The breadcrumbs bar The breadcrumbs bar at the top of the screen shows your current position in the hierarchy and provides links to higher levels. When viewing an Instance, the breadcrumbs show **Organisation → Space → Instance → State**. Click any level to navigate there directly, or return to the Dashboard by clicking the leftmost element. You can navigate to anywhere in Nuvolos using just the breadcrumbs. ### **The sidebar** The sidebar appears once you are inside a Space and Instance. It always refers to the currently selected Space/Instance combination - switching Instance via the breadcrumbs updates the sidebar accordingly. From top to bottom, the icons lead to: * **Overview** - the Space/Instance landing page, including the rendered `README.md` if one exists. * **Files** - the file navigator for the Workspace and Personal areas. * **Tables** - the data warehouse view (only visible if tables are activated for the Space). * **Applications** - the list of Applications configured in the current Instance. * **Snapshots** - create snapshots and browse the snapshot timeline. * **Stage / Distribute** - the staging area for distributing files, tables, Applications, or snapshots to other Instances. Hover over any icon to see its label. The currently active view is highlighted with a darker background. ## **Finding what you need** Most navigation in Nuvolos is a matter of selecting the right level in the breadcrumbs. The patterns below cover the common cases. ### **Finding an Organisation** You can only see *Organisations* for which you have accepted a valid invitation. To find an *Organisation*, click the first element of the breadcrumbs bar. Scroll the list, or use the search field to filter. If you cannot find an expected *Organisation*, confirm that you have accepted the invitation email - see [Accepting an invitation](/how-to-guides/common-workflows/accepting-an-invitation.md). ### **Finding a Space** You can only see *Spaces* where you have access to at least one Instance. To find a *Space*: * Select the *Organisation* containing the *Space* in the breadcrumbs. * Click the second breadcrumbs element to open the *Space* dropdown. * Use the radio buttons at the top to filter by **Courses**, **Projects**, or **Datasets**. * By default, only your three most recent Spaces are shown. Use the search field, or click **List all** at the bottom for the full list. * To see archived courses or resting projects/datasets, enable the **Archived** or **Resting** toggle. These Spaces appear with greyed-out text and are hidden by default. When you select a *Space*, 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. ### **Finding an Instance** You can only see Instances where you are an *Editor* or *Viewer*. To find an Instance: * Select the *Organisation* and *Space* in the breadcrumbs. * Click the third breadcrumbs element to open the Instance list. * Filter by name or click **List all instances** to see the full list. ### **Finding a State (Snapshot or current state)** *States* represent points in time status within an Instance. The *Current State* is the live working version; *Snapshots* are immutable copies. To find a state: * Select the *Organisation*, *Space*, and *Instance* in the breadcrumbs. * Click the fourth breadcrumbs element to open the state list. * The current state appears under **Mutable States**; snapshots appear under **Immutable Snapshots**. * Click **List all snapshots** to open the full snapshot timeline view. ### **Finding an Application** There are three ways to find an *Application*, depending on what you remember about it. * **If you have used it recently**, the Dashboard shows your three most recent *Applications*. * **If it is currently running**, click the desktop monitor icon in the top toolbar. * **For the full list in a course or research project**, open the *Space* and click the *Applications* icon in the sidebar. ## **The Account & Settings menu** The **Account & Settings** menu in the top right corner is your control panel for everything that is yours rather than a Space's. It contains: * **User Settings** - profile, environment variables, secrets, SSH keys, API access, Dropbox sync, table access, and Nuvolos Settings (date/time formatting, AI integrations). * **Resources** - the resource monitoring dashboard, where you can track NCU consumption, storage usage, and Credit balance for the resource pools you have access to. * **Organization settings** *(organisation managers only)* - organisation-wide configuration including organisation-level secrets and service enablement. * **Tasks and notifications** - the bell icon shows running and recent background tasks (for example, distributions, archive extractions) and pending role requests. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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