Navigation & Shortcuts
FanDesk is designed for speed. Learn these shortcuts and navigation patterns to work more efficiently.
Sidebar Navigation
The left sidebar is your primary navigation hub, divided into three zones:
Main Navigation (shortcuts 1-8)
| Key | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home | Dashboard: tasks, calendar, recent activity |
| 2 | My Tasks | Everything assigned to you |
| 3 | Pages | Documents, wikis, and templates |
| 4 | Projects | Team project management |
| 5 | Email inbox | |
| 6 | Chat | Real-time messaging |
| 7 | Calendar | Events and schedule |
| 8 | Drive | Files and Google Drive |
Secondary Navigation
Below the main 8 modules:
- People — Team directory and contact profiles
- Incidents — Incident tracking (visible to authorized users)
- DeskMate — AI assistant
- Contacts — CRM-style contact management
User Section
The bottom of the sidebar shows your avatar with a status indicator. Click to:
- Change your status (Online, Away, DND, Offline)
- Add a status message
- Access Settings
- Log out
Collapsing the Sidebar
Click the collapse button at the bottom of the sidebar to hide it. Hover over the collapsed icons to see tooltips. Click any icon to navigate.
Quick Search and Command Palette (Cmd+K)
The command palette is the fastest way to do anything in FanDesk. Press Cmd+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows/Linux.
What You Can Do
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Navigate to a module | Type module name (e.g., "calendar", "projects") |
| Search files | Type any file name |
| Search tasks | Type task name or key (e.g., "BACK-42") |
| Search people | Type a name |
| Create new items | Type "new" to see creation options |
| Access settings | Type "settings" |
Creation Shortcuts in the Palette
| Type | What to Type |
|---|---|
| New page | "new page" or just "n" |
| New task | "new task" or "t" |
| New message | "new message" or "m" |
| New event | "new event" or "e" |
| Compose email | "compose" or "c" |
Search Tips
- Search is semantic — it understands meaning, not just keywords
- File names, task titles, page titles, and people names all searched simultaneously
- Results appear instantly as you type
- Press arrow keys to navigate results, Enter to select
Keyboard Shortcuts
Global Navigation
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd+K / Ctrl+K | Open command palette |
| 1 | Go to Home |
| 2 | Go to My Tasks |
| 3 | Go to Pages |
| 4 | Go to Projects |
| 5 | Go to Mail |
| 6 | Go to Chat |
| 7 | Go to Calendar |
| 8 | Go to Drive |
| ? | Show shortcuts help (in supported areas) |
Mail Shortcuts (when in Mail)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| C | Compose new email |
| R | Reply to selected email |
| A | Reply all |
| F | Forward |
| E | Archive |
| # | Delete |
| S | Star / unstar |
| U | Mark as unread |
| J | Next email |
| K | Previous email |
| T | Create task from email |
| M | Schedule meeting from email |
Chat Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Send message |
| Shift+Enter | New line without sending |
| Up arrow | Edit your last message |
| Esc | Cancel editing |
Editor Shortcuts (Pages)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+B / Cmd+B | Bold |
| Ctrl+I / Cmd+I | Italic |
| Ctrl+U / Cmd+U | Underline |
| Ctrl+K / Cmd+K | Insert link |
| Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z / Cmd+Shift+Z | Redo |
Module Switching
Using Number Keys
The fastest way to switch modules is pressing number keys 1-8 anywhere outside a text input. This works from any page in FanDesk.
Using the Sidebar
Click any icon in the left sidebar to go to that module. Hover for a label tooltip when the sidebar is collapsed.
Using the Command Palette
Type the module name in Cmd+K and press Enter to jump there directly.
Status Indicators
Throughout FanDesk, colored dots show user availability:
| Color | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Online | Active right now |
| Yellow | Away | Idle for 10+ minutes |
| Red | Do Not Disturb | Notifications silenced |
| Gray | Offline | Not connected |
Status updates in real time via Socket.IO — no refresh needed.
Quick Actions on Hover
Most items in FanDesk reveal quick actions when you hover:
- Tasks — Mark complete, change status, edit inline
- Messages — React with emoji, reply in thread, pin, delete
- Files — Star, share, download, rename
- Emails — Archive, star, categorize, delete
Mobile Navigation
On smaller screens, the sidebar collapses into a slide-out drawer. Tap the hamburger menu icon (top-left) to open it. All module shortcuts and navigation are available.
Now that you know how to navigate, explore the Home Dashboard to understand your central hub.
Need help? Contact us at hello@fandesk.ai