> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/directus/directus/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dashboard Overview

> Learn how to use the Directus admin dashboard to manage your content and data

The Directus admin dashboard is your central hub for managing content, monitoring analytics, and configuring your project. The dashboard provides a powerful, intuitive interface to work with your data without writing code.

## Key Features

The admin dashboard includes several core modules to help you manage your Directus project:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Content Module" icon="box" href="/dashboard/content-module">
    Browse, create, edit, and manage items across all your collections.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Insights" icon="chart-line" href="/dashboard/insights">
    Visualize data with customizable dashboards and analytics panels.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Files" icon="folder">
    Upload, organize, and manage all your media assets.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Settings" icon="gear" href="/dashboard/settings">
    Configure your data model, permissions, workflows, and project settings.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Navigation

The admin dashboard uses a sidebar navigation to organize different modules:

* **Content** - Work with your data collections and items
* **Insights** - View analytics dashboards and metrics
* **Files** - Manage media and file assets
* **Settings** - Configure your project (admin only)
* **Users** - Manage user accounts and roles

<Tip>
  Use the search bar at the top to quickly find collections, items, or settings.
</Tip>

## User Interface

The dashboard interface includes:

### Header Bar

The top header contains:

* **Search** - Global search across all content
* **Actions** - Context-specific action buttons
* **User Menu** - Access your profile, preferences, and logout

### Sidebar Navigation

The left sidebar provides:

* **Module Icons** - Click to switch between different modules
* **Collections** - Nested list of your data collections (in Content module)
* **Dashboards** - Your custom analytics dashboards (in Insights module)

### Main Content Area

The center area displays:

* **Data Tables** - Browse and filter items in collections
* **Forms** - Create and edit individual items
* **Dashboards** - Visual panels showing analytics and metrics

## Getting Started

To begin using the admin dashboard:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log in to your Directus instance">
    Navigate to your Directus URL and enter your credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explore the Content module">
    Click **Content** in the sidebar to view your collections and start managing data.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your first item">
    Select a collection, click the **+** button, and fill out the form to create a new item.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up Insights dashboards">
    Click **Insights** to create custom dashboards with analytics panels.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Permissions

What you can see and do in the dashboard depends on your user role and permissions:

* **Admin users** have full access to all modules and settings
* **Regular users** see only collections and features they have permission to access
* Permissions are configured in **Settings → Roles & Permissions**

<Note>
  If you don't see a module or collection, contact your administrator to request access.
</Note>

## Next Steps

Explore the dashboard modules in detail:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Content Module" icon="box" href="/dashboard/content-module">
    Learn how to manage your data collections and items.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Insights & Analytics" icon="chart-line" href="/dashboard/insights">
    Create dashboards to visualize your data.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>