Navigating the Interface
Learn how to use the ChairPulse sidebar, office switcher, user menu, help resources panel, and onboarding checklist to navigate across features and offices.
Interface Layout
The ChairPulse interface uses a sidebar-based layout. The sidebar sits on the left side of the screen and provides access to every section of the platform. It contains:
- Logo and brand name at the top
- Office switcher for multi-location practices
- Main navigation links
- Settings section (collapsible)
- Onboarding checklist widget (for new users)
- Help & Resources button in the footer
- User menu (avatar) in the footer
The sidebar can be collapsed to icons only, giving you more screen space for the main content area.
Sidebar Navigation
The sidebar is divided into two groups: Main and Settings.
Main Section
The Main section contains your primary navigation items:
| Menu Item | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | Layout grid | Your daily command center with stats, alerts, and tasks. See Dashboard Overview. |
| Equipment | Wrench | Manage all dental equipment across your practice. See Equipment Overview. |
| Issues | Alert circle | Track and resolve equipment problems. See Issues Overview. |
| Maintenance | Calendar | View and manage maintenance schedules and task history. See Maintenance Overview. |
| Checklists | Checklist | Manage daily and recurring operational checklists. See Checklists Overview. |
| Compliance | Clipboard check | Track regulatory compliance requirements. See Compliance Overview. |
| Knowledge | Book | Access SOPs, the SOP Assistant, and training paths. See Knowledge Overview. |
| Invoice Analytics | Receipt | Review and analyze service invoices. See Invoice Analytics. |
| Reports | Bar chart | Generate compliance and maintenance reports. See Reports Overview. |
The currently active page is highlighted with a distinct background color and text emphasis, making it easy to see where you are in the app.
Settings Section
The Settings section is collapsible -- click the Settings label to expand or collapse it. A chevron arrow rotates to indicate the current state.
| Menu Item | Icon | Who sees it | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms & Locations | Building | All users | Manage rooms, operatories, and locations. See Rooms & Locations Overview. |
| Office Settings | Gear | All users | Configure office details, operating days, team members, and service providers. See Office Settings. |
| Organization | Network | Admin and DSO Admin only | Manage organization-level settings across multiple offices. See Organization Settings. |
The Organization menu item only appears if your account has the Admin or DSO Admin role. Standard staff and manager accounts will not see this option.
Collapsing the Sidebar
You can collapse the sidebar to a narrow icon-only view by clicking the menu button (hamburger icon) in the dashboard header. When collapsed:
- Navigation items show only their icons
- Hovering over an icon reveals a tooltip with the item name
- The office switcher condenses to a building icon
- The Settings section label is hidden (screen reader accessible only)
- The onboarding checklist widget is hidden
- The Help & Resources button shows only its icon
Click the menu button again to expand the sidebar back to its full width.
Office Switcher
The office switcher appears in the sidebar header, directly below the ChairPulse logo. It allows you to scope all dashboard data, equipment lists, issues, and tasks to a specific office.
Single Office Users
If your practice has only one office and you are not an admin, the switcher simply displays your office name as a static label -- no dropdown is needed.
Multi-Office Users
If you belong to multiple offices or are an admin, the switcher appears as a dropdown button showing the current selection. Click it to open a searchable command palette.
Open the office switcher
Click the office switcher button in the sidebar header. It shows the current office name or "All Offices."
Search or select an office
Type in the search field to filter offices by name. Each office entry displays the office name and, if available, the city and state. Click an office to select it.
View All Offices (DSO Admins)
If you are a DSO Admin, an All Offices option appears at the top of the dropdown under a "View" heading. Selecting this shows aggregated data from every office in your organization.
Add a new office
Admins and DSO Admins see an Add New Office option at the bottom of the dropdown. Clicking it opens the Add Office dialog where you can register a new location.
When you switch offices, the entire dashboard re-fetches data for the selected office. All stats, alerts, maintenance tasks, and issues update to reflect only that office's equipment and records.
User Menu
Your user avatar appears in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar footer. Click it to open a dropdown menu with the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Profile header | Displays your name (or username) and email address |
| Profile | Access your user profile |
| Settings | Navigate to your account settings |
| Sign out | Sign out of ChairPulse and return to the login page |
The avatar shows your profile photo if you have uploaded one, or displays your initials (first two characters of your email) as a fallback.
Help & Resources Panel
The Help & Resources button appears in the sidebar footer, above the user avatar. Clicking it opens a slide-out panel from the left side of the screen.
The panel is organized into three sections:
Get Started
- Resume onboarding -- restarts the onboarding checklist if you previously dismissed it, and opens the tutorial video modal. The description reads "Continue the setup checklist."
- Watch tutorial -- opens the tutorial video modal for a quick overview of key features.
Quick Guides
Three guide cards that link to help content:
| Guide | Description |
|---|---|
| Equipment Setup | Learn how to add and manage equipment |
| Compliance Overview | Understand compliance tracking |
| SOP Best Practices | Create effective procedures |
Need Help?
- Contact Support -- opens an email to hello@chairpulse.com with the description "We're here to help."
At the bottom of the panel, a View full documentation link opens the complete documentation site.
Onboarding Checklist Widget
For new users who have not yet completed their initial setup, a checklist widget appears in the sidebar between the navigation items and the footer. It is titled "Get started" and includes a progress bar and completion counter.
Checklist Items
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Watch the tutorial | Opens the tutorial video modal |
| Set up your office | Opens the quick room setup wizard |
| Set up your team | Opens the team setup wizard |
| Add your first equipment | Navigates to the add equipment form |
| Create an SOP | Navigates to the SOP creation page |
| Complete compliance check | Navigates to the Compliance page |
| Add a service technician | Navigates to Office Settings, technicians tab |
Widget Behavior
- Progress tracking -- a thin progress bar at the top fills as you complete items, and a counter (e.g., "3/7") shows your progress.
- Completed items -- show a checkmark icon and strikethrough text. They cannot be clicked again.
- Collapsible -- click the chevron button to collapse the checklist to just its header. The widget also auto-collapses when the Settings section is expanded, to save space.
- Dismissible -- click the X button to permanently dismiss the checklist. This is saved to your profile and persists across sessions.
- Auto-hide -- the widget automatically hides when all items are completed, when viewed on mobile, or when the sidebar is collapsed to icon mode.
If you dismissed the checklist before finishing, open the Help & Resources panel and click Resume onboarding to restore it.
Global Search
The global search bar appears in the dashboard header. It allows you to quickly find equipment, issues, and other records without navigating through menus. Simply type your query and results appear as you type.
Notification Bell
The notification bell icon is positioned in the top-right corner of the dashboard header. It shows a red badge with the unread notification count. For a full breakdown of notification types and how to act on them, see Alerts & Notifications.
Quick Actions
The dashboard header provides quick action buttons for the three most common tasks:
| Button | Action | Available on |
|---|---|---|
| Add Equipment | Opens the add equipment form at /equipment/new | Desktop: labeled button. Mobile/Tablet: plus icon |
| Log Issue | Opens the new issue form at /issues/new | Desktop: labeled button. Mobile/Tablet: alert icon |
| Ask SOP Assistant | Opens the SOP Assistant chat at /sop-assistant | Desktop: labeled button. Mobile/Tablet: available in overflow menu |
On mobile and tablet devices, the first two actions appear as icon-only buttons, and all three are accessible through a more options (three-dot) overflow menu.
Related Pages
- Dashboard Overview -- understanding every section of the dashboard
- Alerts & Notifications -- alert types and the notification bell
- Equipment Overview -- managing your equipment inventory
- Office Settings -- configuring your practice settings
- Organization Settings -- multi-office organization management
Last updated Mar 13, 2026
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