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

# The dashboard

> Find your projects, resume recent work, and browse the projects your admin role allows you to manage.

The dashboard opens with **My projects**, the projects you have joined in the current workspace. Search, department filtering, and sorting help you find a project without scrolling through the whole workspace. The directory shows twelve projects per page.

## Continue working

Up to three projects you recently opened appear above the directory. These are personal to you and only include projects you belong to. Opening a project through administrative access alone does not add it here.

The sidebar's **My shortcuts** shows up to six joined projects: up to three recently opened projects first, then remaining spaces filled by recent activity. These shortcuts are automatic; there is no manual pinning control.

## My projects and All projects

**My projects** shows explicit project memberships, including your role in each project. Being a workspace owner or administrator does not automatically make you a member of every project.

Workspace owners and administrators also have **All projects**, where they can browse active projects across the workspace. Department administrators have **Browse projects**, limited to their administrative scope and projects they belong to. A **Join** action adds you as a project member and brings the project into **My projects**.

Ordinary members only see projects they belong to. Department membership alone does not grant access to projects inside that department. Project visibility, counts, and actions are checked by the server.

## Finding a project

Search matches project and department names across the selected view. Use **Department** to narrow the list, including projects marked **Unassigned**. Sort by recent activity, project name, or department name. **Previous** and **Next** move through the results.

Recent activity reflects additions to the project's sources, notes, and models, with the project's update time used when those have no activity. It is separate from when you personally opened a project.

## Departments and removed projects

**Departments** opens a separate view when your permissions allow department management or creation. Each department shows the number of projects you can access. Selecting a department opens its projects in the directory. Rename and delete controls appear only when your role permits those actions.

A project's **Move** action opens the department move dialog when you can manage that project. Moving changes inherited administrative access while preserving direct project memberships and the project's contents.

**Recently removed** lists projects you have permission to restore. Restoring a project returns it to the active directory.

## Starting a project

**New project** opens the creation dialog when your role and workspace policies allow it. After creating the project, you can add sources from [Sources](/manual/desk-sources) and develop its research details on [Overview](/manual/overview).

For workspace membership and policies, see [Workspace settings](/manual/settings). For navigation inside a project, see [Getting around](/manual/getting-around).