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url: https://docs.lodestone.pm/dashboard-02-how-tos-and-workflows.md
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# Dashboard — How-tos & Workflows

*Reading and navigating the Dashboard effectively*

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## Orienting Yourself After Returning

When you log in or return to Lodestone after some time away, the Dashboard shows you what changed. Look for:

1. The total new-item count in the top bar — this tells you how many items are new since your last visit
2. The cyan badge on each column header — shows how many new items are in that column
3. Cyan-highlighted rows within columns — these are the new items

Start with the column most relevant to your current work. If you've been heads-down on delivery, check **Executing Plans** first. If you had transcripts running, check **Collecting Data**.

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## Navigating to an Object

Every row in the Dashboard is a link. Clicking any item takes you directly to that object in its native module:

* A Feature row → Feature detail page
* A Roadmap row → Roadmap editor
* A PRD row → the PRD document for that Feature
* An Export row → the source artifact (Roadmap, Strategy, etc.)
* A Release Board row → the Release Kanban board

The Dashboard is a jumpboard — it surfaces the most recently touched objects across your workspace and lets you get to them in one click.

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## Identifying Stale Exports in the Aligning Column

The **Aligning Plans** column tracks every export and shared snapshot your team has sent. If a Roadmap or Strategy has been updated since it was last exported, a **"Newer version available"** warning appears on that row.

This is a signal to reshare. The stakeholders who received the old version may be looking at an outdated picture. Click through to the source artifact and re-export.

> **Use case:** Before a stakeholder meeting, scan the Aligning column. If any shared artifacts show "Newer version available," update them before the meeting starts.

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## Reordering Columns

Drag any column header to rearrange the order of the five columns. The layout adjusts immediately. Use this to bring your most-used columns to the left where they're easier to scan.

To drag: click and hold the column header, then drag it to a new position.

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## Reading Feature Keys

Backlog items show their unique feature key (e.g. FEAT-7) below the item title. These keys are persistent identifiers — they appear in the backlog, in exports, and in integrations. You can use these keys to reference specific features in Copilot ("update FEAT-7 to Completed") or in conversations with your team.

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*Next: Advanced Features & Customization — understanding what each column contains and how to use the Dashboard as a daily planning tool.*