# Find your way around

The sidebar, the top bar, New issue, the Find it command palette, keyboard shortcuts and how Hydrant's addresses work.

Hydrant has one sidebar, one top bar and one search box that goes everywhere. Learn those three and you can stop hunting for buttons.

## Before you start

- A workspace. See [Get started](/help/using/getting-started).
- Some of what's below only shows up when you have access to it. Members see fewer settings than Admins, and that's on purpose. [Who can do what](/help/workspace/members#who-can-do-what).

## Steps

### The sidebar

Top to bottom:

| Part | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Workspace switcher** | The workspace name at the top. Opens a searchable list of your workspaces, plus **All workspaces** and **Create workspace**. Admins and the Owner also get **Edit workspace**. |
| **Favorites** | Views you starred. New workspaces start with Cockpit and Watchtower. The first five show; **Show all favorites** reveals the rest. |
| **Issues** | The built-in views: Cockpit, Watchtower, Current work, Needs refinement and Backlog. **More views** holds Available to start, All issues, Iced, Snoozed and Trash. **Saved views** appears once any exist. |
| **Projects**, **Roadmap**, **Cycles**, **Insights**, **Playbook** | The planning and agent pages. |
| **Connect an agent** | Shows while the workspace has no agent connected. Dismiss it with its **×** if you're not ready. |
| **Workspace settings** | Opens Settings for this workspace. The [Settings map](/help/workspace/settings) covers every section. |
| **Help & feedback** | **Help** (this site), **Send feedback** and **Service status**. |
| **Account menu** | Your name at the bottom. **Preferences**, **All workspaces** and **Sign out**. |

Every view has a **⋯** menu with a one-line reminder of what it holds, **Add to favorites** or **Remove from favorites**, and, in Favorites, **Move up** and **Move down**. What each view contains is in [Views, filters and saved views](/help/using/views-and-settings#pick-a-view).

In the workspace switcher, a workspace's **⋯** lets you **Pin workspace**, which keeps it at the top of the list. Switching workspaces takes you back to wherever you last were in that one.

On a narrow screen the sidebar tucks away. **Open navigation** at the top left brings it back, and `Esc` closes it.

### The top bar

- **The page name.** On an issue list it's the view's name, with **About this view** beside built-in views for the longer explanation.
- **Find it.** The command palette. More below.
- **New issue.** The orange button. It's in the same spot on every workspace page, Settings included. So is its shortcut, `c`.
- **The bell.** Your [notifications](/help/using/notifications) for this workspace, with an unread count.

### Find it

Press **Find it.** in the top bar, or `⌘K` on a Mac and `Ctrl+K` elsewhere. The button shows whichever one your computer uses.

1. Start typing. Hydrant searches:
   - issue titles and `#numbers`
   - pages: every built-in view, Roadmap, Cycles, Insights, Projects, Saved views, Notifications and Playbook
   - the settings sections you're allowed to open, listed as **Settings → Members** and so on
   - saved views and projects
2. Pages that match what you typed come first, then issues. Typing "agents" and pressing Enter lands on **Settings → Agents**, not on the first issue that mentions agents.
3. Use `↑` and `↓` to pick, Enter to go, `Esc` to bail.

With nothing typed, it shows the issues you opened recently, **Create issue**, a short list of pages, your saved views and your projects.

When there are more matching issues than fit, **See all N matches** opens a full search results list, sorted by relevance.

### Give orders

Start with `>` to hide issue results and see only places and commands:

- **Create issue**
- **Switch workspace**, which turns the palette into a workspace picker
- every page and allowed settings section
- with an issue open: change its status, assignee, priority, size or snooze; copy its link; copy its number; and copy the agent prompt for its stage ([Copy an agent prompt](/help/agents/copy-prompt))

Size shows up only when the workspace uses sizes. Snooze shows up only when snoozing is available.

### Keyboard shortcuts

The single-letter keys (`c` and `f`) stand down while you're typing in a field or have a menu or dialog open. On Windows and Linux, read `⌘` as `Ctrl`.

| Where | Keys | Does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anywhere in a workspace | `⌘K` | Open **Find it** |
| Anywhere in a workspace | `c` | New issue |
| Issue list | `f` | Open **Filter** |
| Issue list | `↑` `↓` `Home` `End` | Move between issues |
| Issue list | `Shift+F10` or the Menu key | Open the focused issue's actions menu |
| Find it | `↑` `↓`, Enter, `Esc` | Pick, go, close. `Esc` in the workspace picker goes back. |
| New issue | `⌘Enter` | Create the issue |
| Open issue | `Esc` | Stop editing, or close the issue if you weren't |
| Open issue | Enter on the description | Start editing it |
| Issue title | Enter | Save the title |
| Comment box | `⌘Enter` | Post the comment |
| Editor | `⌘B` `⌘I` `⌘U` | Bold, italic, underline |
| Editor | `⌘E` | Inline code |
| Editor | `⌘K` | Insert a link |
| Editor | `⌘Shift+S` | Strikethrough |
| Editor | `⌘Shift+7` `⌘Shift+8` `⌘Shift+9` | Checklist, bullet list, numbered list |
| Editor | `⌘Shift+\` | Code block |
| Editor, in a checklist item | `⌘Enter` | Tick or untick it. Add `Shift` to include the items nested under it. |
| Editor | `@` | Link an issue, person or agent, or type `@today`, `@tomorrow` or a date like `@2026-10-01` |
| Editor | `:` | Emoji, by name |
| Dependency graph node | Enter, `Shift+Enter` | Select it, center the graph on it |
| Dependency drawing | arrows, `+` `-`, `0`, `F` | Pan, zoom, fit, return to the focused issue |
| Mobile navigation | `Esc` | Close it |

`⌘K` does two jobs: in the editor it inserts a link, everywhere else it opens Find it.

### Readable addresses

Every address in Hydrant can be shared and bookmarked.

- A workspace lives at its name plus a 10-character code: `hydrant.dev/side-project-k2m4p7q3xa`. Only the code matters, so renaming the workspace doesn't break old links.
- Issues use their number: `…/side-project-k2m4p7q3xa/issues/42`.
- Views and filters ride along in the address, so a copied link shows your teammate the same list, as far as their access allows.

Older links built on long IDs still work. Hydrant swaps them for the readable version when they open.

## What you should see

The page you asked for, reached without opening a single menu. The sidebar marks where you are, and Back does what you'd expect.

## If it goes sideways

- **`c` or `f` does nothing.** You're typing somewhere, or a menu or dialog has focus. Click an empty part of the page and try again. `f` only works on issue lists.
- **`⌘K` does nothing.** Same idea: you're typing in a field, or a dialog, menu or list has focus. Click outside it or close it first.
- **"No matches. We're good. We're not psychic."** Try fewer words, an issue number, or `>` if you were looking for a command.
- **A settings section is missing from Find it.** You can't open it with your role, so Hydrant doesn't offer it. [Who can do what](/help/workspace/members#who-can-do-what).
- **"Workspace unavailable. The door's shut."** You lost access to the workspace, or the connection dropped. Press **Try the door again**, or switch workspace.
- **"That shortcut hit a wall."** The control on the open issue wasn't available, usually because it's saving or in Trash. Use the controls on the issue directly.

Contact: bots@hydrant.dev