Navigating the Light dashboard

#Dashboard overview

When you log into Light, you'll see the main dashboard with real-time insights into your financial operations. The interface is organized into several key areas:

Header The top of every page contains:

• Company selector - Switch between companies or entities if you have multiple
• Search bar - Quickly find accounts, transactions, invoices, or bills
• Notifications - View real-time alerts and approvals
• Settings - Access account and organization settings
• User profile - Manage your account and log out

Left sidebar The main navigation menu groups features by financial function:

• Personal - Home (dashboard), Tasks, Expenses, Cards
• Revenue & Invoicing - Sales invoices, Customer credits, Contracts, Products, Customers
• Spend management - Bills, Credit entries, Reimbursements, Cards, Purchase orders, Vendors
• Accounting - Releases, Transactions, Journal entries, Accounting documents, Bank reconciliation, Chart of accounts, Accounting periods, Tax codes
• Planning & Reports - Reports, Budget
• Business partners - Customers, Vendors, Users
• Settings - Organization and team configuration (gear icon)

Main content area The right side of the screen displays the active view, which changes based on your navigation selection.

#Key sections

#Dashboard

Your financial snapshot with customizable widgets:

• Account balances and trends
• Outstanding invoices and bills
• Recent transactions and approvals
• Team activity feed
• Financial metrics and KPIs

Click any widget to dive deeper into related data.

#Revenue & Invoicing

Manage customer invoices and revenue:

• Sales invoices - Create, send, and track customer invoices
• Customers - Maintain customer records and credit terms
• Customer credits - Manage customer credit allocations
• Contracts - Track customer contracts and terms
• Products - Manage products and pricing

#Spend management

Handle vendor bills and payments:

• Bills - Upload, approve, and pay vendor bills
• Vendors - Manage vendor information and payment terms
• Reimbursements - Process employee reimbursements
• Credit entries - Handle vendor credit notes
• Purchase orders - Create and manage purchase orders
• Cards - Issue and manage cards for employees

#Accounting

Core accounting records and controls:

• Transactions - View all GL transactions
• Journal entries - Create and review manual journal entries
• Releases - Post batches of transactions to GL
• Accounting documents - View source documents
• Bank reconciliation - Match bank transactions to GL entries
• Chart of accounts - View and manage GL accounts
• Accounting periods - Manage fiscal periods
• Tax codes - Configure tax categorization

#Planning & Reports

Financial analysis and planning:

• Reports - Financial statements and dashboards
• Budget - Create and track budgets

#Settings

Configure your organization and preferences:

• Organization - Company information, logo, and base currency
• Entities - Add, edit, or manage legal entities
• Users - Invite team members and manage access
• Roles - Define custom roles and permissions
• Integrations - Connect external tools and services
• Custom Properties - Add custom fields for tracking

#Searching and filtering

Universal search Click the search bar at the top of any page to:

• Find specific transactions by amount, date, or description
• Locate vendors or customers by name
• Search for invoices or bills by number
• Find GL accounts by code or name

Results appear in real time as you type.

Filters and sorting Most list views include filter and sort options:

• Status - Active, pending, archived, etc.
• Date range - Filter by transaction date
• Amount - Find transactions in a specific range
• Responsibility - Filter by assignee or approver
• Custom properties - Filter by metadata you've created

Click Filters in any list to customize your view.

#Customizing your dashboard

Light's dashboard is highly customizable:

1. Click the settings icon in the top-right corner of any widget
2. Select Customize dashboard
3. Add or remove widgets to match your role
4. Drag widgets to reorder them
5. Click Save when finished

Tip: Different team members can have different dashboard views. Finance managers might focus on approvals and aging reports, while controllers might prioritize consolidation and GL integrity.

#Mobile access

Light is responsive and works on mobile devices. Access it from any browser on your phone or tablet. Some features like detailed approvals and complex reports work best on desktop, but you can check your dashboard and approve simple expenses on the go.

#Keyboard shortcuts

Common keyboard shortcuts available throughout Light:

Shortcut	Action
/	Open search
G + D	Go to Dashboard
G + A	Go to Accounts Receivable
G + P	Go to Accounts Payable
G + E	Go to Expenses
?	Show all shortcuts

#Navigation tips

Use breadcrumbs Most pages show your location at the top. Click any breadcrumb to navigate back to parent pages.

Undo recent actions Many actions can be undone with Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) immediately after performing them.

Stay organized with filters Save frequently used filter combinations so you don't have to rebuild them each time.

Use favorites Click the star icon next to any view to add it to your favorites sidebar for quick access.

#Related articles

• What is Light?
• Setting up your organization
• Adding team members and roles