Dashboard Overview

The dashboard is your central command center in LaraDashboard. It provides at-a-glance insights into your application's activity and quick access to common tasks.

Accessing the Dashboard#

After logging in, you'll be directed to the dashboard at:

https://yourdomain.com/admin

Or for local development:

http://localhost:8000/admin

Dashboard Layout#

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Navbar                                            Search  User │
├─────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│         │                                                       │
│         │  Welcome Banner                                       │
│         │                                                       │
│ Sidebar │  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐   │
│         │  │ Stat Card 1 │  │ Stat Card 2 │  │ Stat Card 3 │   │
│  Menu   │  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘   │
│  Items  │                                                       │
│         │  ┌────────────────────────┐  ┌────────────────────┐  │
│         │  │                        │  │                    │  │
│         │  │   Recent Activity      │  │   Quick Draft      │  │
│         │  │                        │  │                    │  │
│         │  └────────────────────────┘  └────────────────────┘  │
│         │                                                       │
└─────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Dashboard Components#

Statistics Cards#

The top row displays key metrics:

Card	Description
Total Users	Active user count with trend indicator
Total Posts	Published content count
Total Pages	Page count
Recent Activity	Actions in the last 24 hours

Each card shows:

• Current value
• Percentage change from last period
• Trend arrow (↑ increase, ↓ decrease)

Recent Posts Widget#

Displays your latest content:

• Shows last 5 posts
• Post title with status badge
• Author name
• Creation date
• Quick edit link

Quick Draft Widget#

Create content without leaving the dashboard:

1. Enter a title
2. Select post type (Post, Page)
3. Add optional content
4. Click Save Draft

The draft is saved and can be completed later.

Activity Feed#

Real-time activity log showing:

• User actions (create, update, delete)
• Timestamp
• Affected resource
• User who performed the action

Charts & Analytics#

If analytics are configured:

• User Growth - New registrations over time
• Content Published - Posts created per day/week
• Page Views - Traffic overview (requires Google Analytics)

Sidebar Navigation#

The sidebar provides access to all features:

Main Sections#

📊 Dashboard
    └── Main dashboard view

👥 Users
    ├── All Users
    ├── Add New
    └── Roles & Permissions

📝 Posts
    ├── All Posts
    ├── Add New
    ├── Categories
    └── Tags

📄 Pages
    ├── All Pages
    └── Add New

🖼️ Media
    └── Media Library

📧 Email
    ├── Templates
    ├── Connections
    └── Logs

🔔 Notifications
    └── Notification Settings

⚙️ Settings
    ├── General
    ├── Theme
    ├── Modules
    └── Backups

Collapsing the Sidebar#

• Click the hamburger icon (☰) to collapse
• Hover over collapsed sidebar to expand temporarily
• Your preference is saved automatically

Keyboard Navigation#

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl/Cmd + K	Open global search
Ctrl/Cmd + /	Toggle sidebar
?	Show keyboard shortcuts

Top Navigation Bar#

Global Search#

Press Ctrl/Cmd + K or click the search icon:

• Search across all content types
• Filter by type (Users, Posts, Pages)
• Recent searches are remembered
• Keyboard navigation (↑↓ to select, Enter to open)

Notifications Bell#

Click the bell icon to see:

• System notifications
• Update alerts
• Module notifications
• Mark all as read option

User Menu#

Click your avatar/name to access:

• Profile - Edit your profile
• Settings - Quick settings access
• Theme - Toggle dark/light mode
• Logout - End your session

Customizing the Dashboard#

Widget Arrangement#

Widgets can be customized (if enabled):

1. Click Customize Dashboard
2. Drag widgets to reorder
3. Toggle widgets on/off
4. Click Save Layout

Theme Preferences#

Switch between light and dark modes:

1. Click your profile avatar
2. Select Theme
3. Choose Light, Dark, or System

Or configure in Settings → Theme.

Personal Settings#

Customize your dashboard experience:

• Default page after login - Choose your landing page
• Items per page - Set default pagination
• Date format - Choose date display format
• Timezone - Set your local timezone

Dashboard Permissions#

Different roles see different dashboards:

Role	Visible Widgets
Super Admin	All widgets, all data
Admin	All widgets, scoped data
Editor	Content widgets only
Author	Own content widgets
Subscriber	Limited view

Quick Actions#

From the Dashboard#

• + New Post - Create a new blog post
• + New Page - Create a new page
• + New User - Add a team member
• View Site - Open frontend in new tab

From Anywhere#

The Quick Actions menu (⚡ icon) provides:

• Create new content
• Upload media
• View recent items
• Access settings

Mobile Responsiveness#

The dashboard is fully responsive:

• Sidebar collapses to hamburger menu
• Cards stack vertically
• Touch-friendly interactions
• Swipe gestures for navigation

Performance#

The dashboard is optimized for speed:

• Lazy-loaded widgets
• Cached statistics
• Efficient queries
• Minimal JavaScript

Slow Dashboard?#

If the dashboard is slow:

1. Check browser console for errors
2. Clear application cache:

   php artisan cache:clear
   

3. Optimize database:

   php artisan optimize
   

4. Check server resources

Troubleshooting#

Dashboard Not Loading#

1. Check if you're logged in
2. Clear browser cache
3. Check for JavaScript errors (F12 → Console)
4. Verify permissions

Widgets Missing#

1. Check your role permissions
2. Verify widget is enabled in settings
3. Clear cache and refresh

Data Not Updating#

1. Statistics are cached for performance
2. Clear cache: php artisan cache:clear
3. Check if cron/scheduler is running

Next Steps#

• User Management - Manage team members
• Content Management - Create and manage content
• Settings - Configure your installation