Understanding the Interface

PrimeTask keeps its layout consistent - once you learn where things live, the same pattern works across every page. This article is a short map. Each area has a dedicated article with the full picture; this one gets you oriented fast.

If you'd rather take a guided walk-through of the real UI, try App Tour.

The three main areas

PrimeTask has three layout zones that stay with you everywhere:

Sidebar - your navigation home for pages, Spaces, and projects.
App Header - the top bar with search, quick notes, the active timer, Quick Add, and the app menu.
Main area - whichever page you're on: Dashboard, Tasks, Calendar, CRM, PrimeFlow, Reports, or Settings.

These three zones never move

Whatever page you're on, the sidebar stays on the left and the App Header stays up top. The main area changes; the navigation stays put.

The Sidebar - where you move between pages

The sidebar has three stacked sections:

Main pages - Dashboard, Tasks, Calendar, PrimeCRM (when enabled), PrimeFlow, Reports, Settings.
Spaces - your list of Spaces, with an add action.
Projects - every active project in the current Space, with progress indicators.

A profile and sign-out area at the bottom round it out. Collapse the sidebar any time you want more room for the main area.

See Sidebar for every detail.

The App Header - what's always in reach

The App Header sits above every page. It carries:

Search - find tasks and projects from anywhere
Quick Notes - capture a thought without opening a panel
Active timer - see the task you're tracking, with click-to-open
Quick Add - create a task or project with the full form
Theme toggle - switch light and dark
App menu - Settings, Documentation, About, Lock Screen
Sync button - appears when Apple Calendar or Apple Reminders bidirectional sync is enabled

Whatever you're doing, these are one click away.

See App Header for the full guide.

Main pages

From the sidebar you can reach every main area:

Dashboard - your home page. Live stats, widgets, today's focus, activity, Quick Notes. See Dashboard Overview.
Tasks - every task, with List, Board, Calendar, and Gantt views. See Tasks Overview.
Calendar - tasks and events by date across six views. See Calendar Overview.
PrimeCRM (Pro, when enabled) - contacts, companies, activities, deals. See PrimeCRM Overview.
PrimeFlow - visual canvases for mind maps, project maps, reference hubs. See PrimeFlow Overview.
Reports - workspace-wide analytics. See Reports Overview.
Settings - everything that configures PrimeTask. See Settings Overview.

Patterns that repeat

Once you see them, the same patterns show up everywhere:

Right-click menus - most items (tasks, projects, notes, canvas nodes, calendar events) open a right-click menu with context actions like Edit, Duplicate, Copy Link, Delete.
Slide panels - some detail views open in a panel from the right instead of a full page. They close with Escape and bring you back to where you were.
Modals - wizards and focused dialogs run in a modal that blocks the rest of the UI until you finish or cancel.
Views in the same place - when a page has multiple views (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt for Tasks; Agenda, Month, Week, Day, Day Planner, Heatmap for Calendar), they share a view switcher on that page.
Media Player - audio and video play in a universal floating player that keeps going as you navigate. See Media Player.

Right-click is often the fastest path

Right-click anything you're looking at - a task, a project, a canvas node - and see what's in the menu. Most of the actions you use often are one click away.

Spaces - your workspaces

Everything in PrimeTask belongs to a Space. Your tasks, projects, CRM, canvases, dashboard layout, and settings all live inside a Space. Switch Spaces in the sidebar and PrimeTask re-draws to show that Space's work.

You start with a default Personal Space. Create more when you want separation between work and personal, clients, or projects. See Spaces Overview.

Customising the look

PrimeTask adapts to how you want to work:

Theme - light, dark, or follow the system. Change from the App Header or Appearance Settings.
Dashboard layout - pick a preset (Minimal, Balanced, Productivity, Full) or build your own.
Sidebar collapsed or expanded - press the logo or the toggle in the App Header.
Space colour and name - personalise each Space so the sidebar is instantly readable.

Things worth knowing

Windows vs macOS

PrimeTask runs on macOS and Windows. The layout is identical; the window controls (close, minimize, maximize) follow the native style of each platform. macOS-specific integrations (Apple Calendar, Apple Reminders, iCloud Sync) are available on macOS.

The App Header is different from the page header

The App Header sits above every page and is global. Some pages also have their own page header (project header, dashboard header, task details header). The rest of this article focuses on the global App Header.

Three onboarding tools work together

The Setup Wizard configures your workspace. The App Tour points things out. The Interactive Tutorial has you try them hands-on. Use any combination that fits how you learn. See Setup Wizard, App Tour, and Interactive Tutorial.

Keyboard shortcuts stack on top of everything

Every main page is reachable from the sidebar with a mouse. Keyboard shortcuts add a faster path on top. Shortcuts don't replace the clickable UI - they layer over it. See Keyboard Shortcuts.

The sidebar and header stay with you across Spaces

Switching Spaces changes what's in the sidebar's project list and what the main area shows. The sidebar's nav section and the App Header's buttons are the same in every Space.

Common questions

"Where's the menu bar?"

PrimeTask doesn't use a classic menu bar with File / Edit / View. Your main tools live in the sidebar, the App Header, and right-click menus.

"How do I find a setting I know exists?"

Open Settings and use its search, or open the App Header's Command Palette (⌘+K on macOS, Ctrl+K on Windows) and type what you're looking for.

"Why can't I see PrimeCRM?"

PrimeCRM is part of the Pro tier and also needs to be enabled for the current Space. See License Settings and CRM Settings.

"How do I get back to where I was after closing a slide panel?"

Closing a slide panel returns you to the page underneath. Your filters, scroll position, and selection are preserved.

"Can I resize the sidebar or main area?"

The sidebar collapses to a thin rail and expands back to its full width. Other panels auto-size to the available space based on the window width.

Where to go next

If you want to…	Read this
Dive into the sidebar	Sidebar
Dive into the App Header	App Header
Take a narrated tour of the UI	App Tour
Learn shortcuts	Keyboard Shortcuts
Customise appearance	Appearance Settings
Get productive in five minutes	Quick Start Guide