> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.valaclaims.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Navigating Vala

> Find the Vala workspace that matches the work you need to complete.

## Overview

Vala's primary navigation organizes daily work into workspaces. The areas available to you can vary by your role, organization settings, and enabled features.

<Note>
  Community Edition has a smaller navigation: <strong>Documents</strong>, <strong>Vala Network</strong>, and <strong>Backpay Calculator</strong>. The rest of this guide describes the full Vala product.
</Note>

## When to use

Use this page when you are new to Vala, return to a workflow after a change, or need to find where an action belongs.

## Prerequisites

* An active Vala account
* Access to the correct organization

## Step-by-step

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start with the global navigation">Open <strong>Ask Vala</strong>, <strong>Dashboard</strong>, <strong>Contacts</strong>, <strong>Claims</strong>, <strong>Tasks</strong>, <strong>Notes</strong>, or <strong>Calendar</strong> for daily work.</Step>
  <Step title="Use workspace views">In Contacts, Claims, Templates, and Workflows, use the workspace views to narrow to the work you need.</Step>
  <Step title="Open a Client record">In <strong>Contacts</strong>, <strong>Clients</strong> is the default view. Open the Client record to work with client-specific information and tasks.</Step>
  <Step title="Use supporting workspaces">Open <strong>Templates</strong>, <strong>Workflows</strong>, <strong>Calls</strong>, or <strong>Calculators</strong> when those match your task.</Step>
</Steps>

## Best practices

* Confirm the active organization and Client record before adding or reviewing information.
* Use the interface label shown in Vala when searching the Help Center.
* Check whether a feature is available to your role before assuming it is missing.

## Common mistakes

* Treating a view in Contacts or Claims as a separate record type
* Looking for older labels such as Library, Web Forms, or Automations
* Working in the wrong Client record

## Related pages

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Contacts" icon="address-book" href="/contacts/overview">Learn about Contacts and Client records.</Card>
  <Card title="Dashboard" icon="gauge" href="/dashboard/overview">Use Dashboard to orient to current work.</Card>
</CardGroup>