What it does
A structure is a context with an ordered chain of layers. A layer is a level in the hierarchy; layer items are the real nodes that populate it. For example, a Project Management structure has the layers Workspace → Project → Task List, populated with items like Connextar → PM Tool → Backlog.
The wizard creates the whole thing in one go — the context, every layer, and an optional set of sample items — so you have a usable structure immediately instead of building it piece by piece.
Where to find it
There are two ways in (both owner/admin only — structures are shared org-wide):
- Home: the Set up a new structure card at the end of the context-picker grid on Home (
/dashboard). - Structures screen: go to Structures in the navigation (
/dashboard/structures) and click New structure in the top-right. (You can also get there from the Manage structures link in the header context switcher.)
Step by step
1. Choose a template
Pick one of the starting points:
- Project Management — Workspace → Project → Task List.
- Note Taking — Collection → Notebook → Notes.
- Org Management — Department → Channel → Collection.
- Start from scratch — three blank layers you name yourself, with no sample items.
Click a card to select it, then Continue.
2. Name the structure and its layers
- Give the structure a name (prefilled from the template) and pick a colour.
- Edit the layers, shown as an indented cascade — the first layer is the top level, and each one nests inside the layer above it. You can:
- Rename a layer by typing in its field.
- Reorder with the up/down arrows.
- Remove a layer with the ✕.
- Add a layer (up to 8) by typing into the dashed "Add a layer…" row at the bottom and pressing Enter — no extra button needed.
You can't continue until the structure has a name and every layer is named.
3. Add sample items
- Toggle Start with sample items to include (or skip) the template's example tree.
- If included, you can rename the top-level item (e.g. change Connextar to your own company or team).
- The Preview shows your structure as columns — one per layer — exactly as it'll be created.
4. Review and create
Check the summary (structure name, layer chain, item count) and the preview, then click Create structure. You're taken to the Contexts page where your new structure is ready to expand, edit and populate.
What each screen shows
- Stepper (top): the four steps — Template, Layers, Items, Review. Completed steps are clickable to jump back.
- Template cards: each shows the template's name, what it's for, and its layer chain.
- Layers editor: a numbered list of layer-name fields with add/remove controls.
- Preview: a left-to-right column per layer with the sample item chips beneath each — the same shape you'll see in the contexts manager.
Tips and good to know
- Only owners and admins can create structures, because contexts and layers are shared across the whole organisation.
- Everything the wizard creates is fully editable afterwards in the Contexts manager — rename layers, add or delete items, set properties, views, rates and visibility.
- Sample items are just a starting point; delete the ones you don't need.
- A structure can have up to 8 layers.
- Your existing Organisation structure context (Workspace → Project, created automatically) is untouched — the wizard adds a new context alongside it.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to try | | --- | --- | | I can't see the "Set up a structure" button | It's owner/admin only. Ask an owner/admin to set up shared structures. | | The banner disappeared and I want the wizard again | Open Contexts and use Set up a structure in the header. | | "Continue" is greyed out on the Layers step | Make sure the structure has a name and every layer field is filled in. | | I picked the wrong template | Click the Template step in the stepper to go back and choose another. |
Working with your structures afterwards
The redesign splits this into two surfaces:
Structures (/dashboard/structures, the Structures item in the top navigation) — shape the data structure. Each context is a block showing its layer cascade:
- Rename a layer by typing in its row; add one with the dashed Add a layer… row at the bottom.
- Reorder a layer with the ▲ / ▼ arrows — but only while it's empty: once a layer (or its swap-neighbour) has
items, the arrows are locked and a 🔒 appears (items are bound to layer order). Remove a layer with the ✕ (empty layers only).
- The action icons on each context block open right-hand manager drawers: **Properties, Elements, Views, Rates,
Assignees and Log time. Rates show the same ↑ earnings / ↓ cost model (non-admins see only their own worker cost). New structure** (the wizard) is in the page header.
Contexts (the work plane — reach it via the header context switcher or Open board on a Home card) — do the work. Open a context as a Board, Tree, Grid or Records:
- Board — the current layer forms the columns and the next layer down the cards; drill by clicking an item
card, with a breadcrumb + left rail to step back. Drag-drop to reorder, resolve/pin records, multi-select for group actions. Records are your saved grid/kanban/list views.
- See the Contexts guide for the full work-plane walk-through.
- Duplicate (owner/admin) clones a structure into a new one called "<name> (copy)". Open the dropdown to
choose how much to copy:
- Duplicate (shape only) copies the layer chain and item tree (names, positions, colours and ref-prefixes).
- Duplicate with fields & views also copies the structure's typed fields (its properties, including any select-list options) and your saved record views (each view keeps the field it groups by). Handy when you want a new structure that behaves exactly like an existing one.
Either way it copies the shape only — never the records, posts, time logs or per-item rates inside it — so the copy starts empty, ready to populate.