Navigation Guide

Learn how to navigate Sparko efficiently and find what you need quickly.

Main Navigation

Sidebar Navigation

The left sidebar has eight top-level entries (what you see depends on your permissions):

Home                   # Your personalized dashboard
My Hub                 # Approvals, reviews, tasks & updates in one inbox
People                 # Directory, org chart & (for recruiters) hiring tabs
Career                 # Skills, certifications & career framework
Time & Leave           # PTO & timesheets
Engagement             # Recognition, surveys & reflections
Performance            # OKRs, reviews, 1-on-1s & (for managers) compensation tabs
Analytics              # Cross-company reporting (managers and admins)

Recruiting lives as a labeled tab group inside People, and Compensation as a labeled tab group inside Performance — only users with the matching permissions see those groups. My Profile and Admin Settings are in the avatar menu at the bottom of the sidebar.

Collapsing the Sidebar

  • Click the collapse icon (<<) to minimize the sidebar
  • Hover over icons to see module names
  • Click again to expand

Module Sub-Navigation

Each module has its own tab strip in the top bar. For example, Performance includes:

  • Dashboard
  • Goals
  • Roadmap
  • Reviews
  • Peer Surveys
  • 1-on-1s
  • Compensation group (managers and HR): Comp Hub, Salary Bands, Payroll Run

Header Navigation

Global Search

The search bar at the top lets you find anything:

Search Examples:

  • Employee names: "John Smith"
  • Job titles: "Software Engineer"
  • Candidates: "candidate:jane"
  • OKRs: "okr:revenue"
  • Documents: "handbook"

Search Tips:

  • Use quotes for exact phrases
  • Use prefixes to filter by type
  • Press Ctrl/Cmd + K to open search

Notifications

Click the bell icon to view notifications:

  • Red badge: Unread notifications
  • Categories: Approvals, mentions, updates
  • Mark as read: Click notification or "Mark all read"

Profile Menu

Click your avatar/name for:

  • View my profile: Open your employee profile
  • Profile Settings: Personal preferences
  • Help & Support: Open this help center
  • Admin Settings: Company configuration (admins only)
  • Sign Out: Log out of Sparko

Page Structure

Standard Page Layout

Most pages follow this structure:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Breadcrumbs (Home > Module > Page)          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Page Header                                 │
│ ├── Title                                   │
│ ├── Description                             │
│ └── Action Buttons (Create, Export, etc.)   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Filters & Search (if applicable)            │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                             │
│                                             │
│              Main Content                   │
│                                             │
│                                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Pagination (if applicable)                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs show your location and enable quick navigation back to parent pages.

Action Buttons

  • Primary Button (colored): Main action (e.g., "Create New")
  • Secondary Buttons: Additional actions (e.g., "Export", "Filter")

Working with Data

Tables

Interactive tables allow you to:

  • Sort: Click column headers to sort
  • Filter: Use filter dropdowns or search
  • Select: Check rows for bulk actions
  • Paginate: Navigate between pages

Cards

Data cards show summary information with quick actions:

  • Click the card to view details
  • Use action buttons for common tasks
  • Hover for additional options

Forms

When entering data:

  • Required fields: Marked with asterisk (*)
  • Validation: Errors shown inline
  • Auto-save: Some forms save automatically
  • Cancel: Discard changes and go back

Common Actions

Create New Items

Multiple ways to create:

  1. Click "+ Create" button on list pages
  2. Use Ctrl/Cmd + N shortcut
  3. Ask the AI Assistant

Edit Items

  1. Navigate to the item
  2. Click "Edit" button
  3. Make changes
  4. Click "Save"

Delete Items

  1. Navigate to the item
  2. Click "Delete" or trash icon
  3. Confirm deletion in dialog

Note: Some items can only be archived, not deleted.

Export Data

Most list views support export:

  1. Click "Export" button
  2. Choose format (CSV, Excel, PDF)
  3. Select columns to include
  4. Download file

Mobile Navigation

On smaller screens:

  • Sidebar becomes a hamburger menu
  • Tables become scrollable cards
  • Actions move to dropdown menus
  • Touch-friendly buttons and inputs

Accessibility

Sparko supports accessibility features:

  • Keyboard Navigation: Tab through elements
  • Screen Readers: ARIA labels on all controls
  • Color Contrast: Meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards
  • Focus Indicators: Visible focus states

Themes

Sparko offers four visual themes:

  1. Sparko Original: Modern gradient-based design (default)
  2. Material View: Clean, material design inspired interface
  3. Dark Vision: High contrast dark theme for low-light environments
  4. Depth Form: Dimensional design with layered surfaces

Change themes in Settings > Appearance.

Getting Help

In-Page Help

  • Info icons: Hover for tooltips
  • Help links: Context-sensitive documentation
  • Empty states: Guidance when no data

AI Assistant

Access the AI Assistant:

  • Click the AI button (bottom right)
  • Press Ctrl/Cmd + /
  • Type your question naturally

The AI can help with:

  • Finding features
  • Completing tasks
  • Explaining processes
  • Answering HR questions

Still need help? Reach us at support@sparko.app.

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