Getting Started
Sidebar Workspace Hub & Pins
The OpenChair sidebar brings venue switching, navigation, Manage, settings and support together on web, iPad and mobile phones.
Last updated 20 July 2026
The top of your web sidebar shows your venue, plan, monthly usage, and a venues switcher. Use Sidebar Pins to add your most-used pages to the sidebar so they're always one click away.
Where to find it: On web and iPad, use the sidebar at the left edge of the app. On a phone, select Open menu in the floating navigation bar. The Workspace Hub is at the top of the sidebar.
TL;DR
- Workspace Hub combines venue info, account, plan status, usage meters, and venue switcher in one expandable card.
- Pin any pinnable page to the sidebar via the star icon - per-user, per-venue.
- PRO venues see SMS / email / Sparks / wallet meters with severity colours.
- All plans. Web and iPad keep the sidebar visible; phones open the same navigation in a drawer from Open menu.
The Workspace Hub
The top card of the sidebar consolidates everything about your current workspace:
| Section | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Active venue | Venue name + plan badge (Free / Trial / Pro). Tap to switch. |
| Account | Your name and email. |
| Venues | Multi-venue switcher with plan badge per venue. Add venue button (PRO only - FREE/Trial see a lock + the upgrade dialog). |
| This month's usage (PRO only) | SMS, email, Sparks usage bars + wallet balance. |
| Upgrade prompt (FREE only) | "Unlock AI & automation" link to billing → PRO. |
The hub auto-expands the sidebar when triggered from the icon-collapsed state.
Usage meters (PRO)
Four meters under "This month's usage":
| Meter | What it tracks | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Outbound SMS used vs included allocation | Green / Amber (≤20%) / Red (≤5%) |
| Emails | Outbound emails used vs included allocation | Same |
| Sparks | AI credits used vs monthly pool | Same |
| Wallet | Available balance for overage | Same |
When any meter goes amber or red, a coloured dot appears on the venue avatar at the sidebar's collapsed-icon state - so you spot trouble without needing to expand.
Tap any meter to open the relevant settings page (billing for wallet, Communications for SMS, etc.).
Switching venues
The Venues section lists every venue you have access to. Tap a venue to switch - the whole app re-keys to that venue's data: calendar, clients, Concierge sessions, sidebar pins, recents, all switch.
Adding a venue
Tap Add venue. Requires:
- PRO subscription on at least one of your existing venues
- Owner role on the venue you're paying for
FREE/Trial venues see a Lock icon next to Add venue with a dialog explaining the multi-venue feature is part of PRO.
Sidebar Pins
Pinning lets you add any pinnable page to the sidebar so it's always one click away.
How to pin
Pages that support pinning show a star icon in the page header. Tap to pin (gold star) or unpin (outline star).
What can be pinned:
- Any in-app route (e.g.
/calendar,/clients?segment=vip,/reports/business) - Labels are auto-derived from the URL segment (e.g.
/calendar→ "Calendar") - 40-character label cap
Per-user, per-venue
Pins are stored per (user, venue) - your pin list on Venue A doesn't appear when you switch to Venue B; another team member on the same venue has their own list independent of yours.
Examples of useful pins
- A filtered Clients view:
/clients?segment=vip&filter=overdue - A specific report:
/reports/business?period=monthly - A drafting page you return to often
- A long Concierge thread you want easy access back to
Mobile
Mobile uses the same workspace and Manage navigation in a layout suited to the device:
- Phone: Select Open menu in the floating navigation bar to open the sidebar drawer. Select a destination to navigate and close the drawer. The Android system Back action closes an open drawer before leaving the current screen.
- iPad: The sidebar stays beside the current page and can be expanded or collapsed. Manage opens the available management destinations without leaving the authenticated frame.
- Workspace: Select the venue area at the top of the sidebar to switch venue or open account and venue details available to your role.
- Settings and support: Use Settings or Help and support at the bottom of the sidebar.
- Fast navigation: The command palette remains available for jumping directly to another destination.
Pins are web-only. The mobile experience leans on the command palette and recents instead.
Role access
| Capability | Owner | Manager | Stylist |
|---|---|---|---|
| See own pins | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pin / unpin pages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| See usage meters | Yes | Yes | No |
| Add venue | Yes (with PRO) | No | No |
| Switch venues | Yes | Yes (only venues they're a member of) | Yes (same) |
Tier
All plans. The Workspace Hub itself works on FREE; the usage meters and Add Venue button are PRO-gated.
Common mistakes
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Don't see a star icon on a page | Not every page is pinnable. Pin support is added per-page; settings pages and report dashboards usually have it. |
| Pinned a page but it's not visible in the sidebar | The pins storage is in place but the visible "Pinned" sidebar section is on the roadmap. Pins are saved for when the section ships. |
| Usage meters say "no data" | New venue with no activity yet. Meters populate after you've sent your first SMS, email, or used a Spark. |
| Add venue button is greyed out | You need an active PRO subscription on at least one venue + owner role. Trial users on a single venue see it unlocked once they convert. |
| Switching venues lost my context | Each venue has its own data - that's by design. Your calendar, clients, recents all switch. |
FAQ
What's the Workspace Hub at the top of the sidebar?
A consolidated card showing your active venue (with plan badge), your account, all venues you have access to, and PRO-only monthly usage meters (SMS, email, Sparks, wallet). It is also where you switch venues.
How do I pin a page to the sidebar?
Pages that support pinning show a star icon (usually in the page header). Tap to pin or unpin. Pinned pages are stored per-user per-venue so each team member has their own list.
Are pins per-venue?
Yes. Switching venues swaps the pin list. Your pin for 'Daily reports' on Venue A doesn't appear on Venue B.
Why are some usage meters coloured?
Usage meters change colour by severity - green when you have plenty left, amber at 20% or less, red at 5% or less. A coloured dot appears on the venue avatar when the sidebar is collapsed to icon-only so you spot trouble without expanding.
How do I open the sidebar on mobile?
On a phone, select Open menu in the floating navigation bar. On iPad, the sidebar stays visible and can be expanded or collapsed. The command palette remains available on both layouts for direct navigation.