Navigating a data room efficiently helps you find documents faster and understand what actions are available to you. Whether you're reviewing key documents, or preparing for export, this guide walks through data rooms and offers tips to help you get the most out of your experience.
Good to know: What you can see and do depends on the data room permissions you've been given
Data room layout
The layout is designed to help you understand where documents are located and move through the data room efficiently. Key areas include:
The main file and folder list
Navigation breadcrumbs
Left sidebar (structure view)
Right sidebar (file and version information)
Searching within a data room
Note: Ctrl + F only searches the visible portion of the data room, not the entire data room. To search the entire data room, use the searching outlined below.
Use the search bar at the top of the data room to quickly find folders or documents. It stays fixed as you scroll, and searching begins automatically after typing at least one character.
You can search for files and folders using the search field. Search helps you quickly locate documents without manually navigating through folders.
Search results appear in a drop down and include:
Folder and document names (case-insensitive)
Folder paths (for nested items)
Ordering based on their relevance
Selecting a result directs you to it and briefly highlights the item in the list. You can clear the results by pressing Esc, clicking the “x”, or deleting the text. Clicking outside the drop-down closes it but keeps your search term.
Using breadcrumbs to navigate
Breadcrumbs show your current location within the data room and help you move between folder levels more easily. You can use them to:
Move back to a parent folder
Quickly jump to higher levels in the structure
Move documents or folders by dragging them onto a breadcrumb
Left-hand sidebar (structure view)
The left-hand sidebar shows a tree view of the entire data room structure. This view allows you to:
See the overall folder and file hierarchy at a glance
Expand and collapse folders to explore the structure
Click on a folder or file to open it in the main view
The sidebar is particularly useful in large or deeply nested data rooms, as it helps you understand where content sits without navigating through each folder level individually. To use it:
Click the navigation icon in the top left of the data room
A panel will appear, displaying the folders and documents in the data room
Click on any item to navigate directly to its location in the data room
Right-hand sidebar (document details)
The right-hand sidebar displays additional information about a selected document. Common uses include:
Viewing document metadata (for example, uploader info, file type and size)
Reviewing a document version history
Uploading a new version or promoting an older version (subject to permissions)
The right-hand sidebar helps you understand and manage a document without leaving the data room view.
Restricted files and folders
If you do not have permission to view a specific file or folder, it will appear as Restricted.
Restricted items are visible in the structure but:
Display no information about the file or folder
Cannot be opened
Have all actions disabled
This helps you understand that content exists and ensures numbering is consistent without exposing sensitive information.
