The Navigation Sidebar is a persistent navigation panel on the left side of every Risk Cloud screen. It helps you move between your applications with one click and, as of October 2026, move within an application without losing your place.
- Application tiles let you switch between applications. They replace the application dropdown in the top navigation.
- The in-app navigation panel opens next to the tiles when you select an application, giving you one-click access to that application's Dashboard, reports, and build tools.
No configuration required. The Navigation Sidebar is enabled automatically for all customers, and the in-app navigation panel turns on automatically for every environment that uses the sidebar. Builders can optionally configure the App Shortcode field to control how app names appear; see Configuring App Names below.
What the Navigation Sidebar Does
The Navigation Sidebar displays your applications as icon tiles down the left edge of every screen. A blue indicator bar shows which app you're currently working in, and hovering over any tile shows the full app name.
What you'll see in the sidebar:
- Application tiles for up to 20 live applications, sorted alphabetically
- A blue indicator bar on the currently selected app
- Tooltips on hover showing the full application name
-
An "Apps" button at the bottom that opens a menu upon hover with two options:
- View My Applications - Clicking takes you to the full application directory
- Customize Navigation Bar - clicking displays a modal for adding/removing/reordering applications displayed on your Navigation Sidebar
- The in-app navigation panel for the application you've selected (see Navigate Within an Application below)
How the Navigation Sidebar Behaves
Your current app updates automatically. The sidebar updates your "current app" context whenever you click an app tile, open a Canvas, or navigate into a Step Builder. The Home button at the top of the screen takes you to the homepage of whichever app is currently active.
The "Apps" button will display a menu on hover with two options:
Customize Navigation Bar --> Displays a modal allowing users to edit which shortcuts exist on their Navigation Sidebar
View My Applications --> Displays a new streamlined application directory showing only the applications that user has permission to access:
If you're on a smaller screen, you may not have room for all 20 applications in your side panel. As of the 2026.7.1 release, we've replaced the scroll bar with a new overflow pattern. Now, if there's not space for all 20 of your applications, you can access the excess by hovering over the Apps icon:
Navigate Within an Application
Releasing: October 2026
The Navigation Sidebar gets you into the right application with one click. The in-app navigation panel is the next step: once you're inside an application, it keeps everything you use most in that application one click away. No more backing out to the Application Overview page and drilling back in to find a report or open the Canvas.
What You'll See in the Panel
When you select an application, the in-app navigation panel opens next to the application tiles and shows the destinations available to you in that application:
| Section | Option | Where it takes you |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | Dashboard | The application's home screen; the same page you land on today when you open the application |
| Reporting | Visual Reports | A list of the application's Visual Reports |
| Table Reports | A list of the application's Table Reports | |
| Build | Canvas | The application's Canvas |
| Jobs | A list of the jobs for this application | |
| Permission Sets | The application's Permission Sets |
Good to know: Dashboard is your application home screen under a new label in the panel. Nothing about your home screens has changed; they show the same content, are configured the same way, and open by default when you enter an application, just as they do today.
How the Panel Behaves
- It appears when you're working in an application. Select any application tile and the panel opens with that application's options.
- It stays with you. The panel remains visible as you move between the application's pages, including while you work on the Canvas.
- Your current page is highlighted. The panel shows which page you're on, so it's always clear where you are within the application.
- You can collapse it. Need more room? Collapse the panel to give your work more of the screen, and expand it again whenever you want it back.
- It isn't shown on record pages. When you open a record, the panel steps aside so you have the full screen to work in.
What You See Depends on Your Access
The in-app navigation panel follows the permissions you already have. No new permissions are introduced, and no one gains access to anything they couldn't reach before. Each section appears only if you have access to it:
| Section or option | Who sees it |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Everyone with access to the application |
| Visual Reports | Users with access to Visual Reports |
| Table Reports | Users with access to Table Reports |
| Build (Canvas, Jobs, Permission Sets) | Users with the Build entitlement |
- If you don't have access to either report type, the Reporting section is hidden.
- If you don't have the Build entitlement, the Build section is hidden.
- If the Dashboard is the only option available to you, the panel doesn't appear at all; you see the application's Dashboard exactly as you do today.
For Builders & Admins: If you have the Build entitlement but no access to any steps in an application, opening that application takes you to its Canvas. You can still reach the Dashboard from the in-app navigation panel.
Bookmarks and Links
Every page in the in-app navigation panel has its own address that includes the application you're working in, so you can bookmark an application's Table Reports list, for example, and return straight to it. Your existing bookmarks to reports and build pages continue to work.
Configuring App Names
Using the App Shortcode Field
App Shortcode is a new configurable field (up to 10 characters) in your application settings. It controls exactly how the application's name is abbreviated in the sidebar. When a shortcode is set, it replaces the auto-generated abbreviation.
To set an App Shortcode:
- Navigate to Application Canvas, then Application Settings
- Find the App Shortcode field in the application settings
- Enter a label up to 10 characters (e.g., "Controls" instead of the auto-generated "CC" for a Controls Content app)
- Save your changes
The App Shortcode is especially useful when the auto-generated abbreviation isn't intuitive for your team.
How Auto-Generated Abbreviations Work
If you don't set an App Shortcode, the sidebar generates an abbreviation from the application name using these rules:
- 10 characters or less → the full name displays as-is
- Single word, 11+ characters → the first 10 characters followed by an ellipsis
- Multi-word, 11+ characters → the first letter of each word, displayed in all caps (e.g., "Third Party Risk Management" becomes "TPRM")
-
Bracketed sections (e.g.,
[Internal]) are ignored when generating abbreviations - Non-letter characters are ignored when building multi-word acronyms
Tooltips always show the full application name on hover, regardless of the abbreviation.
How Apps Appear in the Sidebar
Default State
When a user enters Risk Cloud, the first 20 live Applications that they have access to will appear by default in alphabetical order based on the application's full name. Special characters and numbering prefixes (e.g., "1. Risk Management" or "[Internal] Compliance") are factored into the sort order.
To rearrange the order of the applications, user can navigate to Apps > Customize Navigation Bar. This will display a modal where users can add/remove/reorder applications from their side bar
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the application dropdown go?
The application dropdown in the top navigation has been replaced by the Navigation Sidebar on the left side of every screen. Your applications are now always visible as icon tiles, so there's no need to open a dropdown to find them.
What if I have access to more than 20 applications?
The sidebar displays your top 20 live applications, sorted alphabetically by default. If you have access to more than 20, click the Apps button at the bottom of the sidebar to open the full directory, which includes all live applications you can access.
You can also use the Customize Navigation Bar button to add/remove/reorder applications
I'm working in an app but it's not highlighted in the sidebar. Why?
If the app you're working in falls outside your top 20 pinned apps, it won't appear in the sidebar and no tile will be highlighted. Everything else works normally; you can navigate to any app using the Apps button at the bottom.
Will draft apps appear in the sidebar?
By default, only live applications appear in the sidebar. However, as of the 7.0 release, users can now add draft apps to the side panel via the Customize Navigation Bar modal.
Can I reorder the applications in the sidebar?
Yes! To rearrange the order of the applications, user can navigate to Apps > Customize Navigation Bar. This will display a modal where users can add/remove/reorder applications from their side bar. To reorder, you can drag/drop the app icons, or use the arrows
Is the Dashboard in the in-app navigation panel the same as my application home screen?
Yes. Dashboard is simply the label for your application home screen in the panel. It shows the same content, is configured the same way, and is still where you land when you open an application.
Do I need to turn on the in-app navigation panel?
No. The panel turns on automatically for every environment that uses the Navigation Sidebar. There's nothing for admins or builders to configure.
Does the in-app navigation panel change who can see what?
No. The panel follows your existing permissions and only shows the pages you could already reach. No new permissions are introduced.
Why don't I see the Build or Reporting section?
Each section appears only if you have access to it. The Build section requires the Build entitlement, and Visual Reports and Table Reports each require access to that report type. If you think you should have access, contact your Risk Cloud admin.
Why don't I see the in-app navigation panel at all?
If the Dashboard is the only page available to you in an application, the panel is hidden because there's nowhere else for it to take you. You'll see the application's Dashboard exactly as you do today. The panel also isn't shown when you have a record open.
Where do I configure my application's home screen?
Home screen settings haven't moved. You'll find them in the same place you use today.
Will my existing bookmarks and URLs still work?
Yes. Your existing bookmarks and saved URLs continue to work as expected. Pages you open from the in-app navigation panel also have their own addresses, so you can bookmark them too.
Is the Navigation Sidebar available on mobile?
Not today. The sidebar is currently available in the desktop experience only. We're evaluating mobile navigation improvements for future releases.
Coming Soon
The in-app navigation panel is the foundation for what's next. In future releases, you can expect to see:
- A workflow listing page
- GRC agents
- Specialized options for compliance
We'll update this article as each capability ships.
If you want to share feedback on the Navigation Sidebar, reach out to your Customer Success Manager or contact us at support@:censored:9:7027c33cf8:.com.