# Basic terminology

## Accounting Dashboard terms

The Accounting Dashboard is the screen where accounting journal cards present the work available
for each journal type.

**Customer** identifies customer work, and **Invoices** identifies invoice work.

| If you need to… | Go to |
| --- | --- |
| Understand the Accounting Dashboard terms | [Accounting Dashboard terms](#accounting-dashboard-terms) |
| Prepare to open the screen | [Before you start](#before-you-start) |
| Open the screen and recognize it | [Open and recognize the Dashboard](#open-and-recognize-the-dashboard) |
| Choose work from a journal card | [Choose a journal action](#choose-a-journal-action) |
| Resolve a Dashboard mismatch | [When the Dashboard does not match](#when-the-dashboard-does-not-match) |
| Continue journal or invoice work | [Accounting journals and bank activity](doc:accounting-journals-and-bank-activity) or [Customers, products, and invoices](doc:customers-products-and-invoices) |

## Before you start

The Dashboard for these terms is reached from **Accounting**.

The destination is labeled **Dashboard** under **Accounting**.

**Prerequisites**

- You can open **Accounting**.

## Open and recognize the Dashboard

Use this procedure to reach the Dashboard from the application menu and identify the landing
screen.

**Steps**

1. Open **Accounting**.
2. Select **Dashboard**.
3. Confirm that the **Accounting Dashboard** heading is visible.

**Result:** The **Dashboard** is open, with the **Accounting Periods**, **Bank Account**,
**Taxes**, and **Chart of Accounts** cards available on the screen.

## Choose a journal action

A journal card presents actions and readouts together.

**Prerequisites**

- The Dashboard is open.

**Steps**

1. Select the action that matches the work you need to perform.

   | If you need to… | Select or read… |
   | --- | --- |
   | Create an invoice | **New Invoice** |
   | Upload or enter a bill | **Upload** or **Create Manually** |
   | Connect an account | **Connect** |
   | Start a transaction | **New Transaction** |
   | Create an entry | **New Entry** |
   | Review a sequence gap | **Gaps in the sequence** |
   | Read account activity | **Balance**, **Last Statement**, or **Misc. Operations** |

The Dashboard can also show **Gaps in the sequence**, **Balance**, **Last Statement**, and
**Misc. Operations** for a journal card.

**Result:** The Dashboard shows the available action labels and readouts for the work on screen.

## When the Dashboard does not match

If the Dashboard does not open from a direct link, use the menu path instead.

1. Open **Accounting**.
2. Select **Dashboard**.

**Result:** The Dashboard is open after selecting **Dashboard** from **Accounting**.