# Navigation basics

Conduit is a social blogging site. You can open Home, sign in or create an account, manage settings,
create or edit articles, read an article, or open a profile from the routes provided by
the application.

| If you need to… | Go to |
| --- | --- |
| Choose an article list or tag | [Understanding the interface](doc:understanding-the-interface) |
| Access an existing account | [Sign in](doc:sign-in) |
| Create an account | [Sign up](doc:sign-up) |
| Create or edit an article | [Create and edit articles](doc:create-and-edit-articles) |
| Find an article | [Find articles](doc:find-articles) |
| Work with profiles | [Profiles overview](doc:profiles-overview) |
| Resolve a general error | [General error messages](doc:general-error-messages) |

## Before you start

**Prerequisites**

| Have or know | Why it matters |
| --- | --- |
| The page or task you want to open | The application provides separate routes for Home, authentication, the editor, articles, settings, and profiles. |
| Whether you are signed in | The header shows different links for signed-out and signed-in sessions, and Home chooses different article sources. |
| The article slug when opening an existing editor | The existing article's editor uses a route with a slug; the route without a slug opens the new-article form. |

## Find a destination

A destination is the page that matches the work you want to do. Use the header when its
link is available, or open the route listed for the page.

**Steps**

1. Choose one destination from the table.

   | If you need to… | Use the link or route |
   | --- | --- |
   | Return to the start page | Select **Home**, or open `/`. |
   | Enter an existing account | Select **Sign in**, or open `/login`. |
   | Create an account | Select **Sign up**, or open `/register`. |
   | Start a new article | Select **New Post**, or open `/editor`. |
   | Change account settings | Select **Settings**, or open `/settings`. |
   | Read one article | Open the article page. |
   | View a profile | Open the profile page. |
   | View a profile's saved favorites | Open the profile page's favorite-articles view. |

**Result:** You have selected the destination.

## Recognize Home navigation

Home is the starting page for choosing an article list: it contains feed choices and a
Popular Tags area.

**Steps**

1. Open Home at `/`.
2. Select one Home choice.

   | If you need to… | Select |
   | --- | --- |
   | Read the global article list | **Global Feed** |
   | Read articles from accounts you follow, when available | **Your Feed** |
   | Filter the article list by a tag | A tag in **Popular Tags** |

**Result:** You have selected the feed or tag choice. If you need account access, continue
to the authentication page.

## Open an authentication page

An authentication page is where you enter account details for Sign in or Sign up.

**Steps**

1. Select the page you need.

   | If you need to… | Select |
   | --- | --- |
   | Use an existing account | **Sign in**. |
   | Create an account | **Sign up**. |

2. In the selected form, enter the requested values.

   | Page | Fields |
   | --- | --- |
   | Sign in | **Email** and **Password** |
   | Sign up | **Username**, **Email**, and **Password** |

3. Select **Sign in** on the existing-account form or **Sign up** on the new-account form.

**Result:** You have submitted the selected authentication form.

## Open the article editor

The article editor is the page for entering an article title, description, body, and tags
before publishing.

**Steps**

1. Open `/editor` to start a new article.
2. Open the existing article's editor.
3. Enter the article name in **Article Title**.
4. Enter the article description in **What's this article about?**.
5. Enter the article text in **Write your article (in markdown)**.
6. Enter a tag in **Enter tags**.
7. Select **Publish Article**.

**Result:** You have entered the article values and selected **Publish Article**.

## Choose the available navigation branch

The available navigation depends on whether the current session is signed in and whether
the route includes the value needed to open an existing article editor.

**Steps**

1. Check the header for the available session branch.

   | If the header shows… | Use this branch |
   | --- | --- |
   | **Sign in** and **Sign up** | Signed-out links |
   | **New Post**, **Settings**, and a profile link | Signed-in links |

2. On Home, choose the available article-list branch.

   | If… | Select |
   | --- | --- |
   | The follow-based list is available | **Your Feed**. |
   | The follow-based list is not available | **Global Feed**. |
   | A tag is available in **Popular Tags** | The tag. |

3. Choose an editor destination.

   | If you need to… | Choose |
   | --- | --- |
   | Start a new article | The new-article editor |
   | Change an existing article | The existing article's editor |

**Result:** You have chosen the route and navigation choice that matches the session and
the work you are starting.

## If the page does not open

The application displays server-provided error values through an error list on the Sign in
and Sign up pages.

**Steps**

1. Read the values shown in the error list.
2. Correct the value in **Email**, **Password**, or **Username**, as applicable.
3. Select **Sign in** on the existing-account form or **Sign up** on the new-account form.

**Result:** You have submitted the selected authentication form.

## Continue from the destination

After navigation, continue with the page that owns the work you want to complete.

| You opened… | Continue with… |
| --- | --- |
| Home and need to choose or filter articles | [Understanding the interface](doc:understanding-the-interface) or [Find articles](doc:find-articles) |
| An existing-account form | [Sign in](doc:sign-in) |
| A new-account form | [Sign up](doc:sign-up) |
| The article editor | [Create and edit articles](doc:create-and-edit-articles) |
| A profile | [Profiles overview](doc:profiles-overview) |
| Settings | [Personalizing your workspace](doc:personalizing-your-workspace) |

**Result:** You have identified the page for the next task.