Tabs and Sections
Tabs and sections divide larger module screens into smaller working areas.
They are especially important in record detail views, where a single record may contain basic information, workflow status, related records, notes, files, actions, and administrative fields.
Tabs
Purpose
Tabs separate major areas of a record or dashboard.
They are useful when users do not need every part of the screen at the same time. For example, a project record might have tabs for Overview, Team, Documents, Finance, and History.
Configuration
Tabs can be configured for a module and named according to the work they contain.
Tab names should describe the information or task in that area. They should not be used for very small groups of fields, because too many tabs make a record harder to scan.
Workflow Order
The order of tabs should follow the way users normally approach the record.
Frequently used or identifying information should usually appear first. Specialist, administrative, or historical information can appear later.
Sections
Content Groups
Inside a tab, information can be divided further into rows, columns, content blocks, and other layout components.
These structures help users understand which fields and actions belong together. For example, contact details, approval information, internal notes, and related documents might each need their own area.
Relationship to Components
Tabs and sections describe the organisation of a module screen.
The detailed building blocks used inside that structure are covered in the Components section. This includes rows, columns, content blocks, tab groups, input fields, related-record components, and action buttons.
Grouping Decisions
By Task
Information often works best when it is grouped by task.
For example, fields used during review can sit together even if they come from different parts of the database. This makes the screen follow the workflow rather than the underlying table structure.
By Responsibility
Some modules need areas for different user groups.
For example, one tab might be used by project managers, another by finance users, and another by administrators. Access rules, conditional display, or read-only states can then control which parts of the screen are visible or editable for each group.
By Record Relationship
Related records can also define useful sections.
For example, an organisation might show contacts, projects, invoices, and documents in separate areas. The detailed display options for related records are covered in Related Records components.