Display Preferences & Theme: Make Exoserva Work Your Way

Guides & Tips
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Everyone works differently. Some people prefer dark mode, others want a compact layout that fits more information on screen. Exoserva lets you customize your display preferences so the platform feels comfortable for all-day use. This guide covers theme selection, dashboard widget management, sidebar behavior, and UI options.

:clock1: Estimated time: 5 minutes

Before You Begin

  • An active Exoserva account (any role)
  • Access to Settings from the sidebar

Step 1: Navigate to Display Settings

From the left sidebar, click Settings. The Settings page opens with a sidebar listing sections grouped into four categories: Organization, Operations, Personal, and System. Under the Personal category, click the Display item (marked with an eye icon). The main content area loads the Display Preferences panel, which contains three configuration sections: Dashboard Widgets, Theme, and UI Options. Changes you make here apply only to your account – they do not affect other users in your organization. You must click the “Save Preferences” button at the bottom of the panel to persist any changes.

Step 1: Navigate to Display Settings
Step 1: Navigate to Display Settings1280×800 134 KB

:bulb: Tip: You can quickly find the Display section by pressing Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac) to focus the settings search bar, then typing “display.” Display preferences are saved per user, so each team member can have their own setup. Encourage your team to configure their preferences for a more comfortable work experience.

:warning: Warning: Changes are not saved automatically. If you navigate away from the Display settings without clicking “Save Preferences,” all your changes will be lost.

Step 2: Choose Your Theme

In the Theme section, you will see three theme buttons arranged horizontally: Dark, Light, and System. The currently active theme button is highlighted in primary color with white text; the other two appear as grey-background buttons with grey text. Click any button to select it.

Dark mode uses a dark background with light text – this is the default and reduces eye strain in low-light conditions. Light mode switches to a white background with dark text, which works well in bright environments like sunny offices or outdoor field conditions. System mode automatically follows your operating system preference, switching between light and dark based on your device settings.

:bulb: Tip: If you work both in the office and out in the field, System mode is a great choice. Your laptop in the office can stay in light mode while your phone at night automatically switches to dark mode, assuming your devices have automatic appearance schedules set up.

Step 3: Toggle Dashboard Widgets

In the Dashboard Widgets section, a description reads “Choose which widgets to display on your dashboard.” Below it, you will see a two-column grid of widget toggles. Each widget appears as a labeled checkbox card that lights up in primary color with a border glow when enabled, and shows as a dark grey card when disabled. The available widgets are: Revenue (revenue summary and trends), Jobs Today (count and list of today’s scheduled jobs), Conversations (unread messages and active threads), AI Cost (AI usage spending for the current period), Sales Funnel (lead pipeline and conversion metrics), Team Performance (technician productivity and ratings), Upcoming Jobs (calendar of approaching appointments), and Recent Activity (activity stream of latest events across the platform).

Click any widget card to toggle its visibility on your dashboard. Enabled widgets show a filled primary-colored checkmark square; disabled widgets show an empty grey square.

:bulb: Tip: Business owners typically want Revenue, Sales Funnel, and AI Cost front and center. Dispatchers usually focus on Jobs Today, Upcoming Jobs, and Team Performance. Customize your dashboard for your daily workflow rather than keeping every widget visible – fewer widgets means faster page loads and less visual clutter.

:warning: Warning: Disabling all widgets will leave your dashboard empty. Keep at least two or three key widgets enabled to maintain a useful overview when you first log in each day.

Step 4: Configure UI Options

In the UI Options section, you will find three checkboxes stacked vertically:

Compact Mode – Reduces padding, margins, and font sizes throughout the entire interface, fitting more content on screen. This is especially useful on smaller laptop screens (13-14 inch) or when you need to see more data rows without scrolling.

Show Animations – Controls whether UI transitions, hover effects, loading animations, and micro-interactions are displayed. Disabling animations can improve perceived performance on older devices or for users who prefer a more static interface.

Sidebar Collapsed – Sets the left navigation sidebar to icon-only mode by default. The sidebar still expands on hover to reveal full labels, but it stays collapsed when you are not interacting with it, maximizing your workspace.

:bulb: Tip: If you frequently switch between multiple pages, keep the sidebar expanded (Sidebar Collapsed unchecked) for quick navigation with visible labels. If you spend most of your time on one or two pages like the Schedule Board or Invoices, collapse it to maximize your workspace. Compact Mode plus Sidebar Collapsed is a popular power-user combination that fits significantly more content on screen.

Step 5: Save Your Preferences

After configuring your theme, widgets, and UI options, scroll to the bottom of the Display Preferences panel. You will see a horizontal divider line followed by the “Save Preferences” button on the right side. The button shows a checkmark icon and the text “Save Preferences.” Click it to persist all your display settings. While saving, the button shows a loading spinner and becomes disabled to prevent double-clicks. Once saved successfully, a green success toast notification appears at the top of the screen confirming your preferences have been updated. The changes take effect immediately – your dashboard will reflect the new widget configuration and theme the next time you navigate to it.

:bulb: Tip: If you want to reset to defaults, manually re-enable all widgets, set the theme to Dark, enable Show Animations, and disable Compact Mode and Sidebar Collapsed. There is no dedicated reset button, so keep a mental note of the defaults if you experiment heavily.

:warning: Warning: If the save fails (for example, due to a network issue), a red error toast appears. Your changes remain in the form so you can try saving again without re-entering everything. Check your internet connection and retry.

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve completed this guide, check out:

Need help? Post in the Tech Support category or contact support@exoserva.com.