# Use views

A view is a way to look at the same map. Views are tabs above the map, and each tab keeps its own settings: filters, columns and rows, fields, density. A new map starts with five tabs, one per type: **Map**, **Outline**, **Table**, **Kanban** and **Mindmap**.

## The five types

- **Map** is the story map: steps of the journey as columns with their chapters above, stories under them. Set **Rows by** to Release in **Display** to see releases as rows across the map (see [Plan a release](/docs/how-to/releases/)).
- **Kanban** is the same board with the project's stages as columns. Dragging a card to another column changes its stage. A story with no stage sits in the first column.
- **Outline** is the map as an indented list: steps, the stories under them, the criteria under each story. You can build the map from the keyboard: Enter adds a row, Tab moves a row one level deeper, Shift+Tab one level up. Click a row's bullet to zoom into that branch; the address of the page keeps the zoom, so you can share it.
- **Table** shows stories as rows and their fields as columns. You can edit in the cells, group stories in two levels with **Grouping** and page through long maps.
- **Mindmap** draws the map as a tree from left to right: steps, stories, criteria. Drag the canvas to move around, zoom with the buttons or the wheel, and **Fit** shows the whole map.

:::caution
In Outline, moving a row to another level moves its whole branch. A step moved down becomes a story, and its stories become criteria. When that would lose filled-in fields, like a release, a stage or an assignee, Slicemap lists them and asks once. There is no undo.
:::

## Tabs are shared

Tabs belong to the map, and everyone on the map sees the same ones. A link to a tab opens that tab for whoever follows it.

- **Add a tab** with **View** at the end of the tab row and pick a type. You can have several tabs of one type, for example a second Table filtered to one release. The type of a tab doesn't change later; for another type, add another tab.
- **Rename, duplicate or delete** a tab from its menu. A tab without its own name is labeled by its type. The last tab of a map can't be deleted.
- **Changes save at once, for everyone.** There is no Save button: change a filter or a field and the tab changes for the whole team. For a filter only you need, add your own tab.

Owners, admins and members change tabs. A viewer, and a guest on the public link, can filter and change the display too, but only for themselves: a reload brings back the saved tab. A viewer sees "Only you see these changes." with a button to restore the saved tab.

Some things are yours alone and never go into a tab: the search, collapsed branches, the collapsed backlog, the zoomed Outline branch and the story open in the side panel.

## Filter

The same six filters work in every type: release, status (the stage), assignee, step, persona and priority. On a board, a filter on the field of the columns or rows hides the columns or rows it filters out. Steps are the exception: filtered-out steps stay in place as empty columns, so the journey keeps its shape.

## Columns and rows on a board

Map and Kanban are one board with different columns. In **Display**, **Columns by** and **Rows by** can each be set to step, stage, release, assignee, priority or persona; rows can also be none. Columns by stage with rows by release gives you a board per release; rows by assignee give each person a lane.

Dragging a card to another column or row changes that field of the story. A tab without its own name follows its columns: by step it is labeled Map, by stage Kanban, by anything else Board.

On a board not grouped by step, **Order** in **Display** sets the order of cards in a column: **Release order** (release, step, place in step) or **Custom**, the order you set by dragging. The custom order is shared by everyone on the tab. Your agent doesn't see it: it picks stories by their place under the step.

## Fields and density

**Display** also sets what each card, row or node shows. The fields are ID, Release, Status, Assignee, Priority, Persona, Criteria, Estimate, Description, Step and Last change. In the Table they are the columns. Step isn't offered where the step is already clear, on the Map and in Outline, and Mindmap nodes offer only ID, Release, Status and Criteria. Estimate is off by default; turn it on to see the agent's planned and actual minutes on the cards.

**Density** is Large, Normal or Compact. It scales the text and spacing of the whole view and hides nothing: what a card shows is decided by the fields. Mindmap has no density.

## Expand

**Expand** sets how deep the tree is open in Outline and Mindmap (Steps, Stories or Criteria) and the table groups (Groups, Subgroups or Stories). It is navigation, like collapsing a branch by hand: it doesn't go into the tab.