> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.labatlas.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.labatlas.com/managing-your-organization/projects.md). # Projects The foundation for your structured research ## Overview Before any studies can be added to your organization, you must first create at least one [Project](/introduction/key-concepts.md#projects). Projects are the top-level unit of work in your organization. You can add as many studies, assays, notes, and tasks under a project as you like, and scope projects any way that suits your team. You can create a project and start it straight away, or plan it first and start it later. Planned projects are covered in [Planning](/using-lab-atlas/planning.md). ## Understanding Project Visibility and Membership A project's visibility decides who in your organization can see it and add to it. Whatever the visibility, every member of the project can create and change records in it. For people who aren't members, the table below shows what each visibility allows. | **Visibility** | **Permissions** | | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Public | Everyone in the organization can view and contribute. | | Protected | Everyone can view; only members contribute. Only project members can be assigned to its studies, notes, and tasks. | | Private | Only members can view or contribute. The project is hidden from every list and picker for anyone else. Only project members can be assigned to its studies, notes, and tasks. | Project members can be individual people or whole teams. Adding a team makes everyone in it a member. {% hint style="info" icon="building" %} ## External Users and Project Visibility External Users are the one exception to the rules above. An External User only ever sees projects they are a member of. Even if every project in your organization is **Public**, an External User can't see any of them until they are added as a member. {% endhint %} ## Creating a new Project Click **Projects** in the sidebar, then click **New Project**. You need to be a Super User or above to see this button. The form has four sections. On a wide screen, a summary panel on the right shows what will be created as you fill it in. {% hint style="info" %} A draft only needs a name. If you're not ready to fill in everything, click **Save as draft** at any point. See [Planning](/using-lab-atlas/planning.md) for how drafts work. {% endhint %} ### 1. Details * **Name**: Must be unique in your organization, and no longer than 64 characters. Keep it short but clear: your storage folders are named after it. * **Code**: A short code of letters and numbers, no longer than 12 characters. Study and assay codes are built from it. For example, a project coded `ABC` has studies coded `ABC-101`, `ABC-102`, and so on. The preview next to the field shows how the codes will look. * **Description**: A brief explanation of the project's purpose and goals. The name and code can't be changed once the project has started. While a project is planned, you can still rename it. A draft can leave the code blank, and its code can be changed until the project moves to **In Planning**. After that it's fixed. Lists show drafts without a code. ### 2. When does it start? Choose one: * **Start now**: Creates the project's storage folder and any linked notebooks as soon as you save. The project is **Active** straight away. * **Plan for later**: Saves the plan only. Storage and notebooks are set up when the project is activated. A **Projected Start** date is required. Either way, you can set a **Projected Start** and **Projected End** to show when you expect the work to run. See [Planning](/using-lab-atlas/planning.md) for how projected dates roll up from studies and assays. ### 3. Membership * **Visibility**: Choose **Public**, **Protected**, or **Private**. See the table above. * **Owner**: The person accountable for the project. The owner must be a project member, so the picker only lists the people you've added. Required for a planned project. See [Owners](/using-lab-atlas/planning.md#owners). * **Project Members**: The users and teams working on the project. At least one is required. ### 4. Storage & integrations **Storage folder**: Every project gets a storage folder, and each study and assay in it gets a folder inside that. The field starts with your organization's default storage location. Click **Change folder** to pick a different drive and folder. A new folder named after the project is created inside the folder you choose. To use the selected folder itself instead, tick **Use the selected folder as-is instead of creating a new one inside it**. This option isn't available on Lab Atlas Cloud storage. Under **Integrations**, switch on any of the following that your organization has connected: * **Benchling notebook**: Links the project to an existing Benchling folder. Lab Atlas then adds a folder and summary entry for every study and assay. Select a Benchling instance, then browse for the folder. * **CDD Vault notebook**: Links the project to an existing CDD Vault project. Lab Atlas adds a notebook entry for every study and assay. * **Default Git group**: Pre-selects a GitLab group when studies and assays in this project create repositories. No repository is created for the project itself. You can change this at any time, even after the project has started. If an integration isn't connected, its card says so and can't be switched on. {% hint style="info" %} Lab Atlas links the project to an existing ELN folder or project. It doesn't create one for you in Benchling, so set it up there first. Make sure the account Lab Atlas uses to connect to your ELN has write access to it. {% endhint %} #### Storage for a planned project If you choose **Plan for later**, nothing is created yet. The section shows **Set up when the project is activated**. Unless you choose otherwise, the project's folder will go in your organization's default storage location and no integrations are linked. Click **Choose now** to pick the storage folder and integrations ahead of time. They're saved with the project and used when it's activated. Click **Use defaults** to go back to the defaults. You can also change these later from the project's Activation settings. See [Activating records](/using-lab-atlas/planning/activating-records.md#activation-settings). ### Saving The buttons at the bottom of the form depend on what you chose: | Button | What it does | | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Save as draft** | Saves a private draft only you can see. Only the name is required. | | **Create Project** | Shown with **Start now**. Creates the project and its storage folder and notebooks. | | **Save as In Planning** | Shown with **Plan for later**. Saves the plan and shares it with the team. | If anything is missing, a summary at the bottom of the form lists each field that needs attention. ## Importing projects To create several projects at once, click the arrow next to **New Project** and choose **Import Projects**. ## Editing a Project Open the project and choose **Edit** from the **Actions** menu. **Edit** is offered while the project is In Planning, Active, or Cancelled. To edit a draft, use its details panel on the [Planning](/using-lab-atlas/planning.md#editing-a-record) page. The buttons at the bottom of the form depend on the project's status: * **Active**: **Save Changes**. * **In Planning**: **Save**, or **Save and activate** to save and start the project in one step. Once a project has started, its storage folder and notebook links can't be changed from this form. The **Default Git group** can always be changed. ## The Projects list Click **Projects** in the sidebar to see every project you have access to. The count next to the page title shows how many there are. Use the toolbar to narrow the list: * **Search projects**: Matches the name, code, description, or owner. * **Status chips**: **All**, **Active**, **Planned** (drafts and In Planning), **On hold**, and **Complete**. Each chip shows how many projects it covers. * **Table** / **Cards**: Switch between a table and a grid of cards. In card view, use **Sort** to order the cards by name, recent updates, number of studies, or code. * **Filter**: Opens a panel where you can filter by **Owner** (**Anyone** or **Me**) and pick individual statuses. Active filters appear as chips in a **Filtered by** line under the toolbar. Remove a chip to drop that filter, or clear them all at once. The table shows each project's **Code**, name and description, **Status**, **Access** (its visibility), and when it was last **Updated**. Drafts show a dash instead of a code. {% hint style="info" %} The **My Projects**, **My Studies**, and **My Assays** pages have been removed from the sidebar. Old links and bookmarks to them still work: they open the matching list filtered to **Owner: Me**. {% endhint %} ## Viewing a Project Click a project to open its page. The header shows the project's **Code**, **Status**, **Visibility**, and **Owner**. Super Users who are project members can change an active project's status by clicking it and choosing **Active**, **Complete**, **On Hold**, or **Cancelled**. The page is split into tabs: | Tab | What it shows | | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Overview** | The project at a glance. See below. | | **Members** | Everyone on the project, and its assigned teams. | | **Studies** | Every study in the project. | | **Notes** | Notes attached to the project. | | **Tasks** | The project's [tasks](/using-lab-atlas/tasks.md). | | **Files** | The project's storage folder. Shown once the folder exists. | | **Activity** | Everything that has happened to the project and its records. See [Activity](/using-lab-atlas/activity.md). | | **ELN** | The project's linked notebook folders. Shown once a notebook is linked. | ### The Overview tab The left column holds the things you act on: * A banner, if the project is [locked](/using-lab-atlas/locking-records.md). * **Activation settings** while the project is In Planning, with an **Activate** button. See [Activating records](/using-lab-atlas/planning/activating-records.md). * The **Studies** card, listing the project's studies with a **New Study** button. On a planned project with no studies yet, it reads **Plan a Study**. * The project's storage folder and linked ELN entries, once they exist. * Recent notes and tasks, and the project's default Git group. The **About this Project** rail on the right shows the description, the team (with a **Manage** link to the **Members** tab), the project's dates, and its latest activity. ## Actions The **Actions** menu in the page header offers: * **Activate**: Starts an In Planning project. See [Activating records](/using-lab-atlas/planning/activating-records.md). * **New Study**: Adds a study to the project. Under an In Planning project, the new study can only be planned. * **Edit**: Opens the project form. * **Lock** / **Unlock**: Stops anyone from changing the project and everything in it. See [Locking records](/using-lab-atlas/locking-records.md). * **Archive**: Hides the project from view without deleting its records. Archived projects can be recovered later. Only project members see the **Actions** menu. If you aren't a member, the header shows **View only**. ## For administrators Most project-level changes need the Super User role or above: | Action | Who can do it | | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Create or import projects | Super User and above | | Edit, archive, or change status | Project members who are Super User and above | | Activate an In Planning project | Project members who are Super User and above | | Manage members on the **Members** tab | Super User and above | | Lock or unlock | The project's owner or an Organization Admin, who must also be Super User or above | | Change the owner | The current owner or an Organization Admin | Your organization's default storage location is the starting point for every new project's storage folder. See [File Storage](/managing-your-organization/storage-folders.md). Benchling, CDD Vault, and GitLab options only appear once those integrations are connected. See [Third-Party Connectors](/managing-your-organization/third-party-connectors.md). Drafts are private to the person who created them. Organization Admins can include other members' drafts in the Projects list: open the filter panel and switch on **Include other members' drafts**.