---
title: Using the Kentico interface
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

To access the Kentico administration interface:

- Type **/Admin** after your site's domain into the browser address bar (for example _http://mysite.com/admin_)\
     OR
- Click the **Administration** link at the top of the sample Corporate site.

A logon page appears where you need to enter a username and password.

> **Info:** **Default user name and password**
>
> The default user name is **administrator**. The default password is **blank (no password)**.
>
> It is highly recommended to change the password before publishing the website to a live server.

Once you log in, the Kentico administration interface opens. The interface is separated into _**applications**_. Each application represents a group of related functions. Applications allow you to perform various types of tasks, configure the system, and view information.

The first page that you see after logging in is the _**application dashboard**_. The dashboard provides quick access to your most frequently used applications.

![The application dashboard for the default global administrator](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k8tutorial/using-the-kentico-interface/App_Dashboard.png "The application dashboard for the default global administrator")

> **Info:** You can change which applications are displayed on the dashboard for each user. See [Configuring the application dashboard](https://docs.kentico.com/k8/managing-users/configuring-the-application-dashboard.md) in the main documentation to learn how to set up the dashboard.

All parts of the administration interface share the same header, which contains the following elements:

![Overview of the Kentico administration interface header](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k8tutorial/using-the-kentico-interface/Admin_Header.png "Overview of the Kentico administration interface header")

| **Application list** | Opens a list of all applications that you are allowed to access, divided by category. Use the search bar to quickly find the application you need, or browse the categories.<br>You can move between applications by pressing the up and down arrows on your keyboard. Press Enter to open the selected application.<br>Click **Live site** at the bottom of the list to open a new browser tab with the live version of the current website.<br>Keyboard shortcut: F2 |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Dashboard**        | Returns you to the application dashboard.<br>Keyboard shortcut: F4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| **Site selector**    | Allows you to switch between different sites if your Kentico installation contains multiple sites.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| **Breadcrumbs**      | Displays the current application, and your location within the application's interface. You can click on items in the breadcrumbs to navigate back within the interface structure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| **Help toolbar**     | Provides links to relevant pages in the main Kentico documentation (based on the current application).<br>Keyboard shortcut: F1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **User menu**        | Expands a menu where you can adjust the settings and preferences of your user account.<br>Also allows you to **Sign Out** of the administration interface, which takes you to the live website as an anonymous visitor.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |

> **Tip:** **Tip**: You can open any number of applications at the same time in different browser tabs. Right-click the application in the dashboard or application list, and click Open link in new tab.