---
key: work-on-a-customer-account
title: Work on a customer's account page
audience: staff
section: accounts
routes: ["/accounts/:accountUid", "/accounts/:accountUid/:tab", "/accounts/:accountUid/:tab/:itemUid", "/accounts/:accountUid/:tab/:itemUid/:mode"]
permissions: ["crm.accounts.read"]
features: ["crm.accounts"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: What each part of a customer's account page shows, from the details panel and primary contact to every tab, and what each action in the Actions menu does.
keywords: [customer page, account page, customer record, client file, customer dashboard, account tabs, primary contact]
related: [find-your-way-around-a-record, find-leads-and-customers, add-a-contact-to-an-account, add-an-account-location, merge-two-accounts, create-a-sub-account, give-a-customer-portal-access, bill-from-a-customer-account, customize-tabs-on-one-record]
---

In the sidebar, open **Accounts**, then **All Accounts**, and open a customer
or lead from the list. The page address is `/accounts/` followed by the
account. The tab you are on is added to the address, so a link to a tab opens
on that tab. Every record page works the same way
([[find-your-way-around-a-record]]); this article covers what is special about
an account.

## The details panel

The panel on the left has these sections. Each shows a count; press its name
to open or close it.

- **Account Details**: the account number (press it to copy), status, type,
  where the customer came from, who referred them, when the account was
  created, and totals for work orders. If the account belongs to a larger one,
  **Parent account** and **Sub-accounts** link to them.
- **Contacts**: the people at this account. The **Primary** badge marks the primary
  contact; press the star beside another person to make them primary.
  **Message** starts a text and **Open Inbox** opens the conversation. Use
  **View all** for the full list.
- **Service Assets**: equipment you service for this customer.
- **Account Locations**: service addresses. The plus button beside the count
  adds one.
- **NovaAI Insights**, when your plan has call summaries: recent calls,
  suggestions waiting for review, and work linked to them.
- Custom fields your organization added to accounts.

The primary contact also shows at the top of the page with buttons to text, email or
call them. The text button opens Nova’s composer when your role can send texts. Changes saved in the contact or location drawer update the details panel and primary-contact card. The pencil edits them, and **Change primary contact** picks someone
else or **Add a new contact** (that person is made primary when saved).

## The tabs

- **Activity**: what happened on the account, newest first.
- **Lifecycle**: the customer messages and automations running for this
  customer, what is scheduled next, and anything blocked or waiting for
  approval.
- **Notes**, **Files** and **Access** (codes and passwords for the site).
- **Portal Access**: who can sign in to the customer portal
  ([[give-a-customer-portal-access]]).
- **Billing**: quotes, invoices, statements, payments, credits and saved cards
  for this customer ([[bill-from-a-customer-account]]).
- **Billing Settings**: payment terms, billing name, currency, how documents
  are delivered, and who receives them.
- **Checklists**, **Service Assets**, **Work Orders**, **Projects**, **Time**,
  **Agreements** and **Tasks**: this customer's records of each kind, with a
  button to add one.
- **Calls**, **Texts** and **Emails**: every conversation with this customer.
- **Audit**: who changed what on the account, and when.

You only see the tabs your role and your plan allow. An admin can hide or
reorder tabs for this one customer ([[customize-tabs-on-one-record]]).

## The Actions menu

Press **Actions**. Depending on your role you see:

- **Create quote**, **Create invoice**, **Create work order**, **Add note**, **Upload file**, **Add contact** and
  **Add account location** (both open a panel on the side, so you stay on the
  account).
- **Log time** opens the time drawer for this customer. Choose hours and minutes, or select **Start timer** to run a timer; see [[log-time]] and [[start-and-stop-a-timer]].
- **Edit account** opens the full edit form.
- **Manage portal access** jumps to the **Portal Access** tab.
- **Merge account** ([[merge-two-accounts]]) and **Create sub-account**
  ([[create-a-sub-account]]).
- **Alert sounds**, **Folder settings** and **Customize tabs** for admins.
- **Archive account**, last and in red ([[archive-or-restore-an-account]]).

## If something looks different

- **Create work order** is greyed out: the account must be active before new
  work can be added. Point at the item to read why.
- A banner says the account is archived: you can read every tab, but only notes
  can be added until someone presses **Restore**.