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title: How to get started with Octane
description: A guide to exploring your data and building dashboards with confidence.
---
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# How to get started with Octane
## A guide to exploring your data and building dashboards with confidence.
Welcome to Octane! This guide will walk you through your first steps with the platform - from understanding how your data is structured to building your first dashboard. We'll use the TBits Demo account for this walkthrough, but feel free to follow along in your own environment.
### **🎬 What You'll See When You Log In**
**![\[OCTANE\] homepage](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20homepage.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20homepage.png)**
When you first log in, you'll land on the **Home screen,** which includes:
- A "**Pick up where you left off"** menu
- A left-hand navigation bar ( Ξ if collapsed)
Let's break down the key areas in your left-hand navigation bar.
### **🗂️ Collections = Your folders for Dashboards & Questions**
**![\[OCTANE\] Collections Definition ](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20Collections%20Definition%20.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20Collections%20Definition%20.png)**
**Think of Collections like folders** where you store all your dashboards, questions and charts.
For example:
- An organization that has multiple properties might have a collection for each property, like "Kraken Hockey" and "Kraken Soccer" or "Kraken Concerts" and "Kraken Festivals"
- Or, an organization could have a single collection to house all dashboards called "Tradable Bits"
#### **How to Browse Collections**
**1.** Click on a Collection (e.g. "Sports Demo") in your left nav
2\. Inside, you'll see a list of items like dashboards and questions
3\. Collections can get long - so use "..." to **pin key items** to the top.
4\. Create **sub-collections** to organize by team, department or use case.
![\[OCTANE\] Dashboard Overview](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20Dashboard%20Overview.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20Dashboard%20Overview.png)
### **📊 Dashboards: Visualize what Matters**
Dashboards are a way to group multiple **questions** on one page, turning raw data into charts, tables and insights.
A dashboard is made up of **questions** which you can arrange on the page as you'd like. You can also add text and header cards to organize your dashboards.
🧪 Try this: Click on the pinned **"Sports Demo Example"** Dashboard in the Sports Demo Collection. Explore how it's structured and what insights it surfaces.
![\[OCTANE\] Sample Dashboard](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20Sample%20Dashboard.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20Sample%20Dashboard.png)
### **🔍 Databases: Explore your Data**
Octane connects with your Tradable Bits **database** so you can build dashboards using your real fan data. To browse your databases:
1. Click **databases** in the left nav bar
2. Select a database (e.g. your main organization's database)
3. View the list of available **tables -** each table holds different fan attributes or activities (e.g. age, gender, campaign data, purchase data).
### 📖 Want to Learn What a Table Does?
Click the 📖 (book icon) beside a table to:
- See sample raw data
- View field descriptions
- Understand what each column means
![\[OCTANE\] Databases](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20Databases.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20Databases.png)
🧠 **Tip:** We also offer visual documentation [here](https://tradablebits.com/developers/octane) to show how tables relate to each other.
### **🧱 Models: Prebuilt Datasets for Common Questions**
Models are curated datasets that combine relevant tables into one simplified view
**Example:**
You want to see which campaign drove the most repeat entries. Normally, fan activity and campaign details are in separate tables - but a Model could combine them into one view.
If you don't see Models in your account yet, no worries - our team can help build some tailored to your use case.
### **🎯Creating your first Dashboard**
Let's walk through how to create your own dashboard in Octane:
1. Click "**+ New Dashboard"**
2. Click "**+ New Question"**
3. Choose a database and a table for your question (e.g. Fan Metrics)
4. Define your query -- try starting with:
1. "Number of Fans"
2. "Fans by Province"
3. "Fans by Gender"
4. "Number of New Fans"
5. Click **Save** -- you must save the question before adding it to a dashboard
6. Add your question to your new dashboard
7. Use the "..." menu on each card to:
1. Edit the query
2. Duplicate the query for other dashboards
3. View how the query was built
![\[OCTANE\] New Dashboard](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20New%20Dashboard.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20New%20Dashboard.png)
![\[OCTANE\] New Question](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20New%20Question.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20New%20Question.png)
![\[OCTANE\] Anatomy of a question](https://resources.tradablebits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BOCTANE%5D%20Anatomy%20of%20a%20question.png?width=688&height=387&name=%5BOCTANE%5D%20Anatomy%20of%20a%20question.png)
### 🎀 Quick Recap
| **CONCEPT** | **WHAT IT MEANS** |
| --- | --- |
| **Collections** | Folders that store your dashboards & questions |
| **Databases** | Where your fan data lives. Organized into tables. |
| **Dashboards** | Pages that visualize insights using multiple questions |
| **Models** | Pre-configured datasets for common queries |
### **Next Up: Learn how to ask a question in Octane**
Ready to explore your data more deeply? In the next guide, we'll show you how to write and customize questions to power your dashboards!
**Still need assistance? Please reach out to your Customer Success Team or contact [support@tradablebits.com](mailto:support@tradablebits.com)**
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