Microsoft Fabric can feel big and confusing when you’re just starting out but once you understand its main areas, tools, and navigation shortcuts, the whole platform becomes much easier to use.

This guide breaks everything down in a simple, step-by-step way so you always know where to find things, what each panel does, and how to move around confidently.

The Help Pane is your go-to place whenever you feel stuck or want extra guidance.

• Feature-aware help: It automatically shows help based on where you are in Fabric.
• Quick links to tutorials, documentation, and learning paths.
• Search bar so you can find explanations instantly.
• Feedback options to report issues or suggest improvements.
• Ask Copilot: Open a chat box and ask natural questions like “How do I create a Lakehouse?”

Think of it as your “home button” for learning Fabric.

The App Bar is the vertical menu on the left side of the screen.
It acts as the main navigation menu for the whole Fabric platform.

• Switch experiences (Data Engineering, Data Science, Power BI, Real-Time Analytics, etc.)
• Access core Fabric apps, such as:
  • Workspaces
  • Data Pipelines
  • Lakehouses
  • Notebooks
  • Dashboards
• Open and manage pinned items for quick access.
• Use shortcuts to move between tools more efficiently.

This is your landing page when you first open Microsoft Fabric.

• Recent items: Quickly reopen what you recently worked on.
• Recommended items: Fabric suggests content that may be helpful based on your work.
• Create menu: Start something new (workspace, notebook, Lakehouse, dataset, report).
• Templates: Pre-built solutions you can copy and edit.

Tip: If you ever get lost, returning to the Home Page gives you a clean starting point.

This is the small horizontal bar at the top of the screen.

It contains global controls that stay the same no matter where you are.

• App Launcher: Switch between Microsoft apps.
• Search: Find any item—reports, notebooks, dataflows, workspaces, etc.
• Notifications: See updates about refresh failures, sharing, permissions, and more.
• Settings: Personal preferences, theme, and account options.
• Copilot Button: Start asking questions instantly.

A Workspace is like a shared folder where you store everything related to a project.

• Lakehouses
• Pipelines
• Reports
• Notebooks
• Warehouses
• Datasets

• They allow teamwork on the same project.
• They keep all related assets grouped in one place.
• You can assign permissions (viewer, contributor, admin).

Think of a workspace like a neatly labeled box that holds everything for one project.

This is the central directory that helps you explore all data available to you.

• Search for datasets and tables
• Check lineage — where the data came from and how it’s used
• Monitor data quality
• See which items are shared with you
• Browse organizational data from different teams or departments

Use the hub to find data instead of recreating it.

Any time you want to start something new, use the Create button.

• Lakehouses
• Notebooks
• Dataflows
• Pipelines
• Warehouses
• Reports and dashboards
• KQL databases
• Real-Time dashboards

Each option includes templates for beginners.

Copilot is like having a smart assistant inside Fabric.

• Explain a feature or interface in plain language
• Suggest data transformations
• Help you write SQL or Python
• Build reports or visuals
• Help summarize datasets
• Answer questions about any Fabric tool

Use it whenever you feel stuck or want to speed up your work.

• Data refresh status
• Pipeline runs
• Sharing updates
• Permission changes
• Warning messages

• Change your theme
• Manage storage for personal or group accounts
• Update preferences for data refresh, security, or preview features

Keep your favorite Lakehouses, reports, and notebooks one click away.

The search box finds everything—files, data, workspaces, reports.

Microsoft often updates help sections with new features.

Don’t leave projects scattered across multiple folders.

It helps you avoid duplicate data and saves time.

Microsoft Fabric is designed to be powerful, but it becomes surprisingly simple once you understand its layout.
By learning how to use the Help Pane, App Bar, Home Page, Workspaces, and Data Hub, you’ll be able to navigate the platform smoothly and confidently.

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