Panel navigation — How to get around LocalGuard
The LocalGuard panel is designed so you can manage your family’s protection quickly and clearly. This guide explains what each section is for and how to find your way around the panel.
The sidebar — Main sections
Section titled “The sidebar — Main sections”On the left side of the panel (or in the top menu on mobile) you will find the sidebar with access to all sections. You can expand or collapse it by clicking the menu icon.
| Section | What you will find inside |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | A visual summary of the status of all your devices: how many websites were blocked, protection status, activity charts, and the most visited domains. This is the starting point when you want to see how everything is going at a glance. |
| Protection | The blocking rules. Here you create, edit, and organize everything your child can or cannot see on the internet: specific domains, content categories, the night profile, and the trash for deleted rules. |
| Time | Screen time control. Define how many hours the device can be used, manage your child’s requests when they ask for more time, and configure study mode for homework. |
| Devices | The devices linked to your account. Here you see the status of each device, the version of the installed agent, and can organize devices into family groups. |
| Activity | The complete history of what has happened on the devices — websites visited, blocks, applications running. This is your audit tool when you want to know exactly what happened and when. |
| Install | The installation center. Download the installer from here to add new devices to your account. |
| Settings | Your account and system settings: language, time zone, password, two-factor security, notifications, integrations (email, Telegram), and family member management. |
The header — Always-visible controls
Section titled “The header — Always-visible controls”At the top of the panel there is a control bar that is always visible, regardless of which section you are in:
Global device selector
Section titled “Global device selector”The most important control in the header. It lets you choose the “active” device in the panel. When you change the device here, the Time and Activity screens automatically update to show data for that device.
You can choose “All devices” to see general statistics, or a specific device to focus on one particular computer.
When to use it: Before configuring screen time or reviewing activity, make sure the selector points to the device you want. This is the most common mistake: configuring time for one device while thinking you are configuring another.
System status
Section titled “System status”A small indicator showing whether the LocalGuard server is responding correctly. If it appears green, everything is working. If it is red or orange, there may be a server problem preventing the panel from showing updated data or the agent from receiving rules.
Notifications
Section titled “Notifications”The bell icon shows important system alerts: when an agent stops reporting for a long time, when your child has a pending time request, when an unrecognized browser is detected on a device, and so on.
Configure which notifications you want to receive and through which channel in Settings → Notifications.
Search
Section titled “Search”The magnifying glass icon (or the Ctrl+K shortcut) opens the panel’s command palette. From here you can:
- Jump directly to any section of the panel by typing its name
- Search for a specific device
- Search through Protection rules
It is faster than using the sidebar when you already know where you want to go.
Theme and language
Section titled “Theme and language”Controls to change the panel language and toggle between light and dark theme. The language only affects the panel — the agent and the supervision screen your child sees are configured separately.
The Dashboard — Starting point
Section titled “The Dashboard — Starting point”When you enter the panel, the first thing you see is the Dashboard. It is designed to give you a general status view without having to enter each section.
What the Dashboard shows
Section titled “What the Dashboard shows”Infrastructure widget: Status of the server, the agent on each device, and rule synchronization. If any device has a stopped agent or no recent contact, you will see it here.
Protection widget: A quick summary of how many rules are active, how many categories are enabled, and whether the system is protecting correctly.
Today’s statistics: Three key indicators — number of requests blocked, total traffic processed, and active devices.
24-hour trend chart: A line showing traffic evolution over the last 24 hours. Peaks indicate times of higher browsing activity.
Most visited domains: The domains your child has accessed most frequently in the selected period. Gives you a quick idea of which platforms they use most.
Weekly comparison: A chart comparing this week’s activity with the previous week, to detect usage patterns.
Activity heatmap: A visual representation of at which hours of the day there is most browsing activity. Very useful for detecting if your child is browsing at unexpected times.
Widgets are reorganizable
Section titled “Widgets are reorganizable”You can reorganize Dashboard widgets according to your preferences — drag them to the position that works best for you. The layout is saved in your browser and persists between sessions.
Keyboard shortcuts
Section titled “Keyboard shortcuts”To move quickly through the panel without using the mouse:
| Shortcut | Where it goes |
|---|---|
Ctrl+1 | Dashboard |
Ctrl+2 | Protection |
Ctrl+3 | Time |
Ctrl+4 | Devices |
Ctrl+5 | Activity |
Ctrl+6 | Install |
Ctrl+7 | Settings |
Ctrl+K | Opens the search palette |
How to read system status correctly
Section titled “How to read system status correctly”A page loaded in the panel does not necessarily mean protection is working. Before assuming everything is fine, confirm this sequence:
- The system status indicator in the header appears green.
- In Devices, the child’s device appears as “Connected” with a recent last contact (under 5 minutes if the PC is on).
- The global device selector points to the correct device.
- In Activity, there are recent records from the device.
If any of these points fails, there is something to review before trusting the protection.
How sections relate — The workflow
Section titled “How sections relate — The workflow”The panel is designed for you to work this way:
| I want to… | Start in… | Verify in… |
|---|---|---|
| Block a new website | Protection → Domains | Activity (search for the blocked domain) |
| Know if my child tried to access a site | Activity → Websites | Filter by domain and device |
| Set a usage time limit | Time → Settings | Time → Today |
| Add a new computer | Install | Devices (new device appears) |
| Know which apps my child uses | Activity → Applications | — |
| Change the panel language | Settings → Appearance | — |
| Give the other parent access | Settings → Family | — |
How the panel works on mobile
Section titled “How the panel works on mobile”On phones and tablets, the sidebar becomes a menu accessible from the menu button (three-line icon) in the top corner. When you tap a menu item, the menu closes automatically and you go to the selected section.
The panel is optimized for comfortable use from a phone, although for detailed configurations (creating complex rules, reviewing activity with advanced filters) a computer or large tablet screen is more comfortable.