# Related desks and changes since your last visit

> Tell Plexii which desks belong together so its answers put them first, and see what changed on a desk and its related desks since you last looked.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-related-desks
Section: Desks and the canvas > Desk tools
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-10

Desks are not connected just because they are in the same workspace. **Related desks** lets you say which ones belong together, such as a client proposal and the pricing it depends on. Once you have:

- **Plexii puts them first.** When you ask Plexii a question on one desk, material from that desk and its related desks comes before the rest of your workspace.
- **The desk keeps you up to date.** When you open a desk, a short line tells you what changed on it, and on its related desks, since your last visit.

## Before you start

- Related desks works the same on every plan, and there is nothing to set up.
- You choose related desks for the desk you have open, so open the desk first.
- Related desks belong to the workspace you are in.

## Choose a desk's related desks

1. Open the desk.
2. Press `⌘` `K` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `K` on Windows to open the command palette.
3. Type **related** and choose **Related desks**. It only appears while a desk is open.
4. The **Related desks** window opens, with the desk's name under its title. It lists your other desks in alphabetical order.
5. To find a desk, type part of its name in **Filter desks**.
6. Click a desk to tick it. Click it again to untick it. Each change is saved as you click.
7. Click **×** or press `Esc` when you are done.



Relating desks works both ways. If you tick **Pricing** on the **Client proposal** desk, **Client proposal** shows as ticked when you open Related desks on **Pricing**.

## How Plexii uses related desks

When you ask Plexii a question with a desk open, Plexii still searches your whole workspace. What changes is the order: tasks, tables and what is on the canvas from this desk and its related desks come first, and material from other desks comes after it rather than being left out.

Documents and Brain knowledge entries are not tied to a desk, so they are ranked the same way whichever desk you are on. Anything you @-mention is read as well. See [What Plexii can read and search](https://plexiidesk.com/help) and [Point Plexii at specific things with @](https://plexiidesk.com/help).

## Since your last visit

When you open a desk, a small strip can appear at the top left of the canvas, just under the header. It appears only when there is something to tell you, so a desk where nothing has changed stays clear.

- **Caught you up on** a number of **changes since your last visit** counts the changes to this desk, and to its related desks, since you last opened it. A badge beside it says how much they matter. If decisions you recorded depend on this desk, it adds **affecting** and the number of those decisions.
- **Related** is followed by the related desks that need a look, each with its badge. Click one to open that desk.

| Badge | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| **Changed** | Something changed, but nothing significant. |
| **Attention** | A significant change that is worth a look. |
| **Decision risk** | A significant change to something that a decision you recorded depends on. |

Opening a desk counts as catching up on it. The next time you open it, the strip counts only the changes made after this visit.

To record a decision, right-click a widget and choose **Flag as a decision**. See [Track decisions and what puts them at risk](https://plexiidesk.com/help).

## Tips

- **Relate desks that feed each other**, such as research and the brief it informs, or a budget and the plan that spends it.
- **Keep the list to the desks that really belong.** The fewer you tick, the more clearly those desks stand out in Plexii's answers.
- **To split work off into a new desk,** see [Turn a widget into its own desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-from-widget).

## Common questions

**I cannot find Related desks in the command palette.** Open a desk first. The entry only appears while a desk is open.

**The window says No other desks yet.** You have only one desk in this workspace. Create another and try again. See [Create a desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-create).

**Does relating desks share them with anyone?** No. Relating desks does not give anyone access to them. To share a desk, see [Sharing and invites](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sharing-and-invites).

**Why does the strip not show some of my related desks?** It lists only related desks that need a look, marked **Attention** or **Decision risk**. Related desks with no significant change are not listed.

## Related tasks

- [What Plexii can read and search](https://plexiidesk.com/help)
- [Track decisions and what puts them at risk](https://plexiidesk.com/help)
- [The command palette](https://plexiidesk.com/help/command-palette)
- [The load meter and parking widgets](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-load-meter)
- [Desks, rooms and the canvas](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-overview)