# Desk layout widgets

> Section, Portal and Task link: group widgets in a labelled frame, watch another desk live, or keep a one-click link to another desk.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/widgets-desk-layout
Section: Widgets > Desk layout
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

The desk layout widgets do not hold content of their own. They shape the desk you are on, or point at another one. A Section gathers widgets into a labelled frame, a Portal shows a live miniature of another desk, and a Task link is a small card that takes you to another desk in one click.

This page explains what each one is for and how to add it. Each widget has its own guide, linked below.

## The three widgets

They appear in this order in the **Add widget** menu.

| Widget | What it does | Choose it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Section** | A coloured, labelled frame that holds widgets. It grows to fit them and can lay them out for you as a grid, a stack, icons or a list. | A desk has grown busy and you want related widgets kept together. See [Section widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-section). |
| **Portal** | A live miniature of another desk, refreshed every few seconds. Click it to go to that desk. Wired into a Desk agent, it lets the agent read that desk. | You want to keep an eye on another desk without leaving this one. See [Portal widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-portal). |
| **Task link** | A card for another desk: its name, the rooms it sits in, its due date, and **5 min** and **Open** buttons. | You want a shortcut to a related desk, or a quick way to start on it. See [Task link widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-task-link). |

## Before you start

- All three widgets are on every plan.
- You need a desk open. The **Add widget** button appears in the header only while a desk is open.
- A Portal and a Task link point at another desk, so you need at least one other desk to choose. Neither can point at the desk it is on.

## Add one to a desk

1. Open the desk.
2. Click **Add widget** in the centre of the header.
3. In the **Desk layout** column, click **Section**, **Portal** or **Task link**.

You can also type a name in **Search widgets…** at the top of the menu and press `Enter` to add the first match.

### Other ways to add one

- **Press `R`** on an open desk, when you are not typing, to add a Section. Section is the only one of the three with a quick-add key, and you can change it. See [Add widgets with a single key](https://plexiidesk.com/help/quick-add-keys).
- **Right-click an empty part of the desk** and choose **Add object**. Section is under **Layout**. Portal and Task link are under **Advanced**. The widget is placed where you clicked.
- **Use the command palette.** Press `⌘` `K` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `K` on Windows, type the widget's name and choose **Add Section**, **Add Portal** or **Add Task link**. Portal and Task link are listed once you start typing.
- **Wrap widgets you already have.** Select the widgets and click **Group** on the bar that appears above them. They are wrapped in a new section called **Group**. See [Select, move and arrange widgets](https://plexiidesk.com/help/canvas-select-arrange).

### Starting sizes

| Widget | Starts at |
| --- | --- |
| Section | Sized to fit what is in it. An empty section is a small frame that grows as you drop widgets in. |
| Portal | 300 × 240 |
| Task link | 280 × 110 |

## What you see first

- **A new Section** is an empty dashed frame with a grey name tag reading **Section**. Drag widgets onto it to fill it.
- **A new Portal** says **Open a window into another desk** and lists your other desks. Click one to show it.
- **A new Task link** asks **Which desk should this point at?**, with a **Search desks…** box and a list of your desks. Click one to link it.

## Watch several desks from one desk

Portals are the building block of a control-room desk: one desk with a portal for each project you look after, so you can see them all at a glance and hand them to a Desk agent together. See [Watch several desks from one control-room desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/layout-control-room).

## Publishing a live view

When you publish a live view of a desk, a Portal is not published, because it shows another desk. See [Publish a live view of a desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/share-live-web-view).

## Guides in this section

- [Section widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-section)
- [Portal widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-portal)
- [Watch several desks from one control-room desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/layout-control-room)
- [Task link widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-task-link)

## Related tasks

- [Add a widget to a desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/add-a-widget)
- [Tidy, auto-arrange and Smart Stack](https://plexiidesk.com/help/canvas-tidy)
- [Select, move and arrange widgets](https://plexiidesk.com/help/canvas-select-arrange)
- [Link widgets and set up wires](https://plexiidesk.com/help/canvas-link-widgets)