When you're working with enterprise architecture data, you often need to access the details of a single component. Maybe you're updating an application's lifecycle status, assigning a new owner, or just need a focused view of a component.
The Component Overview page is your home for all of this. With the new version, instead of jumping between different parts in the product, you get one unified page where you can:
See all the details about a component at a glance
Edit any field directly
Build and manage relationships to other components
Access relevant visualizations
Customize how the component appears in diagrams
Think of it as a component's "profile page" - everything about that component, organized and editable.
Getting to the Component Overview Page
There are three ways to open the Component Overview page.
From Global Search
Click the search bar at the top of Ardoq
Start typing the component name
Hover over the result you want
Click the "Open" button that appears
From the Data Inventory
When browsing components in the Data Inventory view, simply click on any component name to open its Component Overview page.
From Visualizations
While working with visualized data through a viewpoint you can open the Component Overview page for any component you see. This keeps you in flow: explore a visualization, spot something that needs attention, and jump directly to its details.
Standalone page vs. drawer
The Component Overview Page appears in two modes depending on how you open it:
Standalone page — when opened from global search or navigated to directly, the Component Overview Page fills the main content area and includes the Components Browser panel on the left side.
Drawer — when opened from the Data Inventory or from a visualization, the Component Overview Page slides in as a drawer. In this mode, the Components Browser is not shown, keeping the panel compact so you can continue working in context.
Components Browser
When the Component Overview Page is open as a standalone page, the left side shows the Components Browser — a tree view of all components in the workspace.
What you can do with the Components Browser
Navigate between components — click any component in the tree to load its details in the Component Overview Page. This lets you quickly browse through components without going back to search or inventory.
Search for components — use the search bar at the top of the browser to filter the component list.
Model the workspace hierarchy — drag and drop components in the tree to rearrange the parent-child structure. Dropping a component onto another makes it a child of that component. This is how you build and reorganize the hierarchy of your workspace directly from the Component Overview Page.
When is the browser not shown?
The Components Browser only appears when the Component Overview Page is open as a standalone page. When the page opens as a drawer (from the Data Inventory or a visualization), the browser is hidden to save space.
The Component Overview Page Tabs
The page is organized into five tabs, each focused on a different aspect of the component.
Overview: Read-only summary
Fields: View and edit component fields
References: Create and manage relationships
Viewpoints: Access visualizations featuring this component
Styles: Customize how the component looks in visualizations
Let's explore each one.
Overview Tab
This is your landing page: a read-only summary designed for quick lookups and stakeholder walkthroughs. It shows:
Component name, type, and description.
Priority Fields (if configured) — the most important business-relevant fields, displayed prominently.
Key field values.
A relationship summary showing connected components.
One click to visualizing the component
Use the Overview tab for:
Quick lookups: "Who owns this application?"
Orientation: "What systems does this server support?"
Stakeholder reviews: Share your screen to walk through a component's key details
Fields Tab
The primary editing interface for all component data. The Fields tab displays every field associated with the component — including custom fields defined by your organization, system fields, and calculated fields. To edit a field, click the pencil icon next to it. The field becomes editable inline, allowing you to update the value directly.
Priority Fields
Priority Fields appear at the top of the Fields tab in a dedicated section, separated from other fields. These are the business-relevant fields that an Ardoq admin has selected as most important for this component type — such as lifecycle phase, business owner, strategic importance, or cost.
How Priority Fields work:
Priority Fields are configured per component type by an Ardoq admin.
When configured, they always appear first on the Fields tab and on the Overview tab.
All other custom fields appear below in a separate section.
If no Priority Fields are configured for a component type, the section is hidden.
Setting up Priority Fields (Admin):
Go to Manage Organization → Component Overview.
Select a component type (e.g., Application, Business Capability).
A table displays all available fields for that type. Check the boxes next to the fields you want to mark as priority.
The selected fields will immediately appear in the Priority Fields section for all users viewing components of that type.
Note: Field order on the Component Overview Page follows the order set in the workspace manager.
Tip: Focus on fields that matter to the widest audience of users. Technical or utility fields used in calculations should generally not be prioritized. If you use the Ardoq Foundation solution, sensible defaults are pre-configured for common component types.
System fields
System fields (Ardoq ID, Created By, Created Date, etc.) appear at the bottom of the Fields tab. These are read-only and cannot be edited.
Sorting
Fields can be sorted by Default order (set by an admin in the metamodel) or Alphabetically using the sort control at the top of the tab.
References Tab
Relationships are the heart of enterprise architecture. The References tab makes it easy to see, create, and manage how this component connects to everything else.
The References tab shows a structured view of all references grouped by triple (Source → Reference Type → Target).
Viewing references:
References are grouped by triple — that is, by the combination of source component type, reference type, and target component type (e.g., Application → Integrates With → Application).
Use the search bar to filter references by name.
Collapse or expand reference groups to manage large sets.
Click a reference to open a details panel on the right side. This panel has two tabs: Reference fields (showing the reference's own field values and metadata) and Component fields (showing field values of the linked component).
Creating references:
Find the appropriate reference type (triple) for the relationship you want to create.
Click the + button next to the reference type.
Search for and select the target component.
The reference is created immediately.
You can also select multiple target components at once using the checkboxes in the component selector, then click Create to create references to all of them in one go.
Creating a component and reference simultaneously:
If the target component doesn't exist yet, you can create it during reference creation:
Start creating a reference as above.
Instead of selecting an existing component, click Create new component.
Enter the component name, select its type and workspace.
Both the component and the reference are created.
Removing references:
To remove a reference, click it to open the details panel on the right, then click the trash icon in the top right of the panel. This removes the relationship but does not delete the connected component.
Viewpoints Tab
Viewpoints are pre-configured visualizations that answer specific questions. The Viewpoints tab shows you all the viewpoints where this component appears
Browsing Viewpoints
You might see viewpoints like:
Application Landscape: Where does this app fit in the portfolio?
Infrastructure Dependencies: What does this system run on?
Business Capability Map: What capabilities does this support?
Here, you can:
Hover any viewpoint to see a preview without leaving the page.
Click to open the full visualization where you can explore, filter, and interact with the diagram.
Search for viewpoints by name.
Styles Tab
How a component looks in diagrams matters, especially when you're presenting to stakeholders or creating documentation. The Styles tab lets you customize the visual appearance.
What You Can Change
Icon
Choose from over 250 icons organized into categories:
Ardoq types: Platform-standard icons
Font Awesome: General-purpose icons
ArchiMate: Standard EA notation
BPMN: Process modeling symbols
EDGY: Additional architectural icons
Example: You're using ArchiMate notation. For your application components, select the ArchiMate "Application Component" icon so your diagrams follow the standard.
Image
Upload a custom image (PNG, JPG, or SVG) if you want something specific like a vendor logo.
Example: For third-party SaaS applications, upload the vendor's logo so they're instantly recognizable in diagrams.
Shape
Choose the geometric shape for block diagrams - rectangle, rounded rectangle, circle, diamond, and more.
Color
Pick from preset colors or enter a custom hex code. Use color to indicate status, category, or any other dimension meaningful to your organization.
Surveys
If your organization uses Ardoq Surveys for data collection, applicable surveys appear as buttons at the top of the Component Overview Page. If a priority survey has been set for the component type, it appears as a prominent button. Other available surveys are accessible via a Submit an update dropdown. Click a survey button to open the survey and contribute data directly in context.
Working with the Component Overview Page in Views
When working in a visualization, you can open the Component Overview Page as a side drawer without leaving the view:
Right-click a component and select the edit option.
The Component Overview Page opens as a panel alongside the visualization.
Make your edits, then close the drawer to return to the view.
This lets you update data without losing your place — close the panel to return to exactly where you were in the visualization.
Permissions
The Component Overview Page respects Ardoq's permission model:
Users with write access can edit fields, create/remove references, and change styles.
Users with read-only access can browse all tabs and view all component data, but cannot edit field values, add or remove references, or change styles. Editing controls are hidden for read-only users.
Calculated fields are always read-only, regardless of permissions.
Troubleshooting
My field changes aren't saving:
Check for validation errors — required fields may need a value.
Ensure you have write permissions to the workspace.
Remember to click the Save button to confirm your changes.
I can't find a reference type I expect to see:
The References tab shows reference types defined in your metamodel. If a type is missing, check with your admin whether it's configured for this component type.
Parent-child relationships ("is Parent of") are managed through the workspace hierarchy, not the References tab.
If your organization uses metamodel constraints, all permitted triples appear in the list — including those with zero existing instances. This is by design, so you can create new references of any allowed type.
I accidentally changed a field — can I undo?
For unsaved changes, press Escape or click Cancel.
For saved changes, use the audit log to revert. An audit log tab on the Component overview page is planned for a future release.
Known Limitations
Not available in legacy Discover — the redesigned Component Overview Page requires the new Streamlined Ardoq experience.
Not available in workspace-based workflows — the Component Overview Page is part of the viewpoint-based experience.
Parent-child references are not shown in the References tab. Hierarchy management is handled through the Components Browser (on the standalone page) or the Inventory.
No audit log tab yet — there is currently no way to see who changed what and when at the component level. This is planned.
All permitted reference types are shown — when metamodel constraints are configured, all permitted triples appear in the References tab, including those with zero instances for the current component. This can create a long list. Filtering and sorting improvements are planned.
The panel can obscure the view when the Component Overview Page is opened as a drawer during modeling — you may lose visual context when creating references. An improved visual modelling experience is planned.
No inline editing on the Overview tab — editing is currently only available on the Fields tab. Inline editing on the Overview tab is planned.
Performance with many references — components with hundreds of references may experience slower load times.
Empty Priority Fields section may appear if the feature is enabled but no fields have been configured for a component type. This is being addressed.
What's Next on the Roadmap
Coming soon
Richer Overview tab — replacing the reference list with a visual "one step out" diagram showing the component's immediate neighbourhood. Inline field editing directly on the Overview tab.
Improved reference management — several improvements are planned: filters for hiding empty reference types by default, sort by relevance, and make referenced components clickable for navigation.
Audit log tab — see the history of changes to a component, who made them, and when.
Streamlined editing — double-click to edit fields, keyboard shortcuts (Cmd/Ctrl+S to save), and fewer clicks to reach edit mode.
Explore further
Product tour: Explore how to work with the new Component Overview in this quick interactive tour.
Have feedback? Share it via your Customer Success Manager or directly on the Ardoq Product Portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Component Overview page?
The Component Overview page is a dedicated interface for viewing and editing a single component in Ardoq. It consolidates all component information - fields, references, visualizations, and styling - into one accessible location with five organized tabs.
How do I access the Component Overview page?
There are three ways:
1. Global search: Click the search bar at the top of Ardoq, type the component name, hover over the result, and click the "Open" button
2. Inventory: Click any component name in the Inventory view
3. Visualizations: While working with visualized data, you can open the Component Overview page for any component you see
Can I edit component data directly on this page?
Yes. The Fields tab provides full editing capabilities for all component fields. Each field type has a specialized editor - text boxes, dropdowns, date pickers, rich text editors, and more.
Are my changes saved automatically?
Most field changes save automatically when you click away or press Enter. Some fields (like checkboxes) show explicit Save/Cancel buttons for confirmation.
Can I undo changes?
Individual field edits can be cancelled before saving (press Escape or click Cancel). For changes already saved, use Ardoq's workspace history features to review and revert changes.
How do I delete a reference?
Click on the reference to open its detail panel, then click the "Remove reference" button. You'll be asked to confirm before deletion.
What is the "triple" shown in the reference detail?
The triple visualizes the relationship structure: Source → Reference Type → Target. Each element is clickable, allowing you to navigate to either component.
What viewpoints are shown on the Viewpoints tab?
All viewpoints that include the current component's type in their viewpoint model. This depends on how viewpoints are configured in your organization.
Why don't I see any viewpoints?
Possible reasons:
- No viewpoints include this component type
- You don't have permission to access available viewpoints
- Viewpoints are in draft status (not published)
Where do style changes appear?
Style changes affect how the component appears in all block diagrams, dependency maps, and other visualizations throughout Ardoq.
Can I preview style changes before saving?
Yes. The Styles tab includes a live preview section that updates in real-time as you modify icon, shape, or color settings.
Why can't I edit certain fields?
You may not have write permissions for the workspace containing this component. Contact your Ardoq administrator to request appropriate access.
Can I view a component I can't edit?
Yes. Read-only users can view all component information on the Overview tab but cannot make changes on the Fields, References, or Styles tabs.
Who can delete references?
Users with write permissions to the workspace containing the reference's source component can delete references.