Not every widget is useful for every person. The right dashboard depends on how you spend your time. Here are recommended starting points by role to trim or add based on what actually fits your workflow.
The Federal Government Affairs Professional
For someone who lives on Capitol Hill and needs to stay current on federal activity.
| Widget | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
| CQ News | Award-winning coverage of Congress, searchable by keyword |
| CQ Now | Real-time, sentence-level updates on what's happening on the Hill right now |
| CQ Transcripts | Hearing transcripts — useful for tracking testimony and committee activity |
| Presidential Actions | A running feed of executive orders and proclamations |
| Committee Hearings | Upcoming hearings for bills you're tracking |
| Social Media Mentions | Early signal on what legislators are talking about publicly |
The Analyst
For someone who identifies new bills daily and tracks their movement through the legislative process.
| Widget | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
| New Alerts | Jump straight into your alert queue to triage new matches |
| Recent Updates | See what's changed recently on bills you're already monitoring |
| Bills by Status | A visual of where your tracked bills stand in the process, click to drill in |
| Committee Hearings | Upcoming hearings for bills in your project folders |
| Social Media Mentions | Often the earliest signal of what's coming before it hits the floor |
| Recently Viewed | Pick up where you left off without searching again |
The Lobbyist
For someone meeting with officials and moving the needle on specific legislative priorities.
| Widget | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
| Bills by Status | See where your priorities stand and what needs attention |
| Social Media Mentions | Gauge sentiment and stay ahead of what officials are saying publicly |
| Committee Hearings | Know what's scheduled so you can prep for the right conversations |
| Recent Updates | Stay current on any movement on bills you're actively working |
| Actions | Track the cadence of your team's outreach: calls, emails, meetings |
| CQ News | Stay informed on the broader Capitol Hill context around your issues |
The Director
For someone overseeing a team and needing a bird's-eye view of progress.
| Widget | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
| Bills by Status | High-level view of where the portfolio stands in the legislative process |
| Bills by Priority | See at a glance what your team has flagged as highest priority |
| Policy Map | A visual of legislative activity across the US from all your project folders |
| Actions | See the volume and type of engagement your team has logged |
Building Your Own Layout
These are starting points, not prescriptions. A few questions to help you decide what belongs on your dashboard:
- What do you check first every morning? That widget should be at the top.
- What do you constantly navigate away to find? That's a widget worth adding.
- What information do you never act on? Remove it so dashboard clutter doesn't slow you down.
Your configuration is personal and doesn't affect your teammates' views. Revisit it periodically as your responsibilities shift.
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