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Add a widget

Widgets are the content blocks on a dashboard. LaunchPad supports two families:

  • Nextcloud widgets — Mail, Activity, Calendar, Talk, Files, etc. Discovered automatically from every installed Nextcloud app via the IManager widget API.
  • LaunchPad custom widgets — Label, Text, Image, Link button, Divider, Files (rich), People, Quicklinks, News, Video, Calendar, Links, Menu, Container, Tile.

Both families use the same picker UI and live on the same grid.

Goal​

Add a new widget to your active dashboard.

Prerequisites​

  • A dashboard you can edit (your own personal dashboard, or one your admin granted you add_only or full permission on).

Steps​

1. Enter edit mode​

Open the active dashboard's cog menu and click Edit dashboard. The grid shows resize handles on each placement.

Edit dashboard menu entry

2. Open the Add widget modal​

From the cog menu pick Add custom widget… for the LaunchPad custom families, or click the empty-cell + marker that appears in edit mode for built-in Nextcloud widgets.

Widget picker modal

3. Pick a widget type​

The picker groups widgets by family. Hover for a one-line description. Custom widgets that haven't shipped a configuration form yet are filtered out — only types you can actually configure show.

4. Configure the per-type form​

Each custom widget type opens its own form. Some examples:

  • Tile — title, icon (registry key, URL, emoji, or SVG), background colour, link type (app or url), link value.
  • Text — markdown body, font size, alignment, optional table mode.
  • Files — folder path, view mode (list / grid), optional filters and upload toggle.
  • Link button — single-link button or list mode with multiple links.

Per-type configuration form

5. Click Save​

The new placement appears in the grid at the next available cell. You can immediately drag it where you want — see Reposition & resize widgets.

Newly-added widget on dashboard

Verification​

  • The widget renders with the content you configured.
  • Reloading the page brings it back at the same grid position with the same content (changes are persisted to oc_launchpad_widget_placements).

Common issues​

SymptomFix
Widget type isn't in the pickerEither the type has no configuration form yet, or your admin's role-based widget allow-list excludes it (see admin: restrict widgets per role).
Widget renders emptyThe type-specific config (e.g. Tile linkValue) wasn't filled. Right-click → Edit to fix.
"You don't have permission" toastThe dashboard's permission level is view_only for you. Owners or admins can change it.

Reference​