[$250] [CFI] Start all New Expensify users on `Reports` > `Reports`

[JmillsExpensify]

We currently land New Expensify users on either Reports > To-do > Submit or Reports > To-do > Approve, depending on whether they're approvers or not. While this is arguably the most "action-oriented" landing spot, we're realized that it's confusing because users expect to land on a list of "All" expenses or reports, which they can then filter down. By landing them on To-dos, we land them on a pre-filtered list of results that they then try to filter down further and end up with no results.

Accordingly, the changes in this issue are:

• Initially land all users on Reports > Explore > Reports (yes, reports like IOUs even exist off workspace)
• Move Explore to the top of the LHN, in connection with Reports being the starting point
• The order of the options in Explore is:
  • Reports
  • Expenses
  • Chats
• The rest of the order of the LHN is unchanged from today, so:
  • Explore
  • To-dos
  • Accounting
  • Saved
  • Insights
• Also unchanged from today, if you land on Reports > Reports, navigate to other saved/default view, and then go to another page, we remember where you last were.

cc @shawnborton

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @marcaaron

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~022021261181181768541
• Upwork Job ID: 2021261181181768541
• Last Price Increase: 2026-02-10
• Automatic offers:
• ChavdaSachin | Reviewer | 110429607

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @brianlee-expensify (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[daledah]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

Actual Result:
New Expensify users are initially landed on Reports > To-do > Approve or Reports > To-do > Submit, which is a pre-filtered list. Users expect to start from Reports > Explore > Reports (an unfiltered broader entry point), and then narrow down with filters.

What is the root cause of that problem?

The app hardcodes an actionable To-do default (Approve, then Submit) when deciding where to navigate after suggested searches load:

App/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts

Lines 812 to 814 in d2e5e9f

	function getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem(menuItems: SearchTypeMenuItem[]) {
	return menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE) ?? menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT);
	}

Also, the LHN search sections are currently composed in an order where Explore is appended last (after To-dos, Accounting, Saved, and Insights), so the menu hierarchy does not match the desired landing-first mental model:

App/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts

Lines 3543 to 3727 in d2e5e9f

	// Todo section
	{
	const todoSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
	translationPath: 'common.todo',
	menuItems: [],
	};
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT]) {
	const groupPoliciesWithChatEnabled = getGroupPaidPoliciesWithExpenseChatEnabled(policies);
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptySubmitResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptySubmitResults.subtitle',
	buttons:
	groupPoliciesWithChatEnabled.length > 0
	? [
	{
	success: true,
	buttonText: 'report.newReport.createExpense',
	buttonAction: () => {
	interceptAnonymousUser(() => {
	if (shouldRedirectToExpensifyClassic) {
	setIsOpenConfirmNavigateExpensifyClassicModalOpen(true);
	return;
	}
	startMoneyRequest(CONST.IOU.TYPE.CREATE, generateReportID(), CONST.IOU.REQUEST_TYPE.SCAN, false, undefined, draftTransactions);
	});
	},
	},
	]
	: [],
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE]) {
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyApproveResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyApproveResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.PAY]) {
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.PAY],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.PAY]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyPayResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyPayResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPORT]) {
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPORT],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPORT]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyExportResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyExportResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (todoSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
	typeMenuSections.push(todoSection);
	}
	}
	// Accounting section
	{
	const accountingSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
	translationPath: 'workspace.common.accounting',
	menuItems: [],
	};
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.STATEMENTS]) {
	accountingSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.STATEMENTS],
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyStatementsResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyStatementsResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.UNAPPROVED_CASH]) {
	accountingSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.UNAPPROVED_CASH],
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyUnapprovedResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyUnapprovedResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.UNAPPROVED_CARD]) {
	accountingSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.UNAPPROVED_CARD],
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyUnapprovedResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyUnapprovedResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.RECONCILIATION]) {
	accountingSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.RECONCILIATION],
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyStatementsResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyStatementsResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (accountingSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
	typeMenuSections.push(accountingSection);
	}
	}
	// Saved section
	{
	const shouldShowSavedSearchesMenuItemTitle = Object.values(savedSearches ?? {}).filter((s) => s.pendingAction !== CONST.RED_BRICK_ROAD_PENDING_ACTION.DELETE || isOffline).length > 0;
	if (shouldShowSavedSearchesMenuItemTitle) {
	const savedSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
	translationPath: 'search.savedSearchesMenuItemTitle',
	menuItems: [],
	};
	typeMenuSections.push(savedSection);
	}
	}
	// Insights section
	{
	const insightsSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
	translationPath: 'common.insights',
	menuItems: [],
	};
	const insightsSearchKeys = [CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.TOP_SPENDERS, CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.TOP_CATEGORIES, CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.TOP_MERCHANTS];
	for (const key of insightsSearchKeys) {
	if (!suggestedSearchesVisibility[key]) {
	continue;
	}
	insightsSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[key],
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (insightsSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
	typeMenuSections.push(insightsSection);
	}
	}
	// Explore section
	{
	const exploreSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
	translationPath: 'common.explore',
	menuItems: [],
	};
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]) {
	exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]);
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]) {
	exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]);
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]) {
	exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]);
	}
	if (exploreSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
	typeMenuSections.push(exploreSection);
	}
	}

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

1. Change default landing selection to prefer Reports > Explore > Reports for all users.
2. Reorder LHN sections so Explore is first, while keeping the rest unchanged:
   • Explore
   • To-dos
   • Accounting
   • Saved
   • Insights

diff --git a/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts b/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts
--- a/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts
+++ b/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts
@@
 function getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem(menuItems: SearchTypeMenuItem[]) {
-    return menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE) ?? menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT);
+    return (
+        menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS) ??
+        menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES) ??
+        menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE) ??
+        menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT)
+    );
 }
@@
-    // Todo section
+    // Explore section
     {
-        const todoSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
-            translationPath: 'common.todo',
+        const exploreSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
+            translationPath: 'common.explore',
             menuItems: [],
         };
-
-        // existing To-do menu item population
-        if (todoSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
-            typeMenuSections.push(todoSection);
-        }
+        if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]) {
+            exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]);
+        }
+        if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]) {
+            exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]);
+        }
+        if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]) {
+            exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]);
+        }
+        if (exploreSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
+            typeMenuSections.push(exploreSection);
+        }
     }
@@
-    // Explore section
+    // Todo section
     {
-        const exploreSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
-            translationPath: 'common.explore',
+        const todoSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
+            translationPath: 'common.todo',
             menuItems: [],
         };
-
-        // existing Explore menu item population
-        if (exploreSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
-            typeMenuSections.push(exploreSection);
-        }
+        // existing To-do menu item population remains unchanged
+        if (todoSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
+            typeMenuSections.push(todoSection);
+        }
     }

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

Keep To-dos as default and only move Explore to the top visually

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[nkdengineer]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

Currently, new Expensify users land on either Reports > To-do > Submit or Reports > To-do > Approve depending on whether they're approvers. This is confusing because users expect to land on an unfiltered list of all expenses or reports, which they can then filter down. Landing on To-dos gives them a pre-filtered list, and when they try to filter further they end up with no results.

The desired changes are:

1. Initially land all users on Reports > Explore > Reports
2. Move Explore to the top of the LHN search menu
3. New LHN order: Explore, To-dos, Accounting, Saved, Insights

What is the root cause of that problem?

Two things control the current behavior:

1. Section ordering — createTypeMenuSections in src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts builds the LHN sections in this order: To-do → Accounting → Saved → Insights → Explore (Explore is last, at line 3707-3727).

2. Default landing query — getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem at line 812-813 returns the first Approve item, falling back to Submit. This is used in NavigationTabBar at line 249-250 to decide which search query to navigate to when the user first taps the Reports tab.

What changes do you think we should make in order to fix the problem?

1. Reorder sections in createTypeMenuSections (src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts)

Move the Explore section block (currently at line 3707-3727) to the top of the function body — before the To-do section (currently at line 3543). The resulting order will be:

Explore       ← moved from bottom to top
To-do
Accounting
Saved
Insights

The Explore block to move:

// Explore section (move to top, before To-do and also reorder Explore section) 
{
    const exploreSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
        translationPath: 'common.explore',
        menuItems: [],
    };

if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]) {
        exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]);
    }
    if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]) {
        exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]);
    }
 
    if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]) {
        exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]);
    }

    if (exploreSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
        typeMenuSections.push(exploreSection);
    }
}

// Todo section (remains the same, now second)
{
    const todoSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
        translationPath: 'common.todo',
        menuItems: [],
    };
    // ... rest unchanged
}

App/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts

Lines 3707 to 3727 in 58f0040

	// Explore section
	{
	const exploreSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
	translationPath: 'common.explore',
	menuItems: [],
	};
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]) {
	exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPENSES]);
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]) {
	exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS]);
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]) {
	exploreSection.menuItems.push(suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.CHATS]);
	}
	if (exploreSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
	typeMenuSections.push(exploreSection);
	}
	}

App/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts

Lines 3543 to 3614 in 58f0040

	// Todo section
	{
	const todoSection: SearchTypeMenuSection = {
	translationPath: 'common.todo',
	menuItems: [],
	};
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT]) {
	const groupPoliciesWithChatEnabled = getGroupPaidPoliciesWithExpenseChatEnabled(policies);
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptySubmitResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptySubmitResults.subtitle',
	buttons:
	groupPoliciesWithChatEnabled.length > 0
	? [
	{
	success: true,
	buttonText: 'report.newReport.createExpense',
	buttonAction: () => {
	interceptAnonymousUser(() => {
	if (shouldRedirectToExpensifyClassic) {
	setIsOpenConfirmNavigateExpensifyClassicModalOpen(true);
	return;
	}
	startMoneyRequest(CONST.IOU.TYPE.CREATE, generateReportID(), CONST.IOU.REQUEST_TYPE.SCAN, false, undefined, draftTransactions);
	});
	},
	},
	]
	: [],
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE]) {
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyApproveResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyApproveResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.PAY]) {
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.PAY],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.PAY]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyPayResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyPayResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (suggestedSearchesVisibility[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPORT]) {
	todoSection.menuItems.push({
	...suggestedSearches[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPORT],
	badgeText: formatBadgeText(reportCounts[CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.EXPORT]),
	emptyState: {
	title: 'search.searchResults.emptyExportResults.title',
	subtitle: 'search.searchResults.emptyExportResults.subtitle',
	},
	});
	}
	if (todoSection.menuItems.length > 0) {
	typeMenuSections.push(todoSection);
	}
	}

2. Update getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem (src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts)

Change it to return the Reports item from the Explore section instead of Approve/Submit:

// Before
function getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem(menuItems: SearchTypeMenuItem[]) {
    return menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE) ?? menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT);
}

// After
function getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem(menuItems: SearchTypeMenuItem[]) {
    return menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.REPORTS) ?? menuItems.at(0);
}

App/src/libs/SearchUIUtils.ts

Lines 812 to 813 in 58f0040

	function getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem(menuItems: SearchTypeMenuItem[]) {
	return menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.APPROVE) ?? menuItems.find((item) => item.key === CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_KEYS.SUBMIT);

This ensures the navigateToSearch function in NavigationTabBar uses the Reports query as the default landing, and the Explore section appears first in the LHN. No changes are needed in NavigationTabBar itself since it already delegates to getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem.

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

An alternative would be to only change the NavigationTabBar to hardcode the Reports query as the default, without changing getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem. However, updating getDefaultActionableSearchMenuItem is better because it's the single source of truth for the default search item, used in multiple places (including useSuggestedSearchDefaultNavigation). Changing it in one place ensures consistent behavior everywhere.

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @ChavdaSachin (External)