> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.codegrade.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.codegrade.com/faq/setting-the-default-panel-in-the-code-editor.md).

# Setting the Default Panel in the Code Editor

When a student opens an assignment in the code editor for the first time, CodeGrade decides which panel they land on.

### Choosing the default panel for an assignment

1. Navigate to the "**Assignment Settings**" page of your assignment.
2. In the "**Submission settings**" section, make sure the "**Editor**" submit method is enabled.
3. Below the Editor toggle, find the "**Panel the editor opens on**" dropdown.
4. Select the panel students should see first, for example "**Description**".

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://2172486256-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MKAQsDlg_P20iQy3JDs%2Fuploads%2Faybm1fOAGiF0EC8Mcykq%2FScreenshot%202026-09-03%20at%2014.29.02.png?alt=media&amp;token=e9e41768-98ef-4a84-b2b0-27a15f20bee6" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Choosing your own default panel as a user

Every user can set a personal default that applies to assignments they have not opened before:

1. Open the "**User Info**" menu in the sidebar.
2. Under "**Preferences**", find the "**Code editor opening panel**" dropdown.
3. Select the panel you want to land on, or keep "**Follow the assignment default**" to use whatever the assignment has configured.

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://2172486256-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MKAQsDlg_P20iQy3JDs%2Fuploads%2FaOaLsp4Nu0f4X42PqdGD%2FScreenshot%202026-09-10%20at%2010.30.31.png?alt=media&amp;token=78719bb8-c59a-4230-a6e6-94552740332d" alt="" width="362"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

#### How the editor decides which panel to open

The editor picks the first of these that is set:

1. The panel you **last had open** in this assignment. Returning to an assignment always brings you back to where you were.
2. Your own "**Code editor opening panel**" preference, if you chose one.
3. The **assignment's** "Panel the editor opens on" setting.
4. The **institution default**.

If the selected panel is unavailable, the **Help** panel is shown instead.

{% hint style="info" %}
A student's own preference wins over the assignment setting, but only on their first visit: after that, the editor simply reopens on whatever panel they last used. The assignment setting still applies to every student who has not set a personal preference, which is most of them.
{% endhint %}