# Branch Selector

This article explains the **Branch Selector** in Model Reef.

You will learn:

* Where the Branch Selector appears.
* How to switch between branches and consolidated views.
* How branch context affects variables, dashboards and reports.

Branches represent entities, divisions, stores, projects or other business units inside a model. The Branch Selector controls which part of the branch tree you are looking at.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Where you see the Branch Selector

The Branch Selector usually appears in:

* Variable and driver lists.
* Dashboards and report views.
* Some modals where context matters, such as when creating new variables.

It is typically a dropdown or tree control that shows the branch hierarchy for the current model.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Selecting a branch

When you choose a branch in the selector, Model Reef:

* Filters variable lists to items in that branch and its children.
* Shows P\&L, Balance Sheet, Cashflow and Cash Waterfall for that branch and its subtree.
* Updates dashboards and charts to reflect the selected part of the business.

Selecting the root or top level branch usually shows the fully consolidated group view.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Branch context in editing

When you create a new variable while a branch is selected:

* The new variable is created inside that branch by default.
* Category and naming suggestions may follow the context of that branch.

This makes it easy to build models branch by branch without having to manually assign each variable's location.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Branch Selector and permissions

The Branch Selector respects permissions:

* Users with branch level access only see branches they are allowed to view.
* Users with model level access see the full tree.

If a branch does not appear in the selector for a user, they cannot access its variables or outputs.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Common usage patterns

You will typically use the Branch Selector to:

* Switch between entity level and group level views.
* Move between stores, projects or regions.
* Focus on a specific part of the business during review.
* Drill down from group numbers into the contributions from child branches.

Getting comfortable with the Branch Selector is key to navigating large models.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## Related articles

* [Scenario Selector](/syntax/understanding-the-interface/scenario-selector.md)
* [Picking Chart Types](/syntax/chart-and-table-syntax/picking-chart-types.md)
* [Delay Rules](/help/drivers-variables-and-timing/delay-rules.md)
* [Build a Capex & Depreciation Model](/how-tos/operations-and-unit-economics/build-a-capex-and-depreciation-model.md)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.modelreef.io/syntax/understanding-the-interface/branch-selector.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.