Benchling is a cloud-based platform designed to streamline research workflows by integrating data management, collaboration, and analysis tools. Understanding how to navigate your Benchling account efficiently can enhance productivity and ensure seamless collaboration across your team.

Hardware and browser recommendations

Before you can effectively use your Benchling account, it's important to make sure your system meets the platform’s technical requirements. Benchling is a cloud-based application, so access depends on having a compatible browser and sufficient hardware performance. This ensures that features like auto-saving, large data uploads, and real-time collaboration work smoothly.

For optimal performance:

Hardware:
- Device less than 4 years old
- 2+ GHz CPU
- 8GB RAM
Operating Systems:
- Windows 10 or later
- Latest version of macOS
Browsers:
- Latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
Mobile Devices:
- Benchling does not do any validation or testing on mobile devices for any new Benchling updates. We therefore cannot guarantee performance or support for mobile devices

Offline access and local server usage

Benchling is a cloud-based platform, which means:

You must be online to access and save data
There is no offline mode or desktop version available
Benchling does not support installation on local servers

Platform overview

When you log into Benchling, you will be greeted with an empty workspace and a Navigation Bar at the left hand side.

In the Navigation bar, you will see icons for different functions and applications in your tenant. We will walk through the common ones, seen above, but note that your tenant might be configured with different features and as a result, your Navigation bar might look different.

Starting from the top, we have the following icons:

Home - clicking the JeffyP icon will open your home menu that includes your to-dos, tasks assigned to you, recently opened entities, and recent worklists. In expanded view, it also shows you your calendar
Projects - clicking the briefcase icon will open a list of the projects that you have access to. Clicking into a project will show you the folders, entries, and other objects that live in that project
Studies - clicking the book icon will open a list of the Studies that you have access to. Clicking into a Study will show you an overview of the Study, any linked items, results, and metadata
Search - clicking the magnifying glass icon will open the Global Search functionality, which allows you to search across the entire tenant
Create - clicking the plus icon will open the Global Create menu, which provides a list of all the objects you can create and the methods (individual or bulk) that you can choose to create them with
Registry - clicking the nine dot icon will open the Registry application, which includes a list of all the entities that have been registered and the search tool that allows you to search only within the Registry
Inventory - clicking the freezer icon will open the Inventory application, which includes a list of all the locations and objects that have been created and the search tool that allows you to search only within the Inventory
Workflows - clicking the squiggly line icon will open the Workflows application, where you can create and execute tasks
Requests - clicking the shield icon will open the Requests Portal which allows you to view the Request templates that you can use to create a new request and see a dashboard view of Requests that have been created
Insights - clicking the bar graph icon will open the Insights application which allows you to create dashboards driven by SQL queries or Analysis tables
Connections - clicking the folder icon will open the Connections application which shows any external connections you have including Gateways for Connect, external files, and applications. For External Files you can connect Box and Dropbox in the Connections menu. To connect Egnyte or OneDrive, contact Benchling support.

Due to recent changes in Google’s policies, new Google Drive connections are Benchling currently unavailable. We’re actively evaluating possible paths to restore this functionality, but there is no confirmed timeline at this time.

Avatar - clicking on your initials or photo will open a settings menu with options that vary based on your role in your organization

Manage your account

Once you're signed in, it's important to ensure your account is configured with accurate, up-to-date information. This helps Benchling support personalized settings, enables collaborative features like sharing and notifications, and ensures you can recover your account if needed.

The Settings page is where you can take other actions like updating the photo that appears as your Avatar, updates to your name, etc. However, if you are an industry user, you should reach out to your Tenant Admin to have them change your email address for you, as that is done from the Tenant Admin Console.

Set email notification preferences

Navigate to Settings by clicking your Avatar
Review Notification Preferences
Adjust your preferences and click Save Preferences

Update your locale settings

Your locale impacts display and ingestion of numbers and dates. This setting determines the display format of the day dividers in your notebook entries and date and datetime fields in structured tables, simple tables, and the registry. Your locale also ensures your number and date formats are interpreted correctly during data ingestion.

Benchling recognizes common numerical group delimiters, like commas, decimals, and spaces, so numbers are automatically converted from your localized format to the Benchling display format. Dates are displayed according to your specified locale.

If dates display incorrectly or in an unfamiliar format, you can update your locale in your user settings. To update your locale:

Go to Settings
Select your region from Locale dropdown options
Click Save Changes

Your locale impacts the number and date formats Benchling can interpret, but these depend on the import method you choose.

Copy and paste data into a structured table

Benchling automatically reformats dates and numbers as necessary. If you select an international locale in your user settings, dates and numbers are interpreted based on the locale supported formats. Dates display according to your locale and numbers display with periods as the decimal delimiter. For example, one thousand is 1000.00.

Import a spreadsheet to a structured table

When importing a spreadsheet into a structured table, you can view the specified spreadsheet locale in the Import pop-up window. To import data in a format different from the one associated with your locale, select a new locale in the pop-up window.

If you prefer number and date formats not associated with your locale, Benchling saves the most recently-used locale in this window. At this time importing spreadsheets is the only method for uploading dates and numbers in a format not matching your locale.

Upload a spreadsheet to a Run output file processor

When uploading a spreadsheet into an output file processor on a Lab Auto run, the run interprets the numbers and dates in the spreadsheet according to the locale specified in the Run schema configuration.

To set the locale for each run created using a specific Run schema:

Go to the Run schema configuration page
In the Configure spreadsheet locale section (step 6), select your locale from the Locale drop-down menu
Click Update

Supported date formats

You can view the supported dates formats for all locales below:

'D MMM YYYY', 12 Nov 2022
'D-MMM-YYYY', 12-Nov-2022
'D-MMMM-YYYY', 12-November-2022
'D.MMM.YYYY', 12.Nov.2022
'DMMMYYYY', 12Nov2022
‘YYYY/M/D’, 2022/11/12
‘YYYY.M.D’, 2022.11.12
‘YYYY-M-D’, 2022-11-12
'M/D/YYYY', 11/12/2022
‘M/D/YY’, 11/12/22
‘M-D-YYYY’, 11-12-2022
‘M-D-YY’, 11-12-22
‘M.D.YYYY’, 11.12.2022
‘M.D.YY’, 11.12.22

Abbreviations:

MMM - three-letter month, Nov
MMMM - fully written out month, November
YY - two-digit year, 23
YYYY - four-digit year, 2023

Reset or recover your password

Click on Forgot password? on the login page
Enter your registered email address
Follow the instructions sent to your email to reset your password

Navigate the platform

Once your account is configured and you're ready to begin working in Benchling, you'll use the Home dashboard and calendar to navigate your day-to-day work. The Home dashboard provides quick access to your recent activities, while the integrated calendar helps you keep track of scheduled tasks and entries.

Projects and folders

Projects and folders are fundamental for organizing your data in Benchling.

To navigate back to your list of projects and view folders within a project:

Click on the brief case logo at the top of the side panel to access Projects
Click on the project name in your side panel

Create a new folder within a project

Open the desired project
Click the local create (+) icon and select Folder from the menu
Name your folder and click Create Folder

Manage attachments

You can upload various file types to Benchling, with size limits depending on your user type.

Academic users: Maximum attachment size is 128MB
Enterprise users: Default maximum attachment size is 2GB (customizable upon request)

Insert an attachment

Click on the desired location within your entry
In the toolbar, click Insert and select Attachment
Drag and drop the file or click to upload

Data backup and recovery

Benchling ensures data security through regular backups:

Incremental backups for the last five weeks, allowing restoration of previous versions
Monthly backups for long-term storage

All data is version-controlled, enabling access to older versions of any file.

Saving mechanisms

Benchling automatically saves your work, ensuring data integrity and minimizing the risk of data loss. Changes are saved every few seconds without the need for manual intervention. All data is backed up to the cloud, providing secure storage and easy access.

Manage external data systems

Benchling allows integration with external data systems:

You can manage connections to external databases and data warehouses
Access and configure these settings through the Account Settings page

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I use Benchling on a mobile device?

A: While Benchling can be accessed from mobile browsers, it is optimized for desktop use. Some features may not display correctly or be fully functional on phones or tablets.

Q: What browsers are supported by Benchling?

A: Benchling supports the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Q: Can I access Benchling offline?

A: No, Benchling requires an internet connection to access and save data.

Q: What is the maximum file size I can upload?

A: Academic users can upload files up to 128MB, while enterprise users have a default limit of 2GB.

Q: How does Benchling handle data backups of Notebooks?

A: Benchling performs incremental backups for the last five weeks and monthly backups for long-term storage.

Q: Can I use Benchling on local servers?

A: No, Benchling is exclusively a cloud-based platform and does not support local server installations.

Navigate your Benchling account