diff --git a/ui/src/hooks/useScope.ts b/ui/src/hooks/useScope.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a466fb3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/hooks/useScope.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// ui/src/hooks/useScope.ts
+import { useParams, useNavigate, useLocation } from 'react-router';
+import { useCallback } from 'react';
+
+export type TabKey = 'exchanges' | 'dashboard' | 'runtime';
+
+const VALID_TABS = new Set<TabKey>(['exchanges', 'dashboard', 'runtime']);
+
+export interface Scope {
+  tab: TabKey;
+  appId?: string;
+  routeId?: string;
+  exchangeId?: string;
+}
+
+export function useScope() {
+  const params = useParams<{ tab?: string; appId?: string; routeId?: string; exchangeId?: string }>();
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
+  const location = useLocation();
+
+  // Derive tab from first URL segment — fallback to 'exchanges'
+  const rawTab = location.pathname.split('/').filter(Boolean)[0] ?? 'exchanges';
+  const tab: TabKey = VALID_TABS.has(rawTab as TabKey) ? (rawTab as TabKey) : 'exchanges';
+
+  const scope: Scope = {
+    tab,
+    appId: params.appId,
+    routeId: params.routeId,
+    exchangeId: params.exchangeId,
+  };
+
+  const setTab = useCallback((newTab: TabKey) => {
+    const parts = ['', newTab];
+    if (scope.appId) parts.push(scope.appId);
+    if (scope.routeId) parts.push(scope.routeId);
+    navigate(parts.join('/'));
+  }, [navigate, scope.appId, scope.routeId]);
+
+  const setApp = useCallback((appId: string | undefined) => {
+    if (!appId) {
+      navigate(`/${tab}`);
+    } else {
+      navigate(`/${tab}/${appId}`);
+    }
+  }, [navigate, tab]);
+
+  const setRoute = useCallback((appId: string, routeId: string | undefined) => {
+    if (!routeId) {
+      navigate(`/${tab}/${appId}`);
+    } else {
+      navigate(`/${tab}/${appId}/${routeId}`);
+    }
+  }, [navigate, tab]);
+
+  const setExchange = useCallback((appId: string, routeId: string, exchangeId: string | undefined) => {
+    if (!exchangeId) {
+      navigate(`/${tab}/${appId}/${routeId}`);
+    } else {
+      navigate(`/${tab}/${appId}/${routeId}/${exchangeId}`);
+    }
+  }, [navigate, tab]);
+
+  const clearScope = useCallback(() => {
+    navigate(`/${tab}`);
+  }, [navigate, tab]);
+
+  return { scope, setTab, setApp, setRoute, setExchange, clearScope };
+}