# Collapsing and expanding sections

Sidebar sections can be collapsed to save vertical space. When collapsed, the section header stays visible but the items inside are hidden.

## How to collapse or expand

### Click the chevron

Each section header has a chevron on its left side. Click it to toggle:

- **▾** (or a right chevron rotated down) means the section is expanded and items are visible.
- **▸** means the section is collapsed and items are hidden.

### Click the section label

Clicking the label area selects the section header. It doesn't toggle collapse by itself.

### Keyboard shortcut

With the sidebar focused and a section header highlighted:

- By default, `Left arrow` collapses or moves up a level, and `Right arrow` expands or moves into the section. Both commands can be changed or disabled in **Settings > Hotkeys**.
- By default, `Option+Up` and `Option+Down` on macOS move to the previous and next section headers. On Windows and Linux, the defaults are `Alt+Up` and `Alt+Down`. Both commands can be changed or disabled.
- The **Focus sidebar** command works from most non-editable contexts except while **Settings > Hotkeys** is open. It defaults to `Cmd+Left` on macOS and `Ctrl+Left` on Windows and Linux, and it can be changed or disabled.
- From a sidebar item, **Jump to parent project** defaults to `Option+Left` on macOS and `Alt+Left` on Windows and Linux. It can be changed or disabled.

## Collapse state persistence

Collapse state is tracked per project and restored by Solo's section-collapse persistence hook.

## Hiding empty sections

By default, Solo shows built-in sections even when they're empty. If you prefer a more compact sidebar, you can hide empty sections section by section.

1. Open **Settings**. **Open settings** defaults to `Cmd+,` on macOS and `Ctrl+,` on Windows and Linux; use its current binding if it has been changed.
2. Go to **[Sidebar](../settings/sidebar-settings.md)**.
3. Change the empty-section controls for the sections you want hidden.

When an empty-section control is off, an empty built-in section stays visible, provided any separate **Show in sidebar** setting for that section is also on. For Todos, turn on **Show todos in sidebar**; for Scratchpads, turn on **Show scratchpads in sidebar**.

A visible empty Todos or Scratchpads section includes its inline **Add todo** or **Add scratchpad** row.

## All at once

There's no “collapse all” or “expand all” button. Sections are collapsed individually. If you need to hide a lot of content, the [sidebar filter](./filtering.md) may be faster. With **Show filter input** enabled, the sidebar focused, no overlay or text field active, and no modifier key held, press `\` to focus the filter. [Quick jump](../command-palette/using.md) may also be faster; use its current shortcut (`Cmd+E` by default on macOS and `Ctrl+E` by default on Windows and Linux), which can be changed or disabled in **Settings > Hotkeys**.

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Are you a human? Read this doc on the web: https://soloterm.com/docs/sidebar/collapsing-expanding