Request Navigation pane open with headings collapsed

Question

Request Navigation pane open with headings collapsed

David Fuentes 45

Dear Microsoft,

I am writing to express my frustration with the Navigation pane in Word. I cannot find a way to use the Navigation pane without all levels expanded, unless I manually click to close them. This is a major inconvenience, especially when working with large documents with many headings.

I have tried several solutions, including using macros and adjusting the "settings" in the Navigation pane options. (Nothing in settings addresses expanding/collapsing levels.) However, none of these solutions have worked for me.

I request that Microsoft add a feature to collapse all levels of the Navigation pane by default. This would greatly improve the usability of the Navigation pane for many users, including myself.

I run: Version 2302 (Build 16130.20218 Clck-to-Run)

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
David Fuentes

Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

Dave Watt (Nokia) 20 Reputation points

2023-09-22T11:05:19.4266667+00:00

I agree this is very irritating, I have to manually collapse many of the headings before the navigation pane is in a useful state
Alper Cevdet Sürmeli 40 Reputation points

2025-02-17T16:48:11.8233333+00:00

Exactly right. Navigation pane has to have ALL headings collapsed when opened, so that you can "NAVIGATE". That also means, when I expand a heading, ALL its sub-headings have to be collapsed, too! But, none of this is the case, and I am having to not only collapse all headings at the start, but also collapse all sub-headings manually because collapsing all headings at the start doesn't do that!

3 answers

Dave Watt (Nokia) 20 Reputation points

2023-09-22T11:05:19.4266667+00:00

I agree this is very irritating, I have to manually collapse many of the headings before the navigation pane is in a useful state
Alper Cevdet Sürmeli 40 Reputation points

2025-02-17T16:48:11.8233333+00:00

Exactly right. Navigation pane has to have ALL headings collapsed when opened, so that you can "NAVIGATE". That also means, when I expand a heading, ALL its sub-headings have to be collapsed, too! But, none of this is the case, and I am having to not only collapse all headings at the start, but also collapse all sub-headings manually because collapsing all headings at the start doesn't do that!

Answer 1

Hi @David Fuentes

Thank you for sharing and valuable suggestions.

Microsoft developers will listen to the feedback from users and consider them for additional feature/future versions of Microsoft products. Please take a moment to send your feature request(s) by submitting a feedback in the following link.

https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/forum/fb6d67e3-301c-ec11-b6e7-0022481f8472

Note: For a variety of reasons we cannot discuss planned features or the dates that the features expected to be released. Thanks for your understandings.

If you have any other issues related to Office products, please feel free to discuss with us on Q&A forum.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Answer 2

How are you using the Navigation Pane?

A workaround that may be suitable would be (perhaps temporary) Tables of Contents which you can set to whatever level you want.

Unfortunately, the Navigation pane levels are not accessible using vba. On the other hand, collapsing them all requires only a right-mouse-click and selection, which is not that tough.

Note, this is not the place to get any changes made in Word nor the attention of developers at Microsoft. This is an independent user-to-user support forum. MS does not see anything you post here. The way to get their attention is through the feedback mechanisms.

How do I give feedback on Microsoft Office?
Word Feedback Portal – allows a public feedback that can be voted on
Microsoft applications Feedback Portal (pick an application)
Send Feedback to MS Developers
Bonus Reading related to MS Feedback system

My personal preference is to use the Word Feedback Portal. If you do, please get a share link and post it here so that others seeing this thread can go there and vote and comment. While you are there, check for other posts and feel free to vote and comment on those as well!

Charity Reed 0 Reputation points

2024-12-04T19:00:56+00:00

Collapsing them all cannot be done with a single mouse click, at least not truly. The right click collapse all within the context menu of the navigation pane only collapses the highest level. Meaning that if you expand a heading that all the subheadings under it are NOT collapsed. To truly collapse all the only option is to do it manually.
Charles Kenyon 167K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2024-12-04T19:14:12.1766667+00:00

I amended the response to specify right-mouse-click.

Again, if you would like this changed, use the Feedback mechanisms. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/giving-feedback-on-microsoft-word-or-other/8df81a9b-84aa-46ef-bf88-24fb7fec96ba

Answer 3

Surmeli, Alper 0

Absolutely agreed. Many document software tools expand all headings by default, which is nonsense. They should provide an option to change the default behaviour to collapse all headings and sub-headings.

I have a giant and growing document for work with many headings and sub-headings. All headings expanded is no use to me at all. Everytime I open it, I am having to collapse everything manually.

My best workaround to collapse every heading and sub-heading with three clicks is via Navigation Pane -> right-click on any heading -> Show Heading Levels -> Show Heading 1.

Stefan Blom 340.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-10T08:41:20.4+00:00

Many document software tools expand all headings by default, which is nonsense. They should provide an option to change the default behaviour to collapse all headings and sub-headings.

I have a giant and growing document for work with many headings and sub-headings. All headings expanded is no use to me at all. Everytime I open it, I am having to collapse everything manually.

As you may already know, Word displays the first three heading levels by default.

To request a change, please post feedback for Microsoft, for example in the portal at https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/forum/fb6d67e3-301c-ec11-b6e7-0022481f8472 . Doing this will ensure that developers and decision makers actually see it.

The current thread is old and it will be locked.
Charles Kenyon 167K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-10T14:22:24.9366667+00:00

There is a difference between collapsing headings in the document body and in the Navigation Pane. This thread is about the Navigation Pane. If you want more interaction with your fellow users about collapsing headings in the document body, please post a separate question. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5677122/(article)-how-to-ask-a-question-in-the-q-a-forums

This is a user-to-user support forum.

Microsoft is not hearing about your problems from what you post here. You are discussing a problem with your fellow users here. We can give good advice about how to work with Word as it is and give suggestions for making it work properly.

Designers and their supervisors do see feedback. (You will almost certainly not get a direct response to that feedback but they do see it.)

Here is more about that:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/giving-feedback-on-microsoft-word-or-other/8df81a9b-84aa-46ef-bf88-24fb7fec96ba

I suggest using the public feedback portal so other users can see your feedback, comment and vote. If you want, you can post the URL of your feedback with your question here to lead others with the same problem to your feedback. Be the “squeaky wheel” that gets fixed!

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Request Navigation pane open with headings collapsed

3 answers

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