Expand Sections in Confluence: Hide Detail Until Readers Need It
Keep long Confluence pages short with an expand section: the detail stays folded away under a title until a reader clicks it. Shown on a real project page.
Step by step
Why expand
- Expand sections. Some readers want the short version and others want every detail. An expand section gives both: the detail stays folded away under a title until someone clicks to open it.
Add an expand
- Edit. Open the page and click Edit.
- A new line. Here we explain why 2 items on the list are out of scope. Click in the last item of the list. Press End to jump to the end of that line. Press Enter to start a new list item. Press Enter again to leave the list, so you are on an empty normal line.
- Slash expand. On the empty line, type /expand. Press Enter. Confluence adds a box with a title at the top and room for the detail below it.
/expand - A clear title. Type a title that says what is inside: Why these are out of scope.
- The detail. Click inside the box and write the detail: The mobile app and gift cards need their own budget. We look at them again after release one.
Share it
- Update. Click Update to save the page.
- Folded away. On the saved page, the detail is folded away and readers see only the title. Click the title. The detail opens. Use expand sections for long notes, examples or the history of a decision, so the page itself stays short.
Recap
- Slash, title, detail. To recap: type /expand, give it a title that says what is inside, write the detail and click Update. Readers open it only when they need it.
Can an expand start open?
No. The standard expand always loads closed, and readers click the title to open it. Atlassian has a long-running feature request for an open-by-default option. If readers must see something, keep it out of the expand, and put only the detail some people want inside it.
Can you put an expand inside an expand?
Not directly in Confluence Cloud: an expand can't sit straight inside another expand. If you need 2 levels, put a table inside the expand and add a small expand in each table cell, or use a few expands one after another. For very long content, a few short child pages linked from the main page can work better than many expands.
What happens when you export to PDF
When you export the page to PDF, the content inside each expand is included, so the hidden detail shows on paper. That is usually what you want for a signed-off copy. If something should not go into the export, move it to a separate page instead of hiding it in an expand.
Common mistakes
- Starting the expand while still in a list. If you press Enter only once after the last item, you are still in the list. Press Enter twice to leave the list, then type /expand on the empty line.
- A vague title like Details or More. Readers only see the title, so they can't tell if it is worth opening. Say what is inside, for example Why these are out of scope.
- Hiding information everyone must read. Many readers never open a folded section. Keep decisions and key facts on the page itself, and put only supporting detail in the expand.
- Not clicking Update. Readers don't see the new expand section until you click Update and save the page.
When a business analyst uses this
On a project scope page, list what is in and out of scope as short bullets, then add an expand titled Why these are out of scope with the reasons and budget notes. Sponsors can scan the page before sign-off, and anyone who asks why can open the detail.
Questions people ask
How do I add an expandable section in Confluence?
Edit the page, type /expand on a new line and press Enter. Type a title, write the detail inside the box, then click Update.
What does an expand section look like to readers?
Readers see only the title, with the detail folded away. Clicking the title opens the detail, so long pages stay short to scan.
What should I put in a Confluence expand section?
Supporting detail most readers can skip, such as long notes, examples or the history of a decision. Keep anything everyone must read on the page itself.
