Request Navigation pane open with headings collapsed

Question

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

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.

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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.

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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!