# A native sidebar system
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** completed
**Created:** [February 3, 2019, 10:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236 "2019-02-03T10:00:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2019, 10:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236/1 "2019-02-03T10:00:39Z")
I’ve noticed there’s a lot of demand for sidebars.
Just take a look at [Search results for 'category:feature sidebar' - Discourse Meta](https://meta.discourse.org/search?q=category%3Afeature%20sidebar)
We’ve already got [a lot of plugin](https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-layouts-plugin/55208) and [Theme Component choices](https://meta.discourse.org/search?q=category%3Atheme%20component%20sidebar), [but now we’ve deleted the Category column](https://meta.discourse.org/t/the-topic-list-doesnt-need-a-category-column/101352), wouldn’t it be nice if this was native and provided plugin outlets in the native sidebar(s), so [adding widgets](https://meta.discourse.org/t/developer-s-guide-to-discourse-themes/93648#heading--4-c-7) would be super easy?
There’s currently a lot of ‘reinventing the wheel’ going on
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2019, 10:14am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236/2 "2019-02-03T10:14:19Z")
That is a good idea, but I am more interested in header and footer choices being a part of setup wizard in 2.3 cc @Johani
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### Author:  [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2021, 9:58am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236/3 "2021-12-04T09:58:43Z")
Pavilion has been happy to fill the gap here and has since released: [Layouts Plugin](https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-layouts-plugin/55208)
Whilst there are many standalone, specific purpose sidebar addons what makes our system special is the level of flexibility and customisation.
This has our full support and there is an ever growing list of compatible widgets that all follow the same standard so can be laid out as the administrator desires.
There’s also a guide on how to create your own.
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236/4 "2021-12-05T23:48:10Z")
Note we have a plan to ship sidebar concepts as core components, one big change will be transitioning today’s “hamburger” to an on-demand sidebar. aka. (Sideburger) … @awesomerobot is working on the system design. We expect to ship in the next 3-6 months.
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2023, 10:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236/5 "2023-07-25T10:29:37Z")
Sidebar is now official and shipped !
> [@Using the Discourse sidebar](https://meta.discourse.org/t/an-overview-of-features-in-discourse-sidebar/258478):
>
> bookmark This is a comprehensive guide explaining the various features and functionalities of the Discourse sidebar, including how to customize it for your needs. person_raising_hand Required user level: All users The sidebar in Discourse provides quick access to various forum features and allows for easy navigation. This guide will walk you through the different sections of the sidebar and how to use them effectively. Community section The community section contains essential navigati…
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2023, 10:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-native-sidebar-system/108236/6 "2023-07-25T10:29:44Z")