# How do you force keep open the sidebar?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536
**Category:** Support
**Tags:** sidebar
**Created:** [February 19, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536 "2026-02-19T19:54:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hipp0](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hipp0)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/1 "2026-02-19T19:54:28Z")
I want to permanently keep the side bar open, how do I do that?
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### Author:  [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/2 "2026-02-19T19:59:28Z")
It is by default, and clicking on toggles it. 🤔
Can you clarify what you want?
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### Author:  [@hipp0](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hipp0)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/3 "2026-02-19T20:01:40Z")
I have removed the toggled and want to keep it open all the time.
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### Author:  [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 8:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/4 "2026-02-19T20:29:33Z")
No matter what users want or like?
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### Author:  [@hipp0](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hipp0)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/5 "2026-02-19T20:31:51Z")
yes it will always be open
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### Author:  [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/6 "2026-02-19T20:36:55Z")
It certainly possible with a theme component, but there’s no built-in option for that. Why do you want to force users to always have the sidebar open? What is the benefit?
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### Author:  [@hipp0](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hipp0)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/7 "2026-02-19T20:52:51Z")
The benfit is aesthetics, useability and readability with the text.
I have a wide topic list and big writing areas, so the toggle opening was moving everything messing up the way it looks .
I needed a standardized look and prefer the sidebar vs the drop down.
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### Author:  [@jordanjay29](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jordanjay29)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/8 "2026-02-19T21:00:15Z")
If it’s aesthetics and permanent sidebar blocks you’re looking for, it might also be worth checking out [Discourse Bars 🍻 🍸 (a sidebar framework)](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bars-a-sidebar-framework/298216/) and [Right Sidebar Blocks](https://meta.discourse.org/t/right-sidebar-blocks/231067) that might accomplish similar goals for you.
Feel free to disregard if you’ve already considered them.
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### Author:  [@chapoi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapoi)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 5:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/9 "2026-02-20T05:13:22Z")
If the toggle is gone, shouldn’t it remain open by default?
Or are you looking for a solution in case people have already toggled it closed?
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### Author:  [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 7:30am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/10 "2026-02-20T07:30:34Z")
> [@hipp0](#):
>
> I needed a standardized look
I’m still naggin about this. Standardized look when devices, screen sizes and **users** are far away from standardized. But sure… if a 32” widescreen owner knows what is best choice for my iPad, then obviously personal options should remove.
My point is that right answer here isn’t pure coding per request. It is remainder that users aren’t for an admin, and all defaults must be changeable, bacuse **users knows the best, not dev, designer or admin**.
So the right answer is a solution where and admin can use visible sidebar, but users can toggle it if/when wanted so.
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### Author:  [@NateDhaliwal](https://meta.discourse.org/u/NateDhaliwal)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 10:41am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/11 "2026-02-20T10:41:29Z")
> [@hipp0](#):
>
> I have removed the toggled and want to keep it open all the time
I hope not for mobile as well…
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### Author:  [@hipp0](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hipp0)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 8:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/12 "2026-02-20T20:53:21Z")
Well if you want your forum to look very cookie cutter you have to add a lot of customizations to the core Discourse template.
I am not using my forum for Tech/Coding related and more art/writing. So aesthetics are everything with how it looks.
I have a lot of CSS modifying the layout and the way it looks because the default is just not good for my needs.
I did decide to keep the side bar toggle on because it just started to break everything trying to remove it.
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### Author:  [@hipp0](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hipp0)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 9:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/13 "2026-02-20T21:49:36Z")
I’m working on getting mobile to look like [X.com](http://X.com) , with large thumbnails, etc.
Haven’t made a plugin yet
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### Author:  [@hipp0](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hipp0)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-you-force-keep-open-the-sidebar/396536/14 "2026-02-20T21:50:03Z")
Yes thats how it should be but i decided against it now , because its messing up alot of other things trying to get it to work.