How to Collapse Sections in LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice Writer includes an outline folding feature that allows you to collapse and expand document sections beneath headings for easier navigation and editing. This guide explains how to enable outline folding in your application settings and how to use it to hide or reveal content under headings within your documents.

Step 1: Enable Outline Folding

The outline folding feature is not always enabled by default. To turn it on:

  1. Open LibreOffice Writer.
  2. Go to the top menu and select Tools > Options (on macOS, select LibreOffice > Preferences).
  3. In the left panel, expand LibreOffice Writer and select View.
  4. In the main area, locate the Outline folding section.
  5. Check the box for Show outline-folding buttons.
  6. Click Apply, then click OK to save your changes.

Step 2: Apply Heading Styles

Outline folding relies on the hierarchical structure of your document. To make sections collapsible:

  1. Highlight the text you want to use as a section title.
  2. Open the Paragraph Styles dropdown menu on the formatting toolbar (or press Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+6).
  3. Assign a heading level such as Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3.

Any text or sub-headings beneath that heading will automatically become part of that collapsible block until the next heading of equal or higher level appears.

Step 3: Collapse and Expand Sections

Once outline folding is enabled and headings are applied:

  1. Move your mouse cursor over the heading you want to collapse.
  2. A small arrow button will appear in the margin to the left of the heading.
  3. Click the arrow button to collapse the entire section beneath that heading.
  4. Click the arrow button again to expand the section and make the text visible.

You can also right-click any heading in your document, hover over the Outline Folding submenu, and choose options such as Fold/Unfold, Fold All, or Unfold All to manage the visibility of multiple sections at once.