A Smarter Sidebar: Less Clutter, More Focus
A Smarter Sidebar: Less Clutter, More Focus
Release: v1.0.17
Navigation should get you where you're going — not make you hunt. In v1.0.17, we've reworked the product sidebar to dramatically reduce visual noise, making it easier to find your destination at a glance.
What Changed
Sections Default to Collapsed
Previously, four sidebar sections (Build, CI/CD, Sales & Revenue, and Customers) were open by default every time you loaded a product. On a typical product that meant up to 18 nav items staring back at you before you'd clicked anything. Now, all sections start collapsed. The sidebar shows you the map without unfolding the whole thing at once.
Active Route Auto-Expands Its Section
You don't lose your place. Whichever section contains the page you're currently on is automatically expanded, so your active context is always visible without any manual interaction.
Your Preferences Are Remembered
If you prefer to keep certain sections open — or always want others closed — the sidebar now persists your collapsed/expanded choices in localStorage. Your layout survives page refreshes and navigation, no repeated reconfiguring required.
Fewer Top-Level Sections
We've also consolidated related sections. Sales & Revenue, Customers, and Marketing are now grouped together under a single Revenue & Growth top-level item. The total section count drops from 7 to 5, making the full structure easier to hold in your head.
Summary of Improvements
| What | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Sections open by default | 4 | 0 (active route only) |
| Total top-level sections | 7 | 5 |
| Nav items visible on load | ~18 | Minimal |
| State persistence | None | localStorage |
Affected File
src/components/product-sidebar.tsx