Interactions · Information architecture
Progressive Disclosure
Also called: Show more, Advanced options, Collapsible settings
Show only the most common content and options first, and reveal details or advanced features when users need them, instead of cramming everything in at once.
In detail
Progressive disclosure is a design approach, not a specific component. The core idea: most users only use a small part of the features, so put that part in plain sight and tuck the rest away. Common forms: an "Advanced settings" collapsible section, "Show more" to expand long text, step-by-step wizards, and detail popovers that only appear on click.
The upside is a clean interface. Beginners aren't overwhelmed, and power users can still find everything. The risk is hiding things so deep that no one finds them, so make the entry point obvious and make its label say what's inside ("Advanced settings: proxy, timeout, retries" beats "More").
When you ask AI for this, instead of saying "the page is too complicated," say exactly which options show by default and which go in a collapsed section.
Developer infoTerm ID, DOM cues, match priority
- Term ID
interaction-progressive-disclosure- DOM selectors
- No DOM cues. This concept isn't detected directly on a page.
- Priority
- 1 · when several match at the same level, the higher priority wins
- Version
- v1 · updated Sep 29, 2026