---
title: "How to hide the left navigation bar in the knowledge base pane"
slug: "how-to-hide-the-left-navigation-bar-in-knowledge-base-site"
description: "You wish to hide the left navigation bar or category manager by default in the Knowledge base site. You can hide this to enhance the readers' experience. However, readers can enable it by clicking the Show category icon adjacent to the article title."
tags: ["Customization", "Knowledge base design"]
updated: 2026-09-28T12:08:56Z
published: 2026-09-28T12:08:56Z
canonical: "docs.document360.com/how-to-hide-the-left-navigation-bar-in-knowledge-base-site"
---
> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.document360.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# How to hide the left navigation bar in the knowledge base pane
The left navigation pane, also called the category manager, displays the article category tree on the left side of the knowledge base site by default. For some knowledge bases, particularly those with a focused single-article layout or a minimal reading experience, hiding this panel by default can reduce visual clutter and help readers focus on the content. This hides the panel completely, including the toggle to reveal it, so readers navigate only through search or direct links.
---
## When to use this
Use this customization when you want to:
- Give readers a cleaner, distraction-free reading experience by hiding the category panel on page load.
- Present a minimal single-column layout for documentation that does not rely heavily on category-based navigation.
- Hide the navigation panel by default while still allowing readers to show it on demand.
---
## Before you begin
- You need access to **Settings** () > **Knowledge base site** > **Site customization** > **Custom CSS & JavaScript** in the Knowledge base portal.
- Hiding the left navigation pane does not remove navigation entirely. Readers can still click the **Show category** icon adjacent to the article title to reveal the panel.
---
## How to hide the left navigation pane
1. Navigate to **Settings** () > **Knowledge base site** > **Site customization** > **Custom CSS & JavaScript** in the Knowledge base portal.
2. From the left navigation pane, select the **CSS** tab and paste the following snippet.
```css
site-docs-left-panel-container{
display: none !important;
}
```
3. Click **Save** at the top right.
---
## Outcome
**Before**
The left navigation pane and category manager are visible by default on the knowledge base site.
**After**
The left navigation pane and category manager are hidden by default. Readers can still click **Show category** to reveal the panel.
---
## Best practices
- **Note the difference between hidden and removed.** This CSS hides the panel visually — it is not removed from the page. Readers can still access the navigation by clicking **Show category**. If you need the panel completely inaccessible, this approach alone is not sufficient.
- **Consider your content structure before hiding.** For knowledge bases with deeply nested categories or frequent cross-category navigation, hiding the panel by default may make content harder to discover. Test with a sample of your readers before applying site-wide.
- **Test after saving.** Open your knowledge base site and confirm the panel is hidden on page load, and that clicking **Show category** correctly reveals it.
- **To revert, delete the snippet.** Navigate back to the **CSS** tab in **Custom CSS & JavaScript**, remove the snippet, and click **Save**. The left navigation pane reappears immediately.