Office Settings & Configuration

How to Hide the Sidebar in Word Outline View

Adam Davis Oct 7, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to remove or hide the left sidebar (style area pane) that appears when working in Word's Draft and Outline views.

How to Hide the Sidebar in Word Outline View

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing or reviewing a document in Draft or Outline view where the left sidebar takes up unnecessary screen space.
Observed behavior: A sidebar displaying paragraph style names appears on the left side of the screen in Draft and Outline views.

Before you start

Ensure your document is currently open in Draft or Outline view so you can immediately see the changes take effect once the settings are adjusted.

Solution 1Recommended

Set the Style Area Pane Width to Zero

The most effective way to hide the left sidebar in Outline and Draft views is by changing the style area width settings in Word Options.

The left sidebar you see is called the 'Style area pane'. Word allows you to customize the width of this pane, and setting it to zero completely hides it from your workspace.

Open Word Options

Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner of the ribbon, then select 'Options' at the very bottom of the menu.

Navigate to Advanced Settings

In the Word Options dialog box that appears, select the 'Advanced' tab from the left-hand navigation pane.

Locate the Display Section

Scroll down the right side of the window until you find the section labeled 'Display'.

Adjust the Pane Width

Find the setting named 'Style area pane width in Draft and Outline views'. Change the numerical value to 0.

Save Changes

Click the 'OK' button at the bottom of the dialog box. The style sidebar will immediately disappear from your Draft and Outline views.

Quick Tip: If you ever want to see the style area pane again, simply follow these steps and increase the width value (e.g., to 1 inch).

Manage Document Views Intuitively with WPS Writer

If you frequently work with document outlines and find complex settings frustrating, WPS Writer provides a highly intuitive interface. You can easily toggle sidebars, outline views, and navigation panes with just a click, all while enjoying seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word formats.

1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document you wish to edit.
2. Switch to Outline View: Navigate to the 'View' tab on the top ribbon and click on 'Outline' to enter Outline view.
3. Toggle the Sidebar Easily: To hide or show sidebars, simply check or uncheck the 'Navigation Pane' option in the View ribbon.
4. Close Panes Directly: Alternatively, if a style or formatting pane is open, you can instantly close it by clicking the 'X' button in its top-right corner.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsIntuitive View tab to toggle sidebars in a single clickSeamless Outline View for organizing large documentsFree and lightweight office suite for multiple platforms

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the left sidebar in Word Outline view?

The left sidebar is known as the style area pane. It displays the names of the styles applied to each paragraph, helping you quickly identify document formatting and structure while working in Draft or Outline view.

Why doesn't the style area pane show up in Print Layout view?

The style area pane is exclusively designed for Draft and Outline views to help focus on structure. Print Layout view is meant to show exactly how the document will look when printed, so the style sidebar is intentionally excluded.

Can I adjust the width instead of hiding it completely?

Yes. If you still want to see the applied styles without the pane taking up too much space, you can set the 'Style area pane width' to a smaller value (such as 0.5 inches) in the Advanced Options menu.

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