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Meta Boxes panel should be expanded by default for new users #84587
Description
Description
The Meta Boxes panel in the post editor is collapsed by default when no previous user preference has been saved.
This means that important editing controls added by plugins are completely hidden behind a small "Meta Boxes" bar at the bottom of the editor.
For many custom post types, meta boxes contain essential fields that users need to complete when creating or editing content (ie. Course Options for LifterLMS, SEO options for Yoast). Hiding these fields by default can cause confusion, especially for users unfamiliar with the new interface.
The panel's height and open/closed state are persisted as user preferences, so the behaviour may differ between users who have previously interacted with the panel.
Additional context
Originally reported in WordPress Core Trac: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/65061
Related Gutenberg issue: #79127
This differs from #79127, which concerns the Meta Boxes panel expanding to cover the editor. This issue concerns the panel being collapsed by default, potentially hiding essential editing controls.
Step-by-step reproduction instructions
- Open a fresh WordPress installation (6.9 or later) with no existing editor preferences.
- Install and activate a plugin that registers a traditional meta box, such as Yoast SEO.
- Open the block editor for a post.
- The Meta Boxes panel is collapsed by default, with the registered meta box hidden until the user manually expands the panel.
Expected behaviour
When traditional meta boxes are registered, the Meta Boxes panel should be expanded by default for users who have not explicitly chosen to collapse it.
Once a user manually collapses or resizes the panel, their preference should continue to be used.
Screenshots, screen recording, code snippet
Environment info
No response
Please confirm that you have searched existing issues in the repo.
- Yes
Please confirm that you have tested with all plugins deactivated except Gutenberg.
- Yes
Please confirm which theme type you used for testing.
- Block
- Classic
- Hybrid (e.g. classic with theme.json)
- Not sure
Activity
t-hamano commentedon Oct 13, 2026
Thanks for the PR. Personally, I'm in favor of opening the meta box pane by default, but let's hear from others before deciding on the direction. This is a significant change that affects existing users, so let's consider it carefully. cc @Mamaduka @stokesman @ellatrix
That said, there are a few things to keep in mind when working on this issue:
normaloradvancedcontext.brianhogg commentedon Oct 14, 2026
I'd love to have the default be the regular scroll as it was before, with the option to "pin" it to the bottom and choose the height. This solves both issues:
I've opened PR #84659 with the proposed changes, with screenshots and a short video showing the user experience.