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Collapsing Categories

By robfelty

Site Structure & Navigation / Menu Management & Mega Menus

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Collapsing Categories Review - In-Depth Analysis

Collapsing Categories adds a widget that dynamically expands or collapses posts for each category. It can be used as a widget or integrated into your theme.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.94/10

User Rating

4.1/5 (based on 57+ reviews)

Active Installations

4,000+

Update Frequency

Very Good It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

6.1 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Collapsing Categories creates an expandable list of categories and subcategories. It can also expand to show posts. The primary usage is as a widget, but you can also use the code in your theme manually if you wish.

Options can be set from the block panel. You can insert the code into your theme manually instead of using a widget. Various options allow customization such as sorting categories and posts, showing post counts, and linking to category archives.

This plugin relies on Javascript for functionality. If a user's browser does not support Javascript, they will still be able to access category links, but not the posts.

Comparing to Alternatives

Collapsing Categories offers a focused solution for category collapsing, with several alternative plugins available that provide similar accordion or toggling functionalities.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and easy to use interface
Highly customizable with CSS for personal styling
Works well with various WordPress and PHP versions
Effective for shop category management
Lightweight and focused functionality

Weaknesses

Known security vulnerabilities in past versions
Some bugs affecting advanced options button
Widget code may remain active even when widgets are disabled
Limited developer support and slow issue resolution

User Sentiment Analysis

With a majority of ratings being 4 and 5 stars, users generally appreciate the plugin's functionality and ease of use, though a notable minority report issues mainly related to support and widget behavior.

Positive highlights

"Works perfectly once again after update" – damicron
"Works just as it should" – sjoerddooren
"Really love the plugin, super useful for shops" – Artan
"Simple and easy to use. Highly recommended!" – yicing

Common complaints

Widget code remains active even if widgets are turned off
Lack of developer support and unresolved issues in forums

Weaknesses

Past security vulnerabilities including SQL injection
Some bugs with advanced options functionality
Developer responsiveness issues

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a straightforward, lightweight plugin to collapse categories with some CSS customization and who are comfortable managing minor bugs or security updates.

Not ideal for

Users requiring robust developer support, guaranteed security without manual updates, or those who want a plugin with fully polished advanced features out of the box.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides core collapsing category functionality with customization options via CSS, suitable for most users.

Final Verdict

Collapsing Categories is a useful and easy-to-use plugin favored by many for its simplicity and effectiveness in managing category displays. It offers good customization potential and works well with current WordPress and PHP versions. However, users should be aware of past security vulnerabilities that have been addressed and some ongoing issues with developer support and widget behavior.

While it stands strong among alternatives for basic needs, those requiring guaranteed security and active support might consider other options. Overall, it remains a solid choice for users comfortable with occasional troubleshooting and manual updates.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Collapsing Categories plugin.

collapsing categories

category widget

expandable categories

Screenshots

FAQ

If you want to use images, you can upload your own images to
http://yourblogaddress/wp-content/plugins/collapsing-categories/img/collapse.gif
and expand.gif

There is an option for this.

As of version 2.0, there are several default styles that come with
collapsing-categories. You can choose from these in the widget settings , or you
can create your own custom style. A good strategy is to choose a default, then
modify it slightly to your needs.

The following classes are used:
* collapsing-categories – applied to all ul and li elements
* list – applied to the top-level ul
* item – applied to each li which has no sub-elements
* expand – applied to a category which can be expanded (is currently
collapsed)
* collapse – applied to a category which can be collapsed (is currently
expanded)
* sym – class for the expanding / collapsing symbol

An example:

<ul id='widget-collapscat-15-top ' class='collapsing-categories list'>   <li class='collapsing-categories post'><a     href='http://mysite.com/your-website/about-your-own-site/'     title='About your own site'>About your own site</a>   </li>   <li class='collapsing-categories'><span class='collapsing-categories expand'     onclick='expandCollapse(event, "▶","▼", 1, "collapsing categories"); return     false'><span class='sym'>▶</span>Web hosting</span>     <ul id='collapsCat-176-15' style="display:none">       <li class='collapsing-categories post'><a          href='http://mysite.com/your-website/web-hosting/about-webhosting/'         title='About webhosting'>About webhosting</a>       </li>       <li class='collapsing-categories post'><a          href='http://mysite.com/products/webhosting-1/'         title='Webhosting #1'>Webhosting #1</a>       </li>       <li class='collapsing-categories post'><a          href='http://mysite.com/products/webhosting-2/'         title='Webhosting #2'>Webhosting #2</a>       </li>     </ul>   </li> <!-- ending subcategory -->