Title: Deactivate the collapsing functionality
Last modified: May 4, 2021

---

# Deactivate the collapsing functionality

 *  Resolved [saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/)
 * (@saskiawater)
 * [5 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/deactivate-the-collapsing-functionality/)
 * Hello,
 * is there a possibility do deactivate the collapsing functionality? Or alternatively,
   can I hide the [+] in the title?
 * As I see, you can only set the default view, if it’s going to collapes or not.
 * The reason is, that I’m using a Table of Contents plugin and the title (I’m using
   H2) is also shown there, what I want, but it also shows the [+], what I don’t
   want.
 * Thanks for the support!

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  Plugin Contributor [pewgeuges](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pewgeuges/)
 * (@pewgeuges)
 * [5 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/deactivate-the-collapsing-functionality/#post-14399647)
 * [@saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/)
 * The setting to remove the [+] is missing. But you may customize the template 
   instead, and then store it outside the plugin (in another plugin or in the active
   theme). The customized template stack, that Footnotes owes to [@misfist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/misfist/),
   was described in the plugin folder. Since that file has been removed from distribution
   two weeks ago, an easy way to access the information is now online at [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/footnotes/trunk/customized-template-stack.txt?rev=2498648](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/footnotes/trunk/customized-template-stack.txt?rev=2498648)
 * E.g. you would add wp-content/plugins/footnotes-custom/templates/public/reference-
   container.html and delete the following code:
 *     ```
       <span
       				role="button"
       				tabindex="0"
       				class="footnote_reference_container_collapse_button"
       				style="[[button-style]]"
       				onclick="footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_post_id_container_id();"
       			>[<a
       				id="footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_post_id_container_id"
       			>+</a
       			>]</span
       			>
       ```
   
 * I’m sorry for not being more helpful.
 *  Thread Starter [saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/)
 * (@saskiawater)
 * [5 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/deactivate-the-collapsing-functionality/#post-14399898)
 * You helped me. Although it is still collapsable but now it looks as I wanted 
   to.
 * Thank you!
 * But the theme files are not loaded from templates/footnotes/ folder in my child
   theme. I changed it in the plugin folder, which means, that my changes will be
   gone in next update.
 * Edit: The sibling-folder works. No idea why it does not work in the child template
   folder.
    -  This reply was modified 5 years ago by [saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/).
    -  This reply was modified 5 years ago by [saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/).
 *  Plugin Contributor [pewgeuges](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pewgeuges/)
 * (@pewgeuges)
 * [5 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/deactivate-the-collapsing-functionality/#post-14400070)
 * [@saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/)
 * I’m sorry for the bug. I must confess that I hadn’t tested it in a child theme,
   although I should have, but it works in a plugin folder, if the path is `wp-content/
   plugins/footnotes-custom/templates/public/reference-container.html`.
 * On your feedback I quickly caught up on testing and was baffled that it only 
   works in a plugin folder. I can’t figure out why it doesn’t work in a child theme—
   that I swiftly got generated to store the custom template at `wp-content/themes/
   gpchild/templates/footnotes/public/reference-container.html`.
    I don’t understand
   the origin of this bug even after looking (once more) into `wp-content/plugins/
   footnotes/class/template.php`.
 * But fortunately your changes won’t get overwritten _if the custom template is
   stored in_ `wp-content/plugins/footnotes-custom/templates/public/reference-container.
   html`.
 * The container collapsing on clicking its heading even if it’s expanded by default
   is only since v2.5.1, 15 weeks ago, when noticing that a custom template without
   the button was used in collapsed-by-default mode and I was unable to revert the
   expansion.
 * As you report that hiding the button is ineffective when the label is used elsewhere,
   I now see that when adding the h2..h6 options for the label element (that initially
   was paragraph level only), I should have added also a dedicated template for 
   the expanded-by-default mode.
 * My apologies for missing out on so many fixes.
 * Edit: Glad to see that you already found the solution.
    -  This reply was modified 5 years ago by [pewgeuges](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pewgeuges/).
    -  This reply was modified 5 years ago by [pewgeuges](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pewgeuges/).
    -  This reply was modified 5 years ago by [pewgeuges](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pewgeuges/).
 *  Thread Starter [saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/)
 * (@saskiawater)
 * [5 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/deactivate-the-collapsing-functionality/#post-14400863)
 * Thank you. I’m not skilled enough to help you with development but hopefully 
   I could help you find the bug and contribute as user.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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 * 4 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [saskiawater](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saskiawater/)
 * Last activity: [5 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/deactivate-the-collapsing-functionality/#post-14400863)
 * Status: resolved