Overview
Expand
Expand AI-generated content with additional detail
expandelaboratedetail
Docs
Expand allows users to request additional detail on AI-generated content. When an initial response is too brief or high-level, users can ask the AI to elaborate on specific sections without rewriting their prompt. This pattern supports progressive disclosure of AI content — starting concise and adding depth on demand — which respects both quick-scanning users and those seeking comprehensive information.
Variants
- Accordion expand — Content sections that collapse and expand, letting users reveal additional detail for specific parts of the response.
- Inline expand — An 'Expand' button that triggers AI generation of additional content, appended directly below the original text.
- Detail panel — A side panel that shows expanded content alongside the original, preserving context while adding depth.
Use Cases
- Research summaries where users want to drill into specific findings
- Technical documentation that offers different levels of detail
- News digests where users can expand stories of interest
- Code explanations that start with an overview and expand to line-by-line detail
- Product descriptions that offer progressive detail for interested buyers
Best Practices
- Clearly indicate which sections can be expanded with visual affordances.
- Show a loading state while additional content is being generated.
- Preserve the original content — expansion should add, not replace.
- Allow collapsing back to the original view after expansion.
- Consider pre-generating expanded content for commonly expanded sections.