Force visible HTML details summaries in editors

Problem Context

Developers and technical writers use the <details> HTML element to collapse long content blocks in editors. When collapsed, the <summary> (the clickable label) disappears entirely, making it impossible to identify or navigate the collapsed sections. This forces users to keep everything expanded, cluttering the workspace or manually track collapsed items in their head.

Pain Points

Users cannot see which <details> section they’ve collapsed, leading to confusion and wasted time scrolling to find the right one. Manual workarounds like keeping everything expanded or using bookmarks fail for long documents. No native browser or editor setting exists to fix this, and existing extensions are either nonexistent or overly complex (e.g., requiring custom CSS hacks).

Impact

Wasted time navigating cluttered editors reduces productivity by 10–30% for users working with nested <details> elements. For teams, this translates to delayed releases, higher context-switching costs, and frustration that drives tool abandonment. Technical writers also struggle to maintain document structure, leading to errors in published content.

Urgency

This problem is urgent for users who rely on <details> for organizing long-form content (e.g., documentation, wikis, CMS templates). Without a fix, they must choose between an unmanageable expanded view or a navigational nightmare. The issue worsens as projects grow, making it a blocking factor for scaling content-heavy workflows.

Target Audience

Front-end developers, technical writers, CMS editors, and UX designers who use <details> in editors like VS Code, Sublime Text, Obsidian, or browser-based tools (e.g., Notion, Confluence). It also affects teams using collaborative editing platforms where <details> is a standard pattern for hiding/showing content.

Solution Approach

A lightweight browser extension that injects CSS/JS into web pages to override the default <details> behavior. When a <details> element is collapsed, the <summary> remains visible as a faint but clickable label. The extension works across all editors and websites, requiring no code changes or admin permissions. Users toggle it on/off via a browser toolbar icon.

Key Features

1. Editor Agnostic: Works in any browser-based editor (VS Code, Obsidian, etc.) and on any website using <details>.
2. Custom Styling: Users can adjust the summary’s opacity, color, or padding via a simple settings panel.
3. Keyboard Shortcuts: Quickly toggle the feature on/off without clicking the toolbar (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+D).

User Experience

Users install the extension once and forget it. In their editor, collapsed <details> sections now show faint summaries, so they can instantly identify and reopen any section. No configuration is needed for basic use, but power users can customize the appearance. The extension doesn’t interfere with other editor features or slow down performance.

Differentiation

Unlike manual CSS hacks or editor-specific plugins, this solution works universally across all browsers and editors. It’s the only tool purpose-built for this exact problem, with a focus on zero setup and high compatibility. Competitors (e.g., custom CSS) require technical knowledge and break when pages reload, while this extension persists automatically.

Scalability

The extension can grow by adding team features (e.g., shared styles across a team’s browsers) or premium themes. Analytics could track which <details> sections are most frequently collapsed, helping users optimize their content structure. Enterprise plans could include SSO and usage reports for teams.

Expected Impact

Users save 5–15 hours/week by eliminating the need to manually track collapsed sections. Teams reduce errors in documentation and improve collaboration by maintaining a clear visual hierarchy. The extension becomes a must-have for anyone working with <details> in editors, directly improving workflow efficiency and content quality.