ChatGPTFree2 min6 steps
ChatGPTHow to collapse long messages in ChatGPT
AI Toolbox adds a small arrow beside every message in a saved ChatGPT chat. Click it to fold a long message into a short preview, and click it again to open it. Collapse All at the top of the chat, or Cmd+Shift+E on Mac and Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows, folds every message at once. It is free for everyone.
Step by step
Step 1: Open a chat that has messages
Open chatgpt.com. On the left side of the page is the list of your chats (ChatGPT calls it the sidebar). Click any chat to open it.
Folding works in saved chats only. The empty New chat page has nothing to fold yet, so send a first message if you are there.
You should see: The messages of that chat in the middle of the page.
Step 2: Point at a message to show its arrow
Move your mouse over any message. It can be yours or one of ChatGPT's answers. A small arrow button appears just to the left of the message.
The arrow is hidden until you point at the message, so the page stays clean.
You should see: A small arrow to the left of the message. When you point at it, its label says Collapse.
Step 3: Click the arrow to fold the message
Click the arrow. The message shrinks to its first few lines, fades out at the bottom, and gets a thin colored bar on its side.
You should see: A short preview where the long message was. The arrow now stays visible, even when you move your mouse away.
Folding only changes what you see. The message is not deleted or changed in ChatGPT.
Step 4: Open a folded message again
Click the same arrow again. When a message is folded, the arrow's label says Expand.
You should see: The full message is back.
Step 5: Fold every message at once
Look at the top of the chat, next to ChatGPT's Share button. AI Toolbox adds a few small buttons there. Point at them until one of them says Collapse All, then click it.
Click the same button again to open every message. Its label now says Expand All.
You should see: Every message folds one after another, and a short message says All messages collapsed. A small number on the button shows how many messages are folded.
When there is not much room at the top of the page, AI Toolbox puts its small buttons into one button called AI Toolbox tools. Click it to see them all, including Collapse All.
Step 6: Use the keyboard shortcut
First click an empty part of the page, so you are not typing in the message box. Then press Cmd+Shift+E on Mac or Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows. It does the same thing as Collapse All. Press it again to open every message.
You should see: The message All messages collapsed or All messages expanded for two seconds.
AI Toolbox remembers what you folded. When you come back to the chat later, folded messages are still folded.
That's it. You have finished every tutorial in this section.
If something doesn't look right
I don't see an arrow next to the messages
The arrow only shows while your mouse is over a message. Point at the message itself, not the empty space around it. Also check that you are in a saved chat, not the empty New chat page. If it is still missing, refresh the page.
The Collapse All button is missing at the top
It only appears in a saved chat. On the New chat page, send your first message and it shows up. If ChatGPT just changed pages, wait a second or refresh. You can also use the shortcut Cmd+Shift+E on Mac or Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows.
The keyboard shortcut does nothing
The shortcut is ignored while you are typing in the message box or any other text box. Click an empty part of the ChatGPT page, then try again. On a Mac use Cmd, on Windows use Ctrl. If it still fails, open AI Toolbox Settings, go to General, and set Operating System to Auto so the shortcut matches your computer.
My folded messages opened again on another computer
Folded messages are remembered in this browser only. On another computer or browser, every message starts open. Fold them again there, or press Cmd+Shift+E on Mac or Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows to fold them all.
Free and Premium
Collapsing messages is free for everyone, with no limits. There is nothing extra in Premium.
- Free for everyone, with no limits.
- Works on every message in a saved ChatGPT chat, both yours and ChatGPT's.
- Folded messages are remembered in this browser. Folding never changes or deletes a message.
Questions people ask
Can you collapse messages in ChatGPT?
Yes, with the free AI Toolbox extension. Point at any message in a saved ChatGPT chat and click the small arrow that appears to its left. The message folds into a short preview. Click the arrow again to open it. You can fold your own messages and ChatGPT's answers.
How do I collapse all messages in a ChatGPT chat?
In AI Toolbox, click the Collapse All button at the top of the chat, next to ChatGPT's Share button, or press Cmd+Shift+E on Mac or Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows. Every message folds into a short preview. Click the button or press the shortcut again to open them all.
Is collapsing ChatGPT messages free?
Yes. Collapsing messages in ChatGPT with AI Toolbox is free for everyone and has no limits. You can fold single messages with the arrow beside them, fold a whole chat with Collapse All, and use the keyboard shortcut. There is nothing extra to unlock for this feature in Premium.
Does collapsing a ChatGPT message delete it?
No. Collapsing only changes what you see on your screen. The message stays in your ChatGPT chat exactly as it was, and ChatGPT still uses it as part of the conversation. Click the arrow beside the folded message, or use Expand All, to see the full text again.
Do collapsed messages stay collapsed after a refresh?
Yes. AI Toolbox remembers which ChatGPT messages you folded, and which chats you folded completely, so they stay folded when you refresh or come back later. This memory is kept in your current browser, so on another computer the messages start open again.
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