Content presentation - Details

Make a page easier to scan by letting users reveal more detailed information only if they need it.

Copy code

<details class="nhsuk-details">
  <summary class="nhsuk-details__summary">
    <span class="nhsuk-details__summary-text">
      How to find your NHS number
    </span>
  </summary>
  <div class="nhsuk-details__text">
    <p>An NHS number is a 10 digit number, like 485 777 3456.</p>
    <p>You can find your NHS number by logging in to a GP online service or on any document the NHS has sent you, such as your:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>prescriptions</li>
      <li>test results</li>
      <li>hospital referral letters</li>
      <li>appointment letters</li>
    </ul>
    <p>Ask your GP surgery for help if you can't find your NHS number.</p>

  </div>
</details>

Nunjucks

Nunjucks macro options

Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.

Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as "Required" in the option description.

If you're using Nunjucks macros in production with "html" options, or ones ending with "html", you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.

Nunjucks arguments for default details
Name	Type	Required	Description
Name text	Type string	Required true	Description Text to be displayed on the details component.
Name html	Type string	Required true	Description HTML content to be displayed within the details component.
Name classes	Type string	Required false	Description Classes to add to the details element.
Name attributes	Type object	Required false	Description HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the details element.

Copy code

{% from 'details/macro.njk' import details %}

{{ details({
  "text": "How to find your NHS number",
  "HTML": "
  <p>An NHS number is a 10 digit number, like 485 777 3456.</p>
    <p>You can find your NHS number by logging in to a GP online service or on any document the NHS has sent you, such as your:</p>
    <ul>
        <li>prescriptions</li>
        <li>test results</li>
        <li>hospital referral letters</li>
        <li>appointment letters</li>
    </ul>
    <p>Ask your GP surgery for help if you can't find your NHS number.</p>
  "
}) }}

When to use details

There are 2 ways to let users reveal more information:

details
expander

Use the details component to make a page easier to scan when it contains information that only some users will need. For example, use it to give users help in context.

When not to use details

Do not use details to hide information that most users will need.

How to use details

The details component is a short link that expands to show more text when a user clicks on it.

Make the link text short and descriptive so users can quickly work out if they need to click on it.

Details and expanders

Details and expanders both hide sections of content which a user can choose to reveal.

The details component is less visually prominent than an expander, so tends to work better for content which is not as important to users.

Users may be reluctant to click on the details component in forms. Read more in the research section below.

Research

User research has shown us that users understand the purpose of the component and are able to use it.

Anecdotally we've heard users being reluctant to expand the details component in user testing sessions for transactional services (forms). When asked why they wouldn't click, they explained that they thought the link text (blue underlined text) would take them to a new page and they would lose their progress.

Help us improve this guidance

Share insights or feedback and take part in the discussion. We use GitHub as a collaboration space. All the information on it is open to the public.

Feedback or share insights on GitHub

Read more about how to feedback or share insights.

If you have any questions, get in touch with the service manual team.

Updated: November 2019