Summary
Allow users to hide, collapse, or resize the right-side Workspace / Files rail in the Control UI / WebChat view.
Problem to solve
In the Control UI / WebChat view, the right-side Workspace / Files rail is always visible and appears to have no close button, collapse button, or draggable splitter.
For users who primarily use WebChat as a chat interface, the rail takes up horizontal space even when file browsing is not needed. This is especially noticeable on smaller screens, browser split-screen layouts, and remote desktop sessions.
The current behavior is insufficient because the only effective workaround is to patch the bundled CSS locally, which is not durable and may be overwritten after OpenClaw upgrades.
Proposed solution
Please add one or more of the following UX/options:
- A close/collapse button in the
Workspace / Files rail header.
- A draggable splitter that allows resizing the rail, including to zero width.
- A Control UI setting such as
showWorkspaceFilesRail: false.
- Persist the user's last collapsed/expanded state per browser/user/session.
A minimal implementation could be a small toggle button near the Workspace / Files header that hides the rail and changes the chat layout to use the full width.
Alternatives considered
Local CSS patching works as a temporary workaround:
.chat-workbench {
grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) !important;
}
.chat-workspace-rail {
display: none !important;
}
However, this is weaker because:
It requires modifying bundled build output under the installed package.
It may be overwritten after OpenClaw upgrades.
It is not discoverable for normal users.
It is an all-or-nothing local hack rather than a proper user preference.
**Impact**
```md
Affected: Users of Control UI / WebChat, especially users on smaller screens, split-screen browser layouts, or remote desktop sessions.
Severity: Annoying / medium UX friction. It does not block usage, but it reduces available chat space and creates persistent visual clutter for users who do not need file browsing.
Frequency: Always, whenever using WebChat with the `Workspace / Files` rail visible.
Consequence: Less horizontal space for chat messages and composer, more scrolling/wrapping, and extra manual work for users who patch CSS locally to reclaim the space.
### Impact
This should remain backward-compatible: the default behavior can stay unchanged, with the rail visible by default.
The requested change is mainly to make the rail user-controllable through a UI toggle, splitter, or persisted preference, instead of requiring local CSS modifications.
### Evidence/examples
Current visible rail label:
- `Workspace`
- `Files`
Relevant bundled UI/CSS identifiers found in the installed package:
- `.chat-workbench`
- `.chat-workspace-rail`
- `aria-label="Workspace files"`
Local CSS workaround that successfully hides the rail:
```css
.chat-workbench {
grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) !important;
}
.chat-workspace-rail {
display: none !important;
}
nstalled environment where observed:
OpenClaw version: 2026.6.1
UI: Control UI / WebChat
OS: Windows Server
### Additional information
_No response_
Summary
Allow users to hide, collapse, or resize the right-side
Workspace / Filesrail in the Control UI / WebChat view.Problem to solve
In the Control UI / WebChat view, the right-side
Workspace / Filesrail is always visible and appears to have no close button, collapse button, or draggable splitter.For users who primarily use WebChat as a chat interface, the rail takes up horizontal space even when file browsing is not needed. This is especially noticeable on smaller screens, browser split-screen layouts, and remote desktop sessions.
The current behavior is insufficient because the only effective workaround is to patch the bundled CSS locally, which is not durable and may be overwritten after OpenClaw upgrades.
Proposed solution
Please add one or more of the following UX/options:
Workspace / Filesrail header.showWorkspaceFilesRail: false.A minimal implementation could be a small toggle button near the
Workspace / Filesheader that hides the rail and changes the chat layout to use the full width.Alternatives considered
Local CSS patching works as a temporary workaround: