When designing your website, a top goal is to get the information your visitor wants in front of them as quickly as possible, with as little effort as possible. The more they have to hunt for what they need, the more likely they are to move away from your site, unsatisfied.

You may try to pack a ton of information all on one page, but this runs the risk of burying your key message. Plus, visitors will have to scroll through lots of information to find what they want — so you haven’t really made it easier on them at all.

So what’s the solution? One of the best ways to keep a page clean and easy to navigate is with an accordion dropdown. It’s a way of presenting a lot of information in a scannable format that quickly and compactly communicates what’s available.

What is an Accordion Dropdown?

An accordion is a style for displaying content that conceals chunks of information in smaller, hidden panels until the user clicks on a button to reveal them. Each hidden section will have a title and a visual cue, like a plus sign or arrow button, to let people know that it can be expanded. These titles will appear visually as a vertical list.

When a visitor clicks on one of the titles, the hidden text and images are revealed. Panels can be collapsed again.

Power Direct Marketing uses an accordion on their door hanger distribution page to efficiently answer common questions.

An accordion is a great way to organize lots of information on a single page, especially in cases where your visitor might only need the full details on one or two sections. Their focus will only be on the facts they’re looking for, helping them find answers quickly and effectively without becoming lost in a sea of endless text.

An accordion dropdown can improve your website’s usability even more by:

Providing information persistence. With mobile devices in particular, users often close or power off their screen while viewing a site, then return to it later on. Unlike menus, accordions will still be in the same state when they come back, and people can quickly reorient themselves.
Improving website speed. Accordions can allow the text and images in the hidden panels to load after the main list. This means that the page loads the summary quickly, and the additional details as panels are opened.

Where to Use an Accordion Dropdown

Accordions are best used on pages that have a lot of categorized information. Here are some examples of ways you might want to use an accordion:

FAQ pages. The purpose of these pages is suited to a list of questions, each with their own paragraph or two as an answer. The questions become the titles of the accordion. Each answer — which could be composed of text, images, or even videos — is tucked away in a hidden panel. Visitors can quickly scan the list and find the answer to their specific question.
Services or course offerings. If you offer a variety of different service levels, packages, or courses, an accordion might help potential clients get information on the solution that suits them best. They can scan for a package that fits their requirements, and view details on just the offerings they’re interested in.
Lists of items with additional details. This might include a list of statistics with hidden data charts, food items with hidden ingredients or nutritional information, or quotes with hidden reference links. The visitor can get your main points and important information, then go digging for details if they’d like.
Regional information. If you sell products to multiple regions, you may have shipping or return policies that are specific to each one. Put this information in an accordion, then allow customers to expand just the one that applies to their location.

How to Add an Accordion Dropdown to your WordPress Site

You’ll need a WordPress.com Pro account to add accordion dropdowns to your site, since this type of functionality requires a plugin. There are two major types of plugins that can create an accordion: an advanced blocks plugin or an accordion-specific plugin.

The Simplest Way: Using a WordPress Block Plugin

You’re probably used to the WordPress Block Editor, which allows you to easily add elements like paragraphs, headings, videos, images, and more to your pages. While there isn’t an accordion block included by default, there are a few advanced block plugins that will add this to your library.

If you’re looking for a variety of new blocks for your site, you can choose a plugin that offers lots of options, including an accordion dropdown. Some examples are CoBlocks, Kadence, or Stackable. But if you just need to add an accordion, try the Accordion Blocks plugin.

This is a great option for people who are comfortable with the Block Editor and have relatively basic functionality and design requirements.

Once you’ve installed your block plugin, you can insert an accordion block in a page or post by following these instructions:

Click the + sign at the top left of the Block Editor.
Search for the accordion block and click to insert it.
Add a title (which will be visible when the page loads) and the text for each expanded panel for the first accordion. With the Accordion Blocks plugin, you can add paragraphs, subtitles, images, or videos by inserting the appropriate block.
Add more accordions as required. With the Accordion Blocks plugin, you’ll do this by returning to the + sign and adding separate accordion blocks.
Set layout and styling options in the settings panel on the right. Depending on your block plugin, you may be able to control colors, fonts, icons, and more.

Don’t forget to publish your new page or save changes to your existing page.

The Most Customizable Way: Using an Accordion Plugin

There are several accordion plugins that use their own interface rather than the Block Editor. This can provide more flexibility and customization. You’ll be able to control each accordion panel separately, set different formatting options for different accordions, add more than one accordion to the same page, and ensure that any accessibility requirements are met.

Which accordion plugin is best for you? Here are some options:

Ultimate FAQ: Create accordions with many different styles, then add them easily to your posts or pages with an integrated block. At the premium level, you can also create accordions that integrate with your WooCommerce product pages.
Accordion FAQ: Get the look you want with endless color and icon options, all with a handy custom drag-and-drop editor.
Accordion: Do you have a lot of images, videos, or details in your hidden panels? Use the Lazy Load option to allow the titles to load quickly, while heavier hidden content loads in the background.

Here’s how to set up an accordion plugin for WordPress:

Install the accordion plugin of your choice. This should create a new option in your WordPress dashboard menu. Navigate to the settings page, which will vary based on the plugin you choose.
Use the settings page to create your accordion. It will usually be divided into sections for each title and panel combination. There may be other details to add for each panel as well, such as colors, fonts, and icons. You may also be able to embed images and videos, add audio files or graphs, and more.
Reorder your accordion title and panel combinations as required.
Save your new accordion.
Add your accordion to the appropriate page or post. The exact method of doing this will vary based on the plugin you’re using, but typically involves inserting a shortcode.
Save your page or post.

Get Started with Accordions for WordPress

Nobody wants to scroll endlessly to find the information they need. Accordions offer an alternative way to organize content so that topics are easy to identify and lots of information is neatly packed into a small space.

Even new WordPress users can add accordions that look professional and function properly. Find the plugin that works best for you and consider adding an accordion to your site today!