# Popup windows from a sidebar expanded view

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/popup-windows-from-a-sidebar-expanded-view/101097>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [20 May 2026 23:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/popup-windows-from-a-sidebar-expanded-view/101097 "2026-05-20T23:02:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Drun555](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/drun555/32/107188_2.png) [@Drun555](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Drun555)\
**Post date:** [20 May 2026 23:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/popup-windows-from-a-sidebar-expanded-view/101097/1 "2026-05-20T23:02:51Z")

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I've been thinking about my experience with NodeRED for a long time, and I finally realized that the inability to quickly switch between function nodes really irritates me.

While thinking about possible ways to fix this, I come up with an idea that it would be really convenient to have the ability to "undock" the sliding panel on the right, turning it into a popup window. Obvious pros:

1. Speeds up developing iterations, because there will be no need in constant node reopenings
2. That way we could open and edit multiple function nodes side by side (which sounds especially neat)

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/d/5/d5a9db92e1988c95a251763086a39d7c7de56a87.png)

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [21 May 2026 11:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/popup-windows-from-a-sidebar-expanded-view/101097/2 "2026-05-21T11:11:21Z")

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This has been raised before. Personally, I would like any node config panel to be able to be opened along side others, not just Function nodes.

I think it requires quite a few core changes though so not sure how feasible it is. Obviously, core dev time is limited so sometimes these things are a matter of either priorities or other people chipping in with pull requests (after discussion with the core devs of course).

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [21 May 2026 12:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/popup-windows-from-a-sidebar-expanded-view/101097/3 "2026-05-21T12:48:12Z")

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To summarise the many previous conversations on this topic, there are deep-rooted architectural difficulties with having multiple edit dialogs open, and being able to keep them open whilst making changes across multiple nodes. Choices made 13 years ago around the whole edit lifecycle would need to be unpicked through-out the editor plus all existing 5000+ nodes.

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [21 May 2026 13:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/popup-windows-from-a-sidebar-expanded-view/101097/4 "2026-05-21T13:53:37Z")

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> [@knolleary](#):
>
> Choices made 13 years ago around the whole edit lifecycle would need to be unpicked through-out the editor plus all existing 5000+ nodes.

So we can expect it in node-red v5.1 then! 🤣

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [20 July 2026 13:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/popup-windows-from-a-sidebar-expanded-view/101097/5 "2026-07-20T13:53:58Z")

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