> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://algolia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Show and hide widgets

> Learn how you can prevent common issues when showing and hiding Vue InstantSearch widgets.

export const SearchRequest = () => <Tooltip tip="A search request is a single HTTP call to the Algolia Search API that can run one or more search operations. It can include multiple queries, for example, when querying several indices at once.">
    search request
  </Tooltip>;

export const FlavorSwitcher = ({current, baseHref = "", options = [], label = "InstantSearch framework"}) => {
  if (options.length === 0) {
    return <div className="not-prose" role="alert" style={{
      margin: "0.25rem 0 1.5rem",
      padding: "0.75rem",
      border: "1px solid #f59e0b",
      borderRadius: "0.625rem",
      color: "inherit",
      fontSize: "0.875rem"
    }}>
        FlavorSwitcher requires at least one option.
      </div>;
  }
  const selected = options.find(option => option.value === current) ?? options[0];
  return <div className="not-prose mint-flavor-switcher">
      <style>{`
        .mint-flavor-switcher {
          --mfs-bg: #ffffff;
          --mfs-bg-hover: #f4f4f5;
          --mfs-bg-current: #eef2ff;
          --mfs-border: #d4d4d8;
          --mfs-fg: #18181b;
          --mfs-muted: #71717a;
          --mfs-accent: #4f46e5;
          position: relative;
          width: min(100%, 19rem);
          margin: 0.25rem 0 1.5rem;
          color: var(--mfs-fg);
          font-size: 0.875rem;
          line-height: 1.25rem;
        }

        .dark .mint-flavor-switcher {
          --mfs-bg: #18181b;
          --mfs-bg-hover: #27272a;
          --mfs-bg-current: #272747;
          --mfs-border: #3f3f46;
          --mfs-fg: #fafafa;
          --mfs-muted: #a1a1aa;
          --mfs-accent: #a5b4fc;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher details {
          position: relative;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher summary {
          display: flex;
          min-height: 2.75rem;
          box-sizing: border-box;
          align-items: center;
          justify-content: space-between;
          gap: 0.75rem;
          padding: 0.625rem 0.75rem;
          border: 1px solid var(--mfs-border);
          border-radius: 0.625rem;
          background: var(--mfs-bg);
          color: var(--mfs-fg);
          cursor: pointer;
          font-weight: 600;
          list-style: none;
          transition: border-color 150ms ease, box-shadow 150ms ease;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher summary::-webkit-details-marker {
          display: none;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher summary:hover {
          border-color: var(--mfs-accent);
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher summary:focus-visible {
          outline: 2px solid var(--mfs-accent);
          outline-offset: 2px;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__label {
          overflow: hidden;
          text-overflow: ellipsis;
          white-space: nowrap;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__chevron {
          flex: none;
          transition: transform 150ms ease;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher details[open] .mint-flavor-switcher__chevron {
          transform: rotate(180deg);
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__menu {
          position: absolute;
          z-index: 50;
          top: calc(100% + 0.375rem);
          left: 0;
          width: 100%;
          box-sizing: border-box;
          margin: 0;
          padding: 0.375rem;
          border: 1px solid var(--mfs-border);
          border-radius: 0.625rem;
          background: var(--mfs-bg);
          box-shadow: 0 12px 30px rgb(0 0 0 / 16%);
          list-style: none;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__menu li {
          margin: 0;
          padding: 0;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__option {
          display: grid;
          gap: 0.125rem;
          padding: 0.625rem 0.75rem;
          border-radius: 0.4rem;
          color: var(--mfs-fg);
          text-decoration: none;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__option:hover {
          background: var(--mfs-bg-hover);
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__option:focus-visible {
          outline: 2px solid var(--mfs-accent);
          outline-offset: -2px;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__option[aria-current="page"] {
          background: var(--mfs-bg-current);
          color: var(--mfs-accent);
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__name {
          font-weight: 600;
        }

        .mint-flavor-switcher__description {
          color: var(--mfs-muted);
          font-size: 0.8125rem;
        }

        @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
          .mint-flavor-switcher summary,
          .mint-flavor-switcher__chevron {
            transition: none;
          }
        }
      `}</style>

      <details>
        <summary aria-label={`${label}: ${selected.label}`}>
          <span className="mint-flavor-switcher__label">{selected.label}</span>
          <svg className="mint-flavor-switcher__chevron" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" aria-hidden="true">
            <path d="m6 9 6 6 6-6" />
          </svg>
        </summary>

        <ul className="mint-flavor-switcher__menu" aria-label={label}>
          {options.map(option => {
    const isCurrent = option.value === selected.value;
    const href = option.href ?? `${baseHref.replace(/\/$/, "")}/${encodeURIComponent(option.value)}`;
    return <li key={option.value}>
                <a className="mint-flavor-switcher__option" href={href} aria-current={isCurrent ? "page" : undefined}>
                  <span className="mint-flavor-switcher__name">
                    {option.label}
                  </span>
                  {option.description ? <span className="mint-flavor-switcher__description">
                      {option.description}
                    </span> : null}
                </a>
              </li>;
  })}
        </ul>
      </details>
    </div>;
};

<div className="mint-flavor-switcher-slot not-prose">
  <FlavorSwitcher
    current="vue"
    baseHref="/doc/guides/building-search-ui/widgets/show-and-hide-widgets"
    options={[
{ value: "react", label: "React", description: "React InstantSearch" },
{ value: "vue", label: "Vue", description: "Vue InstantSearch" },
]}
  />
</div>

Widgets do more than display a UI—they each interact with a piece of the [`uiState`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/ui-state/vue) that maps to one or more Algolia search parameters.

For example, the [`ais-search-box`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/search-box/vue) controls the [`query`](/doc/api-reference/api-parameters/query), the [`ais-refinement-list`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/refinement-list/vue) interacts with [`facetFilters`](/doc/api-reference/api-parameters/facetFilters), parameter.

**When a widget is mounted or unmounted, this is reflected in the InstantSearch UI state and included in the <SearchRequest />.**

Consider what happens in a mobile search interface with filters ([`ais-refinement-list`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/refinement-list/vue)): when a user clicks the **Filters** button, a dialog opens and displays the refinements.

<video controls>
  <source src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/i8QBUoaIRr-QIxRo/videos/filters-dialog.webm?fit=max&auto=format&n=i8QBUoaIRr-QIxRo&q=85&s=0efbd3b1f13e3a5c4b6b4a9348f9c6a1" type="video/webm" data-path="videos/filters-dialog.webm" />

  <source src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/i8QBUoaIRr-QIxRo/videos/filters-dialog.mp4?fit=max&auto=format&n=i8QBUoaIRr-QIxRo&q=85&s=212c19b55a23178d0b54fbbf6e896a33" type="video/mp4" data-path="videos/filters-dialog.mp4" />
</video>

In many component libraries, the `Dialog` component mounts and unmounts its content when toggled.
**This is problematic when used with InstantSearch components.**

For example, if you have a [`ais-refinement-list`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/refinement-list/vue) widget nested in the dialog:

* The widget wouldn't be mounted on the first app load because the dialog box is closed.
* When the dialog box opens, the widget mounts, adding it to the InstantSearch state and triggering a new request, even before a refinement has been selected.
* When the dialog box closes, the widget unmounts, removing it from the InstantSearch state and losing all selected refinements.

To keep the state available after unmount, you can either:

* [Enable `preserveSharedStateOnUnmount`](#enable-preservesharedstateonunmount)
* [Keep the widget mounted but hidden](#keep-the-widget-mounted-but-hidden)

## Enable `preserveSharedStateOnUnmount`

Enabling [`preserveSharedStateOnUnmount`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/instantsearch/vue#param-future-preserve-shared-state-on-unmount) prevents a widget's state from being cleared when it's unmounted, as long as other widgets share the same refinements.
Enabling this option changes how `dispose` is used in the InstantSearch lifecycle.

By default when a widget is removed, it provides a cleared version of the state that will be propagated throughout the other widgets.

```html theme={"system"}
<template>
  <ais-instant-search
    :future="{ preserveSharedStateOnUnmount: true }"
    :search-client="searchClient"
    index-name="instant_search"
  >
    <Search />
    <button type="button" @click="showMenu != showMenu">Filters</button>
    <virtual-refinement-list attribute="brand" />
    <ais-refinement-list v-if="showMenu" attribute="brand" />
  </ais-instant-search>
</template>

<script>
import { liteClient as algoliasearch } from 'algoliasearch/lite';
import { connectRefinementList } from 'instantsearch.js/es/connectors';
import { AisInstantSearch, AisRefinementList, createWidgetMixin } from 'vue-instantsearch';

const appID = "ALGOLIA_APPLICATION_ID";
const apiKey = "ALGOLIA_SEARCH_API_KEY";

const searchClient = algoliasearch(appID, apiKey);

const VirtualRefinementList = {
  name: 'VirtualRefinementList',
  mixins: [createWidgetMixin({
    connector: connectRefinementList,
  })]
  render() {
    return null;
  }
}

export default {
  components: {
    AisInstantSearch,
    AisRefinementList,
    VirtualRefinementList,
  },
  data() {
    return {
      searchClient,
      showMenu: true,
    };
  },
};
</script>
```

<Note>
  This option is available from v4.11.0 and **will be the only option from Vue InstantSearch v5**.
</Note>

## Keep the widget mounted but hidden

The most straightforward way to retain a widget's state and refinements is to **avoid unmounting it**.

You can, for example, hide the content of the dialog with CSS:

```html theme={"system"}
<template>
  <ais-instant-search
    :future="{ preserveSharedStateOnUnmount: true }"
    :search-client="searchClient"
    index-name="instant_search"
  >
    <Search />
    <button type="button" @click="showMenu != showMenu">Filters</button>
    <ais-refinement-list v-show="showMenu" attribute="brand" />
  </ais-instant-search>
</template>

<script>
import { liteClient as algoliasearch } from 'algoliasearch/lite';
import { AisInstantSearch, AisRefinementList } from 'vue-instantsearch';

const appID = "ALGOLIA_APPLICATION_ID";
const apiKey = "ALGOLIA_SEARCH_API_KEY";

const searchClient = algoliasearch(appID, apiKey);

export default {
  components: {
    AisInstantSearch,
    AisRefinementList,
  },
  data() {
    return {
      searchClient,
      showMenu: true,
    };
  },
};
</script>
```

If you're using a component library,
you can verify whether the dialog component lets you avoid unmounting its content.
For example, the [`<Dialog>` component from Headless UI](https://headlessui.com/v1/vue/dialog) lets you turn off unmounting with the `unmount` option.