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Sub-Pages (more layers) #5470
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Originally created by @hailster17 on GitHub (Oct 23, 2025).
Describe the feature you'd like
Currently Bookstack has layers setup in this format Book->Chapter->Pages. Adding sub-pages or one more layer under Pages would be great.
Describe the benefits this would bring to existing BookStack users
Many users are leaving GitBook and some are switching to BookStack, GitBook offers more layers which allows for more organized data. One of the biggest complaints from our users is when we use collapsible blocks the search feature isn't as efficient as they need to go to the page, find the collapsible block and open the block to see the data. Having one more layer would allow for more organized and cleaner data.
Can the goal of this request already be achieved via other means?
Kind of- The only work around we have found is to use collapsible blocks. When the user uses the search feature it will find the data then the user needs to go to the page but then they must manually search through the page to find the collapsible block that contains the data they need.
Have you searched for an existing open/closed issue?
How long have you been using BookStack?
Under 3 months
Additional context
Overall bookstack has been great and we appreciate the work everyone has done to make it as good as it is.
@ssddanbrown commented on GitHub (Oct 23, 2025):
Hi @hailster17,
It's very unlikely there'd be anything below the current page level due to how the platform has been designed & built, which focuses on pages being the core base content layer.
Additional levels is a common request though, see #95 for some history in that regard.
Part of my video here, from about 11:05 is also very much relevant, and goes into the history (where I did original build the platform to have infinitely nestable pages) and where I think things may head (A new proper layer above books, shelves become a more flexible collection item).
@virgo77 commented on GitHub (Nov 4, 2025):
Hi!
I took a look at your video, and I totally understand what you mean about setting layer levels in this tool... a great tool btw.
But, recently, I had 10 months trainings with lots of modules and courses, and multiple practical exercises in each course. So, actually, I can't sort all these courses, and practical exercises in sub-chapters, and it's annoying and frustrating to me.
Just look:
You could say "Why not naming the shelf with the name of the training?". Yeah, true... but as I had another trainings, I can sort all these trainings in one shelf!
It's the same about all my own documentations, tutorials and all the fixes and solutions about issues I had on my home labs (or professional labs).
I'm stuck because I don't know how to sort these, any other way than this. So, to get rid of this, I give some name to chapters/pages to try to sort correctly, but it is not really comfy and readable nor logical.
So maybe you can let us to sort according to sub-chapters or sub-pages, like asked in this really old message? Maybe you can fix sublevels/layers to 4 or 5, whatever it is a sub-chapter or a sub-page, like this:
Shelf > Book > Chapter > Subchapter > page > subpage/subpage/subpageor this:
Shelf > Book > Chapter > Subchapter/Subchapter > page > subpage/subpageor this:
Shelf > Book > Chapter > Subchapter/Subchapter/Subchapter > page > subpageor maybe
Shelf > Book > Chapter > Page > Paragraph > "Sub-Paragraph/.../..."? (it makes more sense like this to me)Once we've reached the maximum number of sub-levels, we can't create any more. This allows for more flexibility. And as it is a recurring request, maybe you can give it a try?
It would be really great!
Best Regards,
V.
@sz-hunor commented on GitHub (Nov 30, 2025):
I recently found BookStack on my journey to find a replacement for OneNote and this is actually the closes bit of software that I found that you can self host and where you actually own your documents that isn't lacking anything from what I use OneNote for.
OneNote itself also only allows for 3 levels of indentation (page and 2 levels of sub-pages), and I feel like people don't complain about that being too limiting (I watched your video where you say that sub-pages is a re-occurring feature request). And their Notebook -> Section layout is pretty much analogous to Shelves -> Books.
Obviously, this is a different piece of software with a different goal, but I was wondering if it wouldn't be possible to simply have a toggle for layout style. With one option being your current, uncompromised vision and another that allows the use of a few levels of sub-pages.
Also, I'd love to be able to also toggle seeing the shelves level in the side-bar as well. And yes, I am shamelessly asking if it would be possible to customize this to be the perfect 1:1 transition path away from Microsoft training their AIs on all my notes.