Expand or collapse a group shape

task australia Updated Sep 10, 2026 1 min read eaw-modeling-expand-collapse-shape.md

The expand and collapse functionality for a group shape helps in simplifying visualization, improves focus, and supports hierarchical modeling.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_apm.apm_user

About this task

Large diagrams can be cluttered. Collapsing groups hides internal details while keeping the overall structure visible. Enables architects to concentrate on high-level architecture or drill down into details when needed. Groups represent logical clusters (for example, applications under a capability, AWS resources inside a VPC), and expand/collapse helps manage these hierarchies.

Procedure

Navigate to Workspaces > Enterprise Architecture Workspace.
Open the Modeling page by selecting the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization icon ([Omitted image "icon-modeling-logo.png"] Alt text: Enterprise Modeling and Visualization).
Create a blank diagram or open an existing diagram.
Add a shape from the General shapes section or select an existing shape.
Select the expand or collapse icon within the group shape to expand or collapse the group shape accordingly.

Expanding a shape helps in analyzing dependencies or editing details inside a group. Collapsing a group shape helps in presenting a high-level architecture view to stakeholders. It helps you to focus on other parts of the diagram. [Omitted image "modeling-expand-collapse-group-shape.gif"] Alt text: Expand or collapse a group shape

Parent Topic:Working with Enterprise Modeling and Visualization

42 lines · 2.3 KB Wrap lines

---
title: Expand or collapse a group shape
description: The expand and collapse functionality for a group shape helps in simplifying visualization, improves focus, and supports hierarchical modeling.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/application-portfolio-management/eaw-modeling-expand-collapse-shape.html
release: australia
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Working with Enterprise Modeling and Visualization, Managing Enterprise Architecture Workspace, Enterprise Architecture Workspace, Enterprise Architecture]
---

# Expand or collapse a group shape

The expand and collapse functionality for a group shape helps in simplifying visualization, improves focus, and supports hierarchical modeling.

## Before you begin

Role required: sn\_apm.apm\_user

## About this task

Large diagrams can be cluttered. Collapsing groups hides internal details while keeping the overall structure visible. Enables architects to concentrate on high-level architecture or drill down into details when needed. Groups represent logical clusters \(for example, applications under a capability, AWS resources inside a VPC\), and expand/collapse helps manage these hierarchies.

## Procedure

1. Navigate to **Workspaces** &gt; **Enterprise Architecture Workspace**.

2. Open the Modeling page by selecting the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization icon \(\[Omitted image "icon-modeling-logo.png"\] Alt text: Enterprise Modeling and Visualization\).

3. Create a blank diagram or open an existing diagram.

4. Add a shape from the General shapes section or select an existing shape.

5. Select the expand or collapse icon within the group shape to expand or collapse the group shape accordingly.

Expanding a shape helps in analyzing dependencies or editing details inside a group. Collapsing a group shape helps in presenting a high-level architecture view to stakeholders. It helps you to focus on other parts of the diagram. \[Omitted image "modeling-expand-collapse-group-shape.gif"\] Alt text: Expand or collapse a group shape

**Parent Topic:**[Working with Enterprise Modeling and Visualization](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/application-portfolio-management/eaw-work-with-ent-model-and-visual.md)