react-collapse offers a lightweight solution for adding smooth, animated collapsible sections to React apps. With a minimal API, developers can toggle content via the isOpened prop and rely on CSS transitions for fluid motion. The library supports accordions, expandable panels, and any custom React component.

Installing is straightforward: run npm install react-collapse, yarn add react-collapse, or pnpm add react-collapse. The package.json should list react-collapse ^5.1.0, react ^18.0.0, and react-dom ^18.0.0. A React project of version 16.8 or newer, or a create‑react‑app scaffold, satisfies the prerequisites.

A basic example shows a button that toggles isOpen state, wrapping content inside a <Collapse> component. The transition is handled automatically, and developers can style the wrapper with padding, background, and borders. Multiple sections can be managed with an object of booleans, enabling accordion‑style behavior without extra libraries.

Beyond simple toggles, the guide builds a FAQ component and a settings panel, each with independent state and custom styling. It highlights accessibility considerations, such as adding ARIA attributes, and suggests exploring nested collapses or accordion behavior. The official repo on GitHub offers further examples and documentation for advanced configurations.