WPS Sidebar on Windows: Introduction

WPS Sidebar is the file information panel on the WPS Office home page in Windows; it includes 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index
Version limit	None	Applies to the file list view on the WPS Office home page for Windows

About This Feature

Overview

Sidebar is the file information panel on the right side of the WPS Office home page file list. After you select a file, the panel automatically shows file details so you can review tags, sharing settings, version history, and more file information in one place.

Core tasks include:

View tags: Quickly review or manage custom tags for a file.
View sharing settings: Check the current sharing status of a file and continue to sharing from the panel.
View version history: Review the file's update history.
View more information: Check the owner, last modified time, creation time, size, and file type.

This feature is useful when you browse multiple files from the home page, check file status before sharing, or review file history without opening each file first.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	Windows device
App version	The latest version of WPS Office is recommended
Network	No mandatory network connection is required for basic local file details; online content such as sharing or version history works better with an active connection
Other	Open the WPS Office home page and select a file in the file list

Download & Installation

Item	Notes
Official Download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install Check	Launch WPS Office, open the home page, and select a file to confirm that the information panel appears on the right

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	After you select a file on the home page, WPS shows tags, sharing settings, version history, and basic file details such as owner, modified time, created time, size, and type in one right-side panel.	Microsoft 365 lets users view and edit document properties in File > Info, and version history is available for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.	Google Docs and Drive let users review access details in the sharing panel and file details area, and version or activity information is available in separate views.	Notion lets users open Share at the top of a page to review who has access, permission levels, and link access, and page updates or history are handled in separate page-level areas.	Adobe Acrobat provides document properties and metadata for PDFs and separate sharing or review entry points for collaboration workflows.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: File details, tags, sharing status, and version history are grouped in one panel from the home page file list. Distinct: It is convenient for checking several files in sequence without opening each one first.	Compared with WPS: document properties and version history depend more on File > Info or cloud storage entry points, so the experience is less centered on a home page file list panel.	Compared with WPS: sharing, details, and version information are spread across different panels or menus, so reviewing several files in sequence usually takes more steps.	Compared with WPS: Notion focuses more on page sharing and permissions, while traditional file attributes such as size and type are not presented as the same kind of file-list side panel experience.	Compared with WPS: Acrobat focuses more on PDF properties and review workflows, so quick multi-file checking from an office home page is not the main interaction pattern.
Official Source	—	View or change the properties for an Office file	Stop, limit, or change sharing	Sharing & permissions settings	Document properties and metadata overview in Acrobat

Overall Conclusion
If you want to check key file details directly from the WPS home page, Sidebar provides a more centralized entry point. For file-list browsing, quick sharing checks, and version review across multiple files, this layout is easier to use continuously.

Use Cases

#	Scenario	Target Users	Core Pain Point	Solution
1	Review file details in batches	Everyday office users	Checking file properties one by one takes time	Select files on the home page and review the right-side panel directly
2	Check file status before sharing	Collaboration users	It is not clear whether a file is already shared or how it is shared	Review sharing settings in Sidebar and continue with the Share button
3	Review update records	Document maintainers	They need to confirm whether a file has earlier versions	Check version history in Sidebar
4	Verify basic file attributes	File organizers	They need to confirm owner, time, size, and type quickly	Review the More Information area in Sidebar
5	Compare several files quickly	High-frequency file users	Opening each file just to inspect details is inefficient	Switch the selected file on the home page and let Sidebar update automatically

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature	Free User	WPS Member
View tags, sharing settings, version history, and more information in Sidebar	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic PDF features	✅ Available	✅ Available
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB
Templates	Basic templates	More advanced templates
AI tools and more advanced capabilities	Some capabilities are limited	More usage quota and advanced capabilities

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Use Case	Recommended Plan	Reason
You mainly use the home page to review file information and manage files daily	Free	Sidebar itself has no membership limit for this use case
You also need more cloud storage, templates, or advanced tools	WPS Member	Suitable when file management is combined with broader office needs

WPS membership center: Subscribe now