---
product: "AG Grid"
title: "Tool Panels"
description: "This section covers Tool Panels, available via the grid's Side Bar, which allow for easy access to powerful grid operations such as grouping, pivoting, and filtering. Custom Tool Panels can also be provided to the grid."
enterprise: true
framework: javascript
version: "36.2.0"
related:
    - title: "Quick Access Toolbar"
      url: "https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/toolbar/"
    - title: "Column Menu"
      url: "https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/column-menu/"
    - title: "Column Chooser"
      url: "https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/column-chooser/"
    - title: "Context Menu"
      url: "https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/context-menu/"
    - title: "Menu Item Component"
      url: "https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/component-menu-item/"
    - title: "Status Bar"
      url: "https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/status-bar/"
llms: "https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/llms.txt"
---

# Tool Panels

This section covers Tool Panels, available via the grid's Side Bar, which allow for easy access to powerful grid operations such as grouping, pivoting, and filtering. Custom Tool Panels can also be provided to the grid.

## Overview

Tool Panels are panels that sit in the Side Bar to the right of the grid. The Side Bar allows access to the tool panels via buttons that work like tabs. The Side Bar and a Tool Panel are shown in the screenshot below.

![Side Bar](https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/_astro/sideBar.2GaW0ypU.png)

## Provided Tool Panels

The grid provides the following Tool Panels:

- [Columns Tool Panel](https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/tool-panel-columns/) - to control aggregations, grouping and pivoting.
- [Filters Tool Panel](https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/tool-panel-filters/) - to perform multiple column filters.
- [New Filters Tool Panel](https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/tool-panel-filters-new/) - a redesigned version of the Filters Tool Panel that provides improved UX.

The provided tool panels' search inputs share the grid-wide input behaviour (clear button, browser autocomplete) described in [Input Fields](https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/input-fields/).

## Custom Tool Panels

In addition to the provided Tool Panels, it is also possible to provide custom Tool Panels.

For more details refer to the section: [Custom Panel](https://www.ag-grid.com/archive/36.2.0/javascript-data-grid/component-tool-panel/).

## API

The `gridApi` has the following methods that can be used to interact with the tool panel.

| Property | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `openToolPanel` | `Function` |  |  |  |
| `closeToolPanel` | `Function` |  |  |  |
| `getOpenedToolPanel` | `Function` |  |  |  |
| `isToolPanelShowing` | `Function` |  |  |  |
| `refreshToolPanel` | `Function` |  |  |  |
| `getToolPanelInstance` | `Function` |  |  |  |

## Events

The following events are emitted from the tool panel.

| Property | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `toolPanelVisibleChanged` | `ToolPanelVisibleChangedEvent` |  |  |  |
| `toolPanelSizeChanged` | `ToolPanelSizeChangedEvent` |  |  |  |
| `columnMenuVisibleChanged` | `ColumnMenuVisibleChangedEvent` |  |  |  |
| `contextMenuVisibleChanged` | `ContextMenuVisibleChangedEvent` |  |  |  |