diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 0ddb000..0e315cb 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -4,10 +4,13 @@ Changelog
 5.0.10 (unreleased)
 -------------------
 
+- `search_sections` in IDesignPloneSettings has a new filed in each section:
+  `expandItems` that is a boolean to decide if the items of the section should 
+  be expanded or not (default is True).
+  [mamico]
 - Add a profile to limit addables on site root
   [lucabel]
 
-
 5.0.9 (2024-04-12)
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/src/design/plone/policy/restapi/search_filters/get.py b/src/design/plone/policy/restapi/search_filters/get.py
index 6b8f0d8..78486bc 100644
--- a/src/design/plone/policy/restapi/search_filters/get.py
+++ b/src/design/plone/policy/restapi/search_filters/get.py
@@ -59,16 +59,25 @@ def reply(self):
                         (section, self.request),
                         ISerializeToJsonSummary,
                     )()
-                    children = section.listFolderContents(
-                        contentFilter={"portal_type": utils.getUserFriendlyTypes()}
-                    )
-                    item_infos["items"] = [
-                        getMultiAdapter(
-                            (x, self.request),
-                            ISerializeToJsonSummary,
-                        )()
-                        for x in children
-                    ]
+                    if section_settings.get("expandItems", True):
+                        children = section.listFolderContents(
+                            contentFilter={"portal_type": utils.getUserFriendlyTypes()}
+                        )
+                        item_infos["items"] = [
+                            getMultiAdapter(
+                                (x, self.request),
+                                ISerializeToJsonSummary,
+                            )()
+                            for x in children
+                        ]
+                    else:
+                        # do not expand childrens, the only item is the section/container itself
+                        item_infos["items"] = [
+                            getMultiAdapter(
+                                (section, self.request),
+                                ISerializeToJsonSummary,
+                            )()
+                        ]
                     item_infos["title"] = section_settings.get("title", "")
                     items.append(item_infos)
             if items:
diff --git a/src/design/plone/policy/tests/test_search_filters_api.py b/src/design/plone/policy/tests/test_search_filters_api.py
index 6cc4b67..479c52e 100644
--- a/src/design/plone/policy/tests/test_search_filters_api.py
+++ b/src/design/plone/policy/tests/test_search_filters_api.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 from Products.CMFPlone.interfaces import ISearchSchema
 from transaction import commit
 from zope.component import getUtility
-
+from design.plone.contenttypes.controlpanels.settings import IDesignPloneSettings
+import json
 import unittest
 
 
@@ -126,3 +127,27 @@ def test_endpoint_do_not_return_contents_that_are_not_searchable(self):
 
         self.assertEqual("Amministrazione", amministrazione["title"])
         self.assertEqual(7, len(amministrazione["items"]))
+
+    def test_not_expand_items(self):
+        # first section has 7 children
+        response = self.api_session.get("/@search-filters").json()
+        self.assertEqual(len(response["sections"][0]["items"][0]["items"]), 7)
+        self.assertEqual(len(response["sections"][0]["items"][1]["items"]), 15)
+
+        # change expandItems to False for the first section
+        settings = json.loads(
+            api.portal.get_registry_record(
+                "search_sections", interface=IDesignPloneSettings
+            )
+        )
+        settings[0]["items"][0]["expandItems"] = False
+        api.portal.set_registry_record(
+            "search_sections", json.dumps(settings), interface=IDesignPloneSettings
+        )
+        commit()
+
+        response = self.api_session.get("/@search-filters").json()
+        # first item now has only 1 child
+        self.assertEqual(len(response["sections"][0]["items"][0]["items"]), 1)
+        # second item still has 15 children
+        self.assertEqual(len(response["sections"][0]["items"][1]["items"]), 15)