FF Expert: Open by default with close persistence

[dimitrieh]

Parent Deliverable: FlowFuse/product#48 — Expert Discovery and Default Enablement

Summary

The FF Expert panel should open by default when a user visits the editor, rather than requiring the user to manually open it. If the user explicitly closes the panel, a localStorage flag should remember that preference so it stays closed on subsequent visits.

Additionally, consider opening it in pinned mode by default.

Why

FF Expert can serve as a first point of contact for users entering FlowFuse — guiding them through what they want to accomplish and supporting them along the way. By opening it by default, we increase exposure to the assistant and make it immediately available to help, rather than relying on users to discover and open it themselves.

Desired Behavior

1. First visit (no stored preference): FF Expert panel opens automatically in pinned mode
2. User closes the panel: A localStorage entry is set to remember this preference
3. Subsequent visits with stored preference: Panel stays closed, respecting the user's choice
4. Visual cue on Expert button: The Expert button should have a visible toggle state that makes it obvious it relates to the panel being open — so users know where to find it again after closing
5. One-time onboarding prompt (alternative/complementary): Instead of (or in addition to) the current "briefly-show" animation, consider a one-time prompt: "Hey, if you want to re-open the FlowFuse Expert, click here" — the current briefly-show interaction feels gimmicky

Scope

• FlowFuse platform (non-immersive): FF Expert panel opens by default with localStorage persistence
• Immersive editor: The FF Expert drawer should also follow the same open-by-default + remember-close pattern. If the user's stored preference is "closed", either keep the drawer closed or use the briefly-show animation (but not indefinitely)

Implementation Notes

• Use localStorage (application-level flag), not just a cookie
• Default state is open + pinned — this is the value when no preference is stored
• Once the user interacts (closes/unpins), store their preference
• Preference should persist across instances (not instance-specific)

Context

Slack discussion: https://flowfuse.slack.com/archives/C09QS57R8AD/p1772806611679389

[cstns]

The FF Expert panel should open by default when a user visits the editor,

and

FF Expert can serve as a first point of contact for users entering FlowFuse

are contradicting each other. Are you referring to the immersive mode, non-immersive or both?

also

Subsequent visits with stored preference: Panel stays closed, respecting the user's choice
infers that the option should be persisted across sessions, preferably as a user setting which should also be update-able from the user settings page.

This entire thing should also be done after #6267 because we don't have a 'pinned' mode for the immersive mode as of now, that's only possible in non-immersive