diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7d04ab3f55..4c3aaca566 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -111,10 +111,11 @@ The plugin API follows a React paradigm. Each plugin passed to the Puck editor c
 - `renderRoot` (`Component`): Render the root node of the preview content
 - `renderRootFields` (`Component`): Render the root fields
 - `renderFields` (`Component`): Render the fields for the currently selected component
+- `renderComponentList` (`Component`): Render the component list
 
 Each render function receives three props:
 
-- **children** (`ReactNode`): The normal contents of the root or field. You must render this.
+- **children** (`ReactNode`): The normal contents of the root or field. You must render this if provided.
 - **state** (`AppState`): The current application state, including data and UI state
 - **dispatch** (`(action: PuckAction) => void`): The Puck dispatcher, used for making data changes or updating the UI. See the [action definitions](https://github.com/measuredco/puck/blob/main/packages/core/reducer/actions.tsx) for a full reference of available mutations.
 
@@ -241,6 +242,7 @@ The `<Puck>` component renders the Puck editor.
 - **data** (`Data`): Initial data to render
 - **onChange** (`(Data) => void` [optional]): Callback that triggers when the user makes a change
 - **onPublish** (`(Data) => void` [optional]): Callback that triggers when the user hits the "Publish" button
+- **renderComponentList** (`Component` [optional]): Render function for wrapping the component list
 - **renderHeader** (`Component` [optional]): Render function for overriding the Puck header component
 - **renderHeaderActions** (`Component` [optional]): Render function for overriding the Puck header actions. Use a fragment.
 - **headerTitle** (`string` [optional]): Set the title shown in the header title
@@ -313,6 +315,11 @@ The `AppState` object stores the puck application state.
   - **leftSideBarVisible** (boolean): Whether or not the left side bar is visible
   - **itemSelector** (object): An object describing which item is selected
   - **arrayState** (object): An object describing the internal state of array items
+  - **componentList** (object): An object describing the component list. Similar shape to `Config.categories`.
+    - **components** (`sting[]`, [optional]): Array containing the names of components in this category
+    - **title** (`sting`, [optional]): Title of the category
+    - **visible** (`boolean`, [optional]): Whether or not the category is visible in the side bar
+    - **expanded** (`boolean`, [optional]): Whether or not the category is expanded in the side bar
 
 ### `Data`
 
diff --git a/packages/core/components/ComponentList/index.tsx b/packages/core/components/ComponentList/index.tsx
index 07011bbd79..133dcc8bfa 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/ComponentList/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/components/ComponentList/index.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import styles from "./styles.module.css";
 import getClassNameFactory from "../../lib/get-class-name-factory";
 import { Draggable } from "../Draggable";
 import { DragIcon } from "../DragIcon";
-import { ReactNode, useState } from "react";
+import { ReactNode } from "react";
 import { useAppContext } from "../Puck/context";
 import { ChevronDown, ChevronUp } from "react-feather";
 
@@ -44,31 +44,41 @@ const ComponentListItem = ({
 const ComponentList = ({
   children,
   title,
-  defaultExpanded = true,
+  id,
 }: {
+  id: string;
   children?: ReactNode;
   title?: string;
-  defaultExpanded?: boolean;
 }) => {
-  const { config } = useAppContext();
+  const { config, state, setUi } = useAppContext();
 
-  const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(defaultExpanded);
+  const { expanded = true } = state.ui.componentList[id] || {};
 
   return (
-    <div className={getClassName({ isExpanded })}>
+    <div className={getClassName({ isExpanded: expanded })}>
       {title && (
         <div
           className={getClassName("title")}
-          onClick={() => setIsExpanded(!isExpanded)}
+          onClick={() =>
+            setUi({
+              componentList: {
+                ...state.ui.componentList,
+                [id]: {
+                  ...state.ui.componentList[id],
+                  expanded: !expanded,
+                },
+              },
+            })
+          }
           title={
-            isExpanded
+            expanded
               ? `Collapse${title ? ` ${title}` : ""}`
               : `Expand${title ? ` ${title}` : ""}`
           }
         >
           <div>{title}</div>
           <div className={getClassName("titleIcon")}>
-            {isExpanded ? <ChevronUp size={12} /> : <ChevronDown size={12} />}
+            {expanded ? <ChevronUp size={12} /> : <ChevronDown size={12} />}
           </div>
         </div>
       )}
diff --git a/packages/core/components/Puck/context.tsx b/packages/core/components/Puck/context.tsx
index f21d609860..f20dec95b4 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/Puck/context.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/components/Puck/context.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export const defaultAppState: AppState = {
     leftSideBarVisible: true,
     arrayState: {},
     itemSelector: null,
+    componentList: {},
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/core/components/Puck/index.tsx b/packages/core/components/Puck/index.tsx
index d85a713e1e..362424fbb1 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/Puck/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/components/Puck/index.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ const PluginRenderer = ({
   dispatch: (action: PuckAction) => void;
   state: AppState;
   plugins;
-  renderMethod: "renderRoot" | "renderRootFields" | "renderFields";
+  renderMethod:
+    | "renderRoot"
+    | "renderRootFields"
+    | "renderFields"
+    | "renderComponentList";
 }) => {
   return plugins
     .filter((item) => item[renderMethod])
@@ -72,6 +76,7 @@ export function Puck({
   onChange,
   onPublish,
   plugins = [],
+  renderComponentList,
   renderHeader,
   renderHeaderActions,
   headerTitle,
@@ -82,6 +87,11 @@ export function Puck({
   onChange?: (data: Data) => void;
   onPublish: (data: Data) => void;
   plugins?: Plugin[];
+  renderComponentList?: (props: {
+    children: ReactNode;
+    dispatch: (action: PuckAction) => void;
+    state: AppState;
+  }) => ReactElement;
   renderHeader?: (props: {
     children: ReactNode;
     dispatch: (action: PuckAction) => void;
@@ -99,6 +109,27 @@ export function Puck({
   const initialAppState: AppState = {
     ...defaultAppState,
     data: initialData,
+    ui: {
+      ...defaultAppState.ui,
+
+      // Store categories under componentList on state to allow render functions and plugins to modify
+      componentList: config.categories
+        ? Object.entries(config.categories).reduce(
+            (acc, [categoryName, category]) => {
+              return {
+                ...acc,
+                [categoryName]: {
+                  title: category.title,
+                  components: category.components,
+                  expanded: category.defaultExpanded,
+                  visible: category.visible,
+                },
+              };
+            },
+            {}
+          )
+        : {},
+    },
   };
 
   const [appState, dispatch] = useReducer<StateReducer>(
@@ -171,6 +202,28 @@ export function Puck({
     []
   );
 
+  const ComponentListWrapper = useCallback((props) => {
+    const children = (
+      <PluginRenderer
+        plugins={plugins}
+        renderMethod="renderComponentList"
+        dispatch={props.dispatch}
+        state={props.state}
+      >
+        {props.children}
+      </PluginRenderer>
+    );
+
+    // User's render method wraps the plugin render methods
+    return renderComponentList
+      ? renderComponentList({
+          children,
+          dispatch,
+          state: appState,
+        })
+      : children;
+  }, []);
+
   const FieldWrapper = itemSelector ? ComponentFieldWrapper : PageFieldWrapper;
 
   const rootFields = config.root?.fields || defaultPageFields;
@@ -192,7 +245,7 @@ export function Puck({
     DragStart & Partial<DragUpdate>
   >();
 
-  const componentList = useComponentList(config);
+  const componentList = useComponentList(config, appState.ui);
 
   return (
     <div className="puck">
@@ -428,7 +481,13 @@ export function Puck({
                       }}
                     >
                       <SidebarSection title="Components">
-                        {componentList ? componentList : <ComponentList />}
+                        <ComponentListWrapper>
+                          {componentList ? (
+                            componentList
+                          ) : (
+                            <ComponentList id="all" />
+                          )}
+                        </ComponentListWrapper>
                       </SidebarSection>
                       <SidebarSection title="Outline">
                         {ctx?.activeZones &&
diff --git a/packages/core/lib/use-component-list.tsx b/packages/core/lib/use-component-list.tsx
index 6000ca0a5a..f3a3189857 100644
--- a/packages/core/lib/use-component-list.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/lib/use-component-list.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
 import { ReactNode, useEffect, useState } from "react";
-import { Config } from "../types/Config";
+import { Config, UiState } from "../types/Config";
 import { ComponentList } from "../components/ComponentList";
 
-export const useComponentList = (config: Config) => {
+export const useComponentList = (config: Config, ui: UiState) => {
   const [componentList, setComponentList] = useState<ReactNode[]>();
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (config.categories) {
+    if (ui.componentList) {
       const matchedComponents: string[] = [];
 
       let _componentList: ReactNode[];
 
-      _componentList = Object.entries(config.categories).map(
+      _componentList = Object.entries(ui.componentList).map(
         ([categoryKey, category]) => {
           if (category.visible === false || !category.components) {
             return null;
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ export const useComponentList = (config: Config) => {
 
           return (
             <ComponentList
+              id={categoryKey}
               key={categoryKey}
               title={category.title || categoryKey}
-              defaultExpanded={category.defaultExpanded}
             >
               {category.components.map((componentName, i) => {
                 matchedComponents.push(componentName as string);
@@ -45,15 +45,11 @@ export const useComponentList = (config: Config) => {
 
       if (
         remainingComponents.length > 0 &&
-        !config.categories["other"]?.components &&
-        config.categories["other"]?.visible !== false
+        !ui.componentList.other?.components &&
+        ui.componentList.other?.visible !== false
       ) {
         _componentList.push(
-          <ComponentList
-            key="other"
-            title={"Other"}
-            defaultExpanded={config.categories.other?.defaultExpanded}
-          >
+          <ComponentList id="other" key="other" title={"Other"}>
             {remainingComponents.map((componentName, i) => {
               return (
                 <ComponentList.Item
@@ -69,7 +65,7 @@ export const useComponentList = (config: Config) => {
 
       setComponentList(_componentList);
     }
-  }, [config.categories, config.components]);
+  }, [config.categories, ui.componentList]);
 
   return componentList;
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/types/Config.tsx b/packages/core/types/Config.tsx
index 1c29dba2ba..06afe2f0dc 100644
--- a/packages/core/types/Config.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/types/Config.tsx
@@ -136,6 +136,15 @@ export type UiState = {
   leftSideBarVisible: boolean;
   itemSelector: ItemSelector | null;
   arrayState: Record<string, ArrayState | undefined>;
+  componentList: Record<
+    string,
+    {
+      components?: string[];
+      title?: string;
+      visible?: boolean;
+      expanded?: boolean;
+    }
+  >;
 };
 
 export type AppState = { data: Data; ui: UiState };