diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.js b/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.js
index d9c76846ca9..05b2e7d6993 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.js
@@ -23,18 +23,31 @@ DeleteExportListDialog.template = "web.DeleteExportListDialog";
 class ExportDataItem extends Component {
     setup() {
         this.state = useState({
-            isExpanded: this.subFields.length > 0 && this.props.isExpanded,
+            subfields: [],
+        });
+        onWillStart(() => {
+            if (this.props.isExpanded) {
+                // automatically expand the item when subfields are already loaded
+                // and display subfields that match the search string
+                return this.toggleItem(this.props.field.id, false);
+            }
         });
     }
 
-    get subFields() {
-        return this.props.getSubFields(this.props.field.id);
-    }
-
-    async loadExpandedContent(id) {
+    async toggleItem(id, isUserToggle) {
         if (this.props.isFieldExpandable(id)) {
-            await this.props.onToggleExpandField(id);
-            this.state.isExpanded = !this.state.isExpanded;
+            if (this.state.subfields.length) {
+                this.state.subfields = [];
+            } else {
+                const subfields = await this.props.loadFields(id, !isUserToggle);
+                if (subfields) {
+                    this.state.subfields = isUserToggle
+                        ? subfields
+                        : this.props.filterSubfields(subfields);
+                } else {
+                    this.state.subfields = [];
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -53,13 +66,12 @@ ExportDataItem.components = { ExportDataItem };
 ExportDataItem.props = {
     exportList: { type: Object, optional: true },
     field: { type: Object, optional: true },
-    getSubFields: Function,
+    filterSubfields: Function,
     isDebug: Boolean,
     isExpanded: Boolean,
     isFieldExpandable: Function,
     onAdd: Function,
-    onToggleExpandField: Function,
-    search: Array,
+    loadFields: Function,
 };
 
 export class ExportDataDialog extends Component {
@@ -164,17 +176,20 @@ export class ExportDataDialog extends Component {
         return this.fieldsAvailable.filter(({ parent }) => !parent);
     }
 
-    getSubFields(id) {
+    filterSubfields(subfields) {
         let subfieldsFromSearchResults = [];
-        const fieldsAvailable = this.fieldsAvailable;
-        const expandedFields = (this.expandedFields[id] && this.expandedFields[id].fields) || [];
+        let searchResults;
+        if (this.searchRef.el && this.searchRef.el.value) {
+            searchResults = this.lookup(this.searchRef.el.value);
+        }
+        const fieldsAvailable = Object.values(searchResults || this.knownFields);
         if (this.searchRef.el && this.searchRef.el.value) {
             subfieldsFromSearchResults = fieldsAvailable
                 .filter((f) => f.parent && this.knownFields[f.parent.id].parent)
                 .map((f) => f.parent);
         }
         const availableSubFields = unique([...fieldsAvailable, ...subfieldsFromSearchResults]);
-        return expandedFields.filter((a) => availableSubFields.some((b) => a.id === b.id));
+        return subfields.filter((a) => availableSubFields.some((b) => a.id === b.id));
     }
 
     updateSize() {
@@ -225,7 +240,7 @@ export class ExportDataDialog extends Component {
         });
     }
 
-    async loadFields(id) {
+    async loadFields(id, preventLoad = false) {
         let model = this.props.root.resModel;
         let parentField, parentParams;
         if (id) {
@@ -243,6 +258,9 @@ export class ExportDataDialog extends Component {
                 exclude: [parentField.relation_field],
             };
         }
+        if (preventLoad) {
+            return;
+        }
         const fields = await this.props.getExportedFields(
             model,
             this.state.isCompatible,
@@ -349,22 +367,27 @@ export class ExportDataDialog extends Component {
         });
     }
 
-    async onSearch(ev) {
-        this.state.search = fuzzyLookup(
-            ev.target.value,
+    onSearch(ev) {
+        this.state.search = this.lookup(ev.target.value);
+    }
+
+    lookup(value) {
+        let lookupResult = fuzzyLookup(
+            value,
             Object.values(this.knownFields),
             // because fuzzyLookup gives an higher score if the string starts with the pattern,
             // reversing the string makes the search more reliable in this context
-            (field) => field.id.split("/").reverse().join("/")
+            (field) => field.string.split("/").reverse().join("/")
         );
         if (this.isDebug) {
-            this.state.search = unique([
-                ...this.state.search,
+            lookupResult = unique([
+                ...lookupResult,
                 ...Object.values(this.knownFields).filter((f) => {
-                    return f.id.includes(ev.target.value);
+                    return f.id.includes(value);
                 }),
             ]);
         }
+        return lookupResult;
     }
 
     onToggleCompatibleExport(value) {
@@ -372,10 +395,6 @@ export class ExportDataDialog extends Component {
         this.fetchFields();
     }
 
-    onToggleExpandField(id) {
-        return this.loadFields(id);
-    }
-
     async setDefaultExportList() {
         this.state.exportList = Object.values(this.knownFields).filter(
             (e) => e.default_export || this.props.defaultExportList.find((i) => i.name === e.id)
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.xml b/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.xml
index 4bf9a887320..a166b32de00 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.xml
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog.xml
@@ -12,21 +12,19 @@
     </t>
 
     <t t-name="web.ExportDataItem" owl="1">
-        <div t-att-data-field_id="props.field.id" t-attf-class="o_export_tree_item cursor-pointer position-relative ps-4 {{ state.isExpanded ? 'o_expanded mb-2' : '' }} {{ props.field.parent ? '' : 'pe-3'}}" role="treeitem" t-on-click.stop="() => this.loadExpandedContent(props.field.id)" t-on-dblclick="() => this.onDoubleClick(props.field.id)">
+        <div t-att-data-field_id="props.field.id" t-attf-class="o_export_tree_item cursor-pointer position-relative ps-4 {{ state.subfields.length ? 'o_expanded mb-2' : '' }} {{ props.field.parent ? '' : 'pe-3'}}" role="treeitem" t-on-click.stop="() => this.toggleItem(props.field.id, true)" t-on-dblclick="() => this.onDoubleClick(props.field.id)">
             <div t-attf-class="o_tree_column d-flex align-items-center {{ props.field.required ? 'fw-bolder' : ''}}">
-                <span t-if="props.isFieldExpandable(props.field.id)" t-attf-class="ms-n3 float-start o_expand_parent small oi {{ state.isExpanded ? 'oi-chevron-down' : 'oi-chevron-right' }}" role="img" aria-label="Show sub-fields" title="Show sub-fields" />
+                <span t-if="props.isFieldExpandable(props.field.id)" t-attf-class="ms-n3 float-start o_expand_parent small oi {{ state.subfields.length ? 'oi-chevron-down' : 'oi-chevron-right' }}" role="img" aria-label="Show sub-fields" title="Show sub-fields" />
                 <span t-if="props.isDebug and props.field.id" class="overflow-hidden w-100" t-esc="`${props.field.string} (${props.field.id})`" />
                 <span t-else="" class="overflow-hidden w-100" t-esc="props.field.string" />
                 <span title="Select field" t-attf-class="fa fa-plus float-end m-1 o_add_field {{ isFieldSelected(props.field.id) ? 'o_inactive opacity-25' : '' }}" t-on-click.stop="(ev) => !this.isFieldSelected(this.props.field.id) and this.props.onAdd(this.props.field.id)" />
             </div>
-            <t t-if="state.isExpanded">
-                <t t-foreach="subFields" t-as="field" t-key="field.id">
+                <t t-foreach="state.subfields" t-as="field" t-key="field.id">
                     <ExportDataItem
                         t-props="props"
                         field="field"
                     />
                 </t>
-            </t>
         </div>
     </t>
 
@@ -48,13 +46,12 @@
                                     <ExportDataItem
                                         exportList="state.exportList"
                                         field="field"
-                                        getSubFields.bind="getSubFields"
+                                        filterSubfields.bind="filterSubfields"
                                         isFieldExpandable.bind="isFieldExpandable"
                                         isDebug="isDebug"
                                         isExpanded="state.search.length > 0"
-                                        onToggleExpandField.bind="onToggleExpandField"
+                                        loadFields.bind="loadFields"
                                         onAdd.bind="onAddItemExportList"
-                                        search="state.search"
                                     />
                                 </t>
                             </t>
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog_tests.js
index cd142117611..e9b920817f3 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/view_dialogs/export_data_dialog_tests.js
@@ -1135,9 +1135,7 @@ QUnit.module("ViewDialogs", (hooks) => {
         );
     });
 
-    QUnit.test("Export dialog: search in debug", async function (assert) {
-        patchWithCleanup(odoo, { debug: "1" });
-
+    QUnit.test("Export dialog: expand subfields after search", async function (assert) {
         await makeView({
             serverData,
             type: "list",
@@ -1163,8 +1161,57 @@ QUnit.module("ViewDialogs", (hooks) => {
         const firstField = target.querySelector(
             ".o_left_field_panel .o_export_tree_item:first-child"
         );
+        // show then hide content for the 'activity_ids' field.
+        // this will load subfields and make them available to search
         await click(firstField);
-        await click(firstField.querySelector(".o_export_tree_item"));
+        await click(firstField);
+        await editInput(target, ".o_export_search_input", "Attendants");
+        assert.containsOnce(
+            target,
+            ".o_export_tree_item[data-field_id='activity_ids/partner_ids']",
+            "subfield that was known has been found and is displayed"
+        );
+
+        await click(
+            target.querySelector(".o_export_tree_item[data-field_id='activity_ids/partner_ids']")
+        );
+        await nextTick();
+        // 'Company' should be shown even if the company_ids string doesn't match the search string
+        // since the toggle was done by the user to show subfields
+        assert.containsOnce(
+            target,
+            ".o_export_tree_item[data-field_id='activity_ids/partner_ids/company_ids']",
+            "subfield has been loaded and is displayed"
+        );
+    });
+
+    QUnit.test("Export dialog: search in debug", async function (assert) {
+        patchWithCleanup(odoo, { debug: "1" });
+
+        await makeView({
+            serverData,
+            type: "list",
+            resModel: "partner",
+            arch: `
+                <tree export_xlsx="1"><field name="foo"/></tree>`,
+            actionMenus: {},
+            mockRPC(route, args) {
+                if (route === "/web/export/formats") {
+                    return Promise.resolve([{ tag: "csv", label: "CSV" }]);
+                }
+                if (route === "/web/export/get_fields") {
+                    if (!args.parent_field) {
+                        return Promise.resolve(fetchedFields.root);
+                    }
+                    return Promise.resolve(fetchedFields[args.prefix]);
+                }
+            },
+        });
+
+        await openExportDataDialog();
+
+        await click(target.querySelector(".o_left_field_panel .o_export_tree_item:first-child"));
+        await click(target.querySelector(".o_export_tree_item:first-child .o_export_tree_item"));
         await editInput(target, ".o_export_search_input", "company_ids");
         assert.containsOnce(
             target,