The Tool Desk
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How WordPress exposes TinyMCE
TinyMCE is the Visual editor used by WordPress in places that still provide a classic editing surface. WordPress builds each editor from an initialization array and several filterable button and plugin lists. A filter receives the current value, and most editor filters also receive the editor ID. That second argument is the key to safe, targeted customization.
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| Hook or API | What it changes | Typical use | Implementation |
|---|---|---|---|
mce_buttons |
First toolbar row | Remove core controls or add a registered button | PHP filter |
mce_buttons_2 |
Second toolbar row | Add formatting controls such as underline | PHP filter |
mce_buttons_3 |
Third toolbar row | Place less-used controls on row three | PHP filter |
mce_buttons_4 |
Fourth toolbar row | Place additional controls on row four | PHP filter |
tiny_mce_before_init |
Initialization values | Change block formats or another TinyMCE option | PHP filter |
tiny_mce_plugins |
Built-in TinyMCE plugin list | Adjust which bundled plugins are initialized | PHP filter |
mce_external_plugins |
External JavaScript plugins | Load your own plugin file | PHP filter plus JavaScript |
wp_editor() |
One rendered editor instance | Configure a metabox or custom admin screen | PHP function and settings array |
TinyMCE treats a toolbar list as an ordered list. The order in the filtered array is the order WordPress passes to TinyMCE, so adding a name at the end places that control after the existing controls in that row. A button name does not create functionality by itself: built-in names map to controls already known to the active TinyMCE build, while a new name must be supplied by a plugin.
Prepare a safe customization
- Back up the site or test on staging before changing editor filters.
- Put production snippets in a small site-specific plugin rather than editing WordPress core. A theme’s functions file can work, but the customization then disappears when the theme changes.
- Confirm the editor context and its ID. The normal post editor uses
content; the Classic block usesclassic-block; a customwp_editor()call uses the ID you supply. - Keep callbacks narrow. Return the original array or initialization values immediately when the ID is not the one you intend to change.
- Test both Visual and Text or Code modes where both are available, then save a real post and inspect the resulting markup.
Remove or add toolbar buttons
Remove controls from the first row
The first-row filter receives the existing button names. This example removes the More and Fullscreen controls from the editor whose ID is content:
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add_filter( 'mce_buttons', function( $buttons, $editor_id ) {
if ( 'content' !== $editor_id ) {
return $buttons;
}
return array_values( array_diff( $buttons, array( 'wp_more', 'fullscreen' ) ) );
}, 10, 2 );array_diff() removes matching names without disturbing the other controls. array_values() reindexes the result, which avoids gaps in the numeric keys. If another plugin adds one of these buttons later in the filter sequence, filter priority determines which callback runs last; coordinate priorities when a conflict matters.
Add a built-in control to another row
To add a control that the active TinyMCE build already provides, append its button name to the appropriate row. The following adds underline to row two for the main post editor:
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add_filter( 'mce_buttons_2', function( $buttons, $editor_id ) {
if ( 'content' === $editor_id ) {
$buttons[] = 'underline';
}
return $buttons;
}, 10, 2 );Use mce_buttons_2, mce_buttons_3, or mce_buttons_4 in the same way when you want a control on a later row. The row filters represent the four toolbar rows; they do not define a new button’s behavior. If the name is unknown to TinyMCE, WordPress may render no usable control.
Control order and duplicates
Before appending, inspect the existing array if duplicate entries would be confusing. You can test with in_array() and append only when the name is absent. To move a known button, remove it with array_diff(), then insert it at the desired position with normal PHP array operations. Keep the final list limited to controls supported by the current WordPress and TinyMCE versions running on the site.
Change TinyMCE initialization settings
Use tiny_mce_before_init when the requirement concerns an editor option rather than toolbar membership. The callback receives an initialization array and the editor ID. WordPress merges your returned values into the editor configuration, so change only the key you need and return every other value untouched.
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Restrict the block-format menu
This example limits the format menu for the main content editor to Paragraph, Heading 2, and Heading 3:
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if ( 'content' === $editor_id ) {
$init['block_formats'] = 'Paragraph=p;Heading 2=h2;Heading 3=h3';
}
return $init;
}, 10, 2 );The value is a semicolon-separated list of labels and HTML elements. Keep the callback scoped to the intended editor; changing every TinyMCE instance can unexpectedly affect metaboxes or plugins that embed their own editors.
Preserve WordPress’s cleanup behavior
Initialization also includes cleanup and allowed-element rules. Do not replace those defaults wholesale when your actual goal is a format-menu change. Overriding cleanup options can allow markup that the site’s workflow, theme, or security policy does not expect. Alter allowed or disallowed elements only when you have a specific requirement and have tested the saved output in both editing modes.
Add a custom TinyMCE button
A custom button has two parts: PHP registers a JavaScript plugin and places the button name on a toolbar row; JavaScript registers that name with TinyMCE and defines what happens when the user activates it.
Register the external plugin and button in PHP
Place this code in a site plugin. It loads mybutton.js from the same directory as the PHP file and adds the button only to the main content editor:
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add_filter( 'mce_external_plugins', function( $plugins, $editor_id ) {
if ( 'content' === $editor_id ) {
$plugins['mybutton'] = plugins_url( 'mybutton.js', __FILE__ );
}
return $plugins;
}, 10, 2 );
add_filter( 'mce_buttons', function( $buttons, $editor_id ) {
if ( 'content' === $editor_id ) {
$buttons[] = 'mybutton';
}
return $buttons;
}, 10, 2 );The array key mybutton must match the plugin name registered in JavaScript and the button name added to the toolbar. The URL is generated with plugins_url(), so the file continues to resolve when the site’s plugin directory is moved.
Implement the button in JavaScript
Create mybutton.js beside the PHP file. This example inserts a paragraph with a class when clicked:
(function() {
tinymce.PluginManager.add( 'mybutton', function( editor ) {
editor.addButton( 'mybutton', {
text: 'Insert note',
icon: false,
onclick: function() {
editor.insertContent( '<p class="note">Your note</p>' );
}
} );
} );
})();The JavaScript must load without console errors, register the same plugin name, and use APIs supported by the TinyMCE build bundled with the WordPress version in use. A custom control can open a dialog, insert a shortcode, or transform the current selection, but each behavior belongs in JavaScript; PHP alone only changes the server-side lists.
When to use tiny_mce_plugins
tiny_mce_plugins filters the list of TinyMCE plugins WordPress initializes. It is useful when you need to adjust the bundled plugin list, while mce_external_plugins is the normal registration point for a file outside that bundle. Loading an external plugin without adding its button leaves the feature hidden, and adding a button without loading its plugin leaves TinyMCE without an implementation.
Configure a separate editor with wp_editor()
For a custom metabox or admin screen, configure that editor at render time instead of changing every editor globally. The first argument is the initial content, the second is a unique editor ID, and the third is a settings array.
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wp_editor(
$content,
'summary_editor',
array(
'textarea_name' => 'summary',
'media_buttons' => false,
'teeny' => false,
'textarea_rows' => 12,
)
);Choose the ID and field name carefully
The editor ID must be unique on the page and should not contain square brackets. Use a distinct textarea_name for the submitted field; the ID identifies the JavaScript editor instance, while the textarea name identifies the posted value. Reusing either one can make two editors interfere with each other or cause the wrong field to be saved.
Useful per-instance settings
| Setting | Effect | Decision to make |
|---|---|---|
wpautop |
Controls WordPress paragraph and line-break processing | Match the formatting expectations of the field |
media_buttons |
Shows or hides the Add Media control | Disable it for plain summaries or fields that should not accept media |
default_editor |
Selects the initial editing mode | Choose Visual or Text according to the workflow |
drag_drop_upload |
Controls drag-and-drop uploads | Enable only when the field should accept dropped files |
textarea_name |
Sets the submitted form field name | Use a unique, predictable name |
textarea_rows |
Sets the initial textarea height | Give longer content enough working space |
teeny |
Requests a reduced toolbar | Use for a deliberately minimal editor, then test which controls remain |
Global filters can still affect an editor rendered with wp_editor(). If a per-instance editor needs a different toolbar, branch the filters on its custom ID rather than assuming the global post-editor configuration will apply.
Account for the Classic block
The Classic block initializes TinyMCE with the editor ID classic-block. A callback that checks only for content will therefore skip Classic blocks. If the same change belongs in both contexts, explicitly allow both IDs:
add_filter( 'mce_buttons', function( $buttons, $editor_id ) {
if ( ! in_array( $editor_id, array( 'content', 'classic-block' ), true ) ) {
return $buttons;
}
return array_values( array_diff( $buttons, array( 'fullscreen' ) ) );
}, 10, 2 );If the behavior should differ, use separate branches and separate button lists. Test a post editor, a newly inserted Classic block, and an existing post containing Classic blocks; they can initialize at different times and expose different surrounding controls.
Choose the right customization method
| Need | Best starting point | Scope control | Code required | Main maintenance concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove or reorder an existing control | mce_buttons through mce_buttons_4 |
Editor ID passed to the filter | PHP | Other plugins may add the control later or change its name |
| Change a format menu or another option | tiny_mce_before_init |
Editor ID and individual initialization keys | PHP | Replacing defaults can alter cleanup and saved markup |
| Expose a new action | mce_external_plugins plus a toolbar filter |
Editor ID, plugin key, and button name | PHP and JavaScript | TinyMCE API compatibility and script errors |
| Build a self-contained metabox editor | wp_editor() |
Unique ID and settings array | PHP, with filters if needed | Duplicate IDs, incorrect field names, and global filters |
| Adjust bundled plugin loading | tiny_mce_plugins |
Usually all matching instances unless you branch elsewhere | PHP | Removing a dependency can make an existing button unavailable |
Test and troubleshoot systematically
The button does not appear
- Confirm the callback receives the editor ID you tested. Log or inspect the value during development instead of guessing.
- Check that the button name is in the intended row array and is not being removed by a later filter.
- For a custom button, verify that the external-plugin key, JavaScript registration name, and toolbar button name are identical.
- Open the browser console and fix JavaScript syntax, loading, or API errors before testing the toolbar again.
- Check whether the control is hidden by the current screen width or by a compact toolbar configuration.
The wrong editors change
Broadened callbacks are the usual cause. Compare the actual ID with the condition in every filter, including classic-block and IDs created by wp_editor(). Return the untouched value for every unrelated ID.
Formatting disappears after switching modes
Save a test post, switch between Visual and Text or Code modes, and inspect the stored HTML. A cleanup or allowed-element override may be stripping the markup. Remove unnecessary initialization overrides, then add only the specific element or attribute rule required by the content model.
Two editors interfere with one another
Give each wp_editor() instance a unique ID and a distinct textarea_name. Duplicate IDs can cause TinyMCE to attach to the wrong textarea, while duplicate field names can overwrite submitted values even when both editors look correct.
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A plugin update changes the toolbar
Toolbar arrays are shared extension points. Another plugin can add, remove, or reorder names, and the active WordPress release can update the bundled TinyMCE build. Use explicit priorities only when necessary, avoid assumptions about an undocumented default order, and retest after WordPress, theme, or editor-plugin updates.
Deployment checklist
- Back up the database and files, or reproduce the change on staging.
- Put the PHP in a site plugin and keep the JavaScript file version-controlled with it.
- Identify every editor that should change: main content, Classic block, custom IDs, or all instances.
- Choose the narrowest hook: toolbar filter, initialization filter, plugin loader, or
wp_editor()settings. - Preserve the incoming arrays and initialization keys you are not deliberately changing.
- Test the Visual and Text or Code interfaces, media behavior, drag-and-drop behavior, and saved markup.
- Check the browser console and network panel for failed JavaScript files.
- Retest after updates to WordPress, the active theme, TinyMCE-related plugins, or your custom plugin.
With those boundaries in place, TinyMCE customization remains predictable: PHP controls which rows and plugins are available, JavaScript supplies genuinely new behavior, and editor IDs keep each change confined to the workflow that needs it.
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