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You can customize WordPress’s TinyMCE editor with PHP filters, per-editor settings, and—when needed—a JavaScript plugin. Use mce_buttons through mce_buttons_4 to add or remove toolbar controls, tiny_mce_before_init to change editor options, and wp_editor() to configure a specific editor instance. The critical detail is scope: WordPress passes an editor ID, so a change can target the main post editor, the Classic block, or a custom metabox instead of every editor on the site.
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How WordPress exposes TinyMCE customization
TinyMCE is the Visual editor used by WordPress in the main post editor, the Classic block, and many custom admin screens. WordPress builds each instance from an initialization array, a toolbar-button list, and a set of loaded plugins. Filters let you modify those pieces before the editor is created.
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| Need | API or hook | What it changes | Typical implementation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add or remove toolbar controls | mce_buttons, mce_buttons_2, mce_buttons_3, mce_buttons_4 |
The button names and order in rows one through four of the Visual toolbar | PHP filter only |
| Change an editor option | tiny_mce_before_init |
Initialization values such as block formats and other TinyMCE settings | PHP filter, usually scoped by editor ID |
| Load a JavaScript TinyMCE plugin | mce_external_plugins |
The external plugin name and JavaScript URL | PHP registration plus JavaScript |
| Alter the general plugin list | tiny_mce_plugins |
Plugins WordPress includes when assembling the editor | PHP filter; use only when you understand the resulting dependencies |
| Render a separately configured editor | wp_editor() |
One editor’s content, ID, textarea name, rows, media controls, and related settings | PHP where the metabox or admin screen is rendered |
TinyMCE toolbar settings are ordered lists: the array sequence determines the left-to-right order of controls. A button cannot work merely because its name is in a toolbar array; the corresponding TinyMCE plugin must also be loaded.
Prepare safely before changing the editor
- Work in a staging site or make a backup. A malformed PHP callback can prevent the administration area from loading, and an invalid editor setting can affect every post-editing screen.
- Use a site-specific plugin or a child-theme functions file. Do not edit WordPress core. A small plugin keeps the customization independent of a theme switch.
- Identify the editor ID. The normal post editor uses
content. The Classic block usesclassic-block. A custom call towp_editor()uses the ID you supply. - Confirm the button slug. Toolbar arrays contain TinyMCE control names such as
wp_more,fullscreen, orunderline, not the visible label translated to your language. - Plan for other plugins. Multiple callbacks can append, remove, or reorder the same button. Keep your callback narrow and return the incoming array or initialization values when your condition is not met.
Add and remove buttons from the toolbar
Remove controls from the first row
The mce_buttons filter receives the first-row button array and the editor ID. This example removes the More tag and Fullscreen controls only from the main post editor:
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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 array after removal. If you want the controls removed from another editor, change the ID check deliberately rather than deleting the check.
Add a control to the second row
Use mce_buttons_2 for the second Visual-toolbar row. The callback below adds Underline to the main editor while leaving other instances unchanged:
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if ( 'content' === $editor_id ) {
$buttons[] = 'underline';
}
return $buttons;
}, 10, 2 );Appending places the new control after the existing second-row buttons. To position it elsewhere, build a new ordered array or insert it at a known index, but preserve unknown buttons supplied by WordPress and other plugins unless you intentionally want to replace the row.
Use the third and fourth rows when they exist
mce_buttons_3 and mce_buttons_4 target the third and fourth rows. Many WordPress installations do not display all four rows by default, so adding a button to row three or four may have no visible effect if that row is not enabled by the active editor configuration. The same callback pattern applies:
add_filter( 'mce_buttons_3', function( $buttons, $editor_id ) {
if ( 'content' === $editor_id ) {
$buttons[] = 'mybutton';
}
return $buttons;
}, 10, 2 );Use a row filter for membership and ordering only. If the change concerns a menu, formatting rule, URL behavior, or another TinyMCE option, use tiny_mce_before_init instead.
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Understand toolbar names and ordering
A toolbar array is not a list of labels. It contains registered TinyMCE button identifiers. Core controls and controls supplied by plugins have different names, and a name is case-sensitive. If a button appears as text, does nothing, or disappears after another plugin loads, inspect whether its plugin is present and whether a later callback changed the array.
Change TinyMCE initialization settings
The tiny_mce_before_init filter is for configuration values rather than toolbar membership. WordPress passes the initialization array and editor ID. Modify only the value you need and return the rest unchanged.
Limit the block-format menu
This example changes the format dropdown for the main editor so it offers Paragraph, Heading 2, and Heading 3:
add_filter( 'tiny_mce_before_init', function( $init, $editor_id ) {
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. The label is what authors see; the element after the equals sign is what TinyMCE inserts. If you need a different format set in another editor, branch on its ID instead of changing the value globally.
Preserve WordPress’s normal cleanup behavior
WordPress merges custom values into its editor defaults and applies cleanup rules for allowed and disallowed elements. Do not replace the entire initialization array, and do not remove cleanup settings simply to make a custom tag appear. Change those rules only when you have a specific requirement, understand the security implications, and have tested saved content in both Visual and Text or Code modes.
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Configure one editor with wp_editor()
For a custom metabox or admin screen, call wp_editor( $content, $editor_id, $settings ) where the editor should be rendered. The ID must be unique on the page and should not contain square brackets. Use a distinct textarea_name for the submitted field.
wp_editor(
$content,
'summary_editor',
array(
'textarea_name' => 'summary',
'media_buttons' => false,
'teeny' => false,
'textarea_rows' => 12,
)
);Important wp_editor() settings
| Setting | Effect | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
wpautop |
Controls WordPress paragraph and line-break formatting | Set only when you understand how automatic paragraphs affect the stored content |
media_buttons |
Shows or hides the Add Media controls above the editor | Set false for fields that should contain text only |
default_editor |
Selects the initial Visual or Text editor mode | Use when a particular workflow requires one mode on opening |
drag_drop_upload |
Enables or disables drag-and-drop uploads | Disable it for fields that must not accept media uploads |
textarea_name |
Sets the form field name submitted with the page | Always provide a distinct, predictable name for custom fields |
textarea_rows |
Sets the approximate number of visible text rows | Choose a height appropriate to the field’s expected content |
teeny |
Requests a reduced toolbar configuration | Use for deliberately minimal editors; do not combine it with assumptions about the full toolbar |
When several editors appear on one screen, give every instance a unique ID. Reusing an ID can cause initialization scripts to target the wrong textarea or leave one editor uninitialized.
Build a custom TinyMCE button
A custom button has two parts: PHP registers a JavaScript plugin and adds the button name to a toolbar; JavaScript registers that plugin with TinyMCE and defines what the control does.
Register the external plugin and toolbar button
Place this PHP in a site plugin or another update-safe location. The callback is scoped to the main post editor:
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 used by the JavaScript registration and the button name added to the toolbar. plugins_url( 'mybutton.js', __FILE__ ) produces a URL relative to the plugin file, so the script can move with the plugin rather than being hard-coded to a domain.
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Implement the button in JavaScript
A classic TinyMCE API implementation can register a button and insert content at the current caret position:
(function() {
tinymce.PluginManager.add('mybutton', function(editor) {
editor.addButton('mybutton', {
text: 'Insert note',
icon: false,
onclick: function() {
editor.insertContent('<span class="game-note">Add your note</span>');
}
});
});
})();The JavaScript API available in the active WordPress and TinyMCE versions determines whether editor.addButton() or a newer UI-registration method is appropriate. Check the bundled TinyMCE build before shipping a plugin, and escape or sanitize any user-provided value before inserting it. The example inserts a fixed span; it does not create a secure editor for arbitrary HTML.
Keep plugin loading and toolbar registration together
Registering an external plugin without adding its button loads code that authors cannot reach. Adding a button name without loading its plugin creates a toolbar entry that TinyMCE cannot implement. Test both halves in the same editor instance, then check the browser console for JavaScript errors if the control is missing.
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The tiny_mce_plugins filter changes the plugin list WordPress assembles for TinyMCE. It is broader and more fragile than mce_external_plugins, because removing or replacing a plugin can affect controls, formats, and behavior that other code expects. For a new custom button, prefer mce_external_plugins plus a matching mce_buttons entry. Use tiny_mce_plugins only when the requirement is specifically to alter the general loaded-plugin list and you have tested all dependent controls.
Make changes work in the Classic block
The block editor’s Classic block initializes TinyMCE with the editor ID classic-block, not content. A callback that checks only for content will therefore affect the main post editor but not Classic blocks.
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add_filter( 'mce_buttons', function( $buttons, $editor_id ) {
if ( in_array( $editor_id, array( 'content', 'classic-block' ), true ) ) {
$buttons[] = 'underline';
}
return $buttons;
}, 10, 2 );Use the same deliberate branching for mce_buttons_2, tiny_mce_before_init, and mce_external_plugins when both contexts need the feature. If a custom editor created with wp_editor() also needs it, add that editor’s unique ID to the condition. Do not assume that a change visible in one context automatically propagates to the others.
Choose the right customization method
| Goal | Scope | Code required | Maintenance considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hide or reorder an existing control | One or more editor IDs | PHP filter on the relevant mce_buttons* row |
Button names and row availability can vary with WordPress and other plugins |
| Change formats or another TinyMCE option | One or more editor IDs | PHP filter on tiny_mce_before_init |
Preserve WordPress defaults and test generated HTML |
| Add a new command | Selected editor IDs | PHP plus JavaScript via mce_external_plugins and mce_buttons |
Keep the script compatible with the active TinyMCE build and handle security |
| Provide a special metabox editor | One explicit instance | wp_editor() settings, optionally combined with filters |
IDs and textarea names must be unique; multiple instances need separate testing |
| Alter the global plugin set | Every TinyMCE instance reached by the filter | tiny_mce_plugins |
Highest compatibility risk because other controls may depend on removed plugins |
Verify the result and diagnose failures
- Test in staging first. Open the post editor, a page editor, and any custom screen that uses TinyMCE.
- Check the exact context. Confirm whether the failing editor ID is
content,classic-block, or your custom ID. Add a branch for each context that should receive the change. - Inspect every toolbar row. A button added to
mce_buttons_2will not appear in row one. A row that is not rendered cannot display its controls. - Check the browser console and network panel. A 404 for the external JavaScript file, a syntax error, or a plugin-registration error prevents a custom button from appearing.
- Confirm the names match. The key in
mce_external_plugins, the name passed totinymce.PluginManager.add(), and the toolbar button name must agree. - Switch between Visual and Text or Code modes. Save a test post after switching and inspect whether the resulting HTML is valid. A toolbar control can appear correctly while inserting markup that WordPress later cleans or transforms.
- Temporarily disable competing customizations. If another plugin or theme callback runs later, it may remove your button or overwrite an initialization value. Adjust hook priority only after identifying the conflict.
- Clear stale assets and reload. Browser caching or an asset-cache layer can serve an older JavaScript file. Reload the editor after confirming the current script URL.
Button is absent but PHP runs
First verify the editor ID and the row filter. Then determine whether the button is a core control or belongs to a plugin. If it is custom, confirm both plugin registration and toolbar registration. A correct PHP callback cannot create a button whose JavaScript plugin failed to load.
Button appears but clicking it does nothing
Open the console for JavaScript exceptions, check that the plugin callback registered the same name, and verify that the handler uses the TinyMCE API supported by the active build. If the handler inserts HTML, test with a simple fixed string before adding dialogs, network requests, or user input.
Formatting disappears after saving
Inspect the saved HTML in Text or Code mode and review the initialization and cleanup settings. WordPress may remove elements or attributes that are not allowed by the current configuration. Change cleanup rules only for a defined requirement and test the result with users who have the same role and editor permissions.
Maintain customizations across WordPress updates
- Keep callbacks small and conditional. Return the original value immediately for unrelated editor IDs.
- Document the reason for each button and setting. Future maintainers can remove obsolete code instead of stacking duplicate filters.
- Retest after WordPress or TinyMCE updates. The documented hook names remain the integration points, but the bundled TinyMCE build, default buttons, and JavaScript APIs can change.
- Test with the plugins that modify the editor. Toolbar order and plugin loading are shared surfaces; compatibility depends on the complete active stack, not your callback alone.
- Keep JavaScript version-aware. Use the API supported by the TinyMCE build bundled with the WordPress version you support, and avoid assuming that an example written for another build will work unchanged.
- Review permissions and output. A custom button that inserts HTML must not bypass WordPress’s normal sanitization or expose untrusted input to authors without the required capability.
The Bottom Line
Use the narrowest hook that matches the job: mce_buttons* for toolbar rows, tiny_mce_before_init for settings, wp_editor() for one rendered instance, and mce_external_plugins plus JavaScript for a genuinely new button.
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