What is Visual Editor in WordPress?

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Understanding the WordPress Visual Editor

In the realm of WordPress, the post editing interface is equipped with two distinct editors: the Visual Editor and the Text Editor. The former offers a user-friendly, rich text environment for crafting posts.

What is a WYSIWYG Editor?

WYSIWYG, an acronym for “what you see is what you get,” describes a type of editor that accurately reflects the final appearance of content during the editing process. This approach is similar to that of popular word processors like Microsoft Word and Apple Pages.

WordPress and TinyMCE: A Perfect Match

WordPress enhances the editing experience by incorporating a customized version of TinyMCE, a widely-used open-source HTML editor that operates under the WYSIWYG principle. This integration brings familiar desktop publishing functionalities to the WordPress environment, complete with a feature-rich toolbar for content formatting.

Effortless Content Formatting

With the Visual Editor, HTML coding is unnecessary for post creation. Users can effortlessly format their text, insert images, and align content using intuitive toolbar buttons. The editor displays images directly within the workspace, simplifying the process of text and image alignment.

Toolbar Features and Media Integration

The toolbar, visible in the accompanying image, boasts a variety of formatting tools. Users can embolden text, italicize phrases, organize paragraphs, insert quotations, and perform spell checks. Additionally, the “add media” button simplifies the inclusion of images and other media types in posts. The option to switch between Visual and Text Editor modes is conveniently located within the toolbar.

Customization and Extensibility

TinyMCE’s flexibility allows for customization by WordPress plugin developers, who can add bespoke buttons to the Visual Editor’s toolbar. Moreover, themes can introduce their own styles to the editor, ensuring consistency with the site’s live appearance.

Expand Your WordPress Knowledge

  • Learn how to preset content in your WordPress editor
  • Discover the ins and outs of the WordPress Theme Editor
  • Explore the functionalities of the WordPress Plugin Editor

For those looking to delve deeper into WordPress’s capabilities, the links provided offer a wealth of information on various related topics.