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Building Robust Software with Froala HTML Editor: Understanding Its Modular Architecture

Imagine building a house using Lego bricks. Each brick has its own shape and function, but when connected, they form walls, rooms, and entire structures. Now, imagine being able to swap out one section—like the kitchen—without tearing down the whole house. That’s the power of modular architecture in software development.

In programming, modular architecture works the same way. It’s a smart, flexible method of building software by breaking it down into small, self-contained pieces—called modules or plugins—that work independently but fit together perfectly. This makes the software more robust, scalable, and easier to maintain.

Unlike traditional monolithic systems, where everything is bundled into one tightly connected structure, modular systems give developers the freedom to build, deploy, and scale parts independently. This approach brings speed, flexibility, and innovation to the table.

One tool that beautifully demonstrates this architecture is the Froala HTML Editor. As a powerful React WYSIWYG editor, Froala showcases how modular design can create a lightweight yet extensible editing experience.

So, are you ready to dive into the world of modular architecture and explore how Froala brings this concept to life? Let’s begin this exciting journey together.

Froala Modular Architecture

Key Components of Modular Architecture

The success of a modular architecture heavily relies on its key components. These components play a crucial role in creating a system that is flexible, maintainable, and scalable. In this section, we will explore the main components of modular architecture and understand their significance in the overall design.

Module: 

A module is a self-contained unit of code that encapsulates a specific functionality or a set of related functionalities. It acts as a building block within a modular architecture. Modules are designed to be independent and reusable, allowing developers to easily add, remove, or replace them without affecting the rest of the system. By dividing the codebase into modular units, it becomes easier to manage and maintain the software.

Interface: 

An interface defines a contract or a set of rules that determine how different modules can interact with each other. It serves as a communication channel between modules, enabling them to exchange data and invoke each other’s functionalities. By using interfaces, modules can interact with one another without having to know the specific implementations behind them. This promotes loose coupling and allows for better flexibility and extensibility.

Dependency Injection: 

Dependency injection is a design pattern used in modular architecture to manage the dependencies between modules. It involves injecting the required dependencies into a module from an external source, rather than the module creating the dependencies itself. This approach decouples modules from their dependencies and allows for easier testing, as dependencies can be easily mocked or replaced. Dependency injection also promotes reusability, as modules can be easily reused in different contexts by providing different implementations of their dependencies.

Loose Coupling: 

Loose coupling refers to the degree of dependency between modules in a modular architecture. In a loosely coupled system, modules are designed to have minimal knowledge of each other’s internal workings. They interact through well-defined interfaces and have limited dependencies on each other. This reduces the impact of changes in one module on the rest of the system, making it easier to modify, replace, or update individual modules without affecting the entire application. Loose coupling promotes flexibility, maintainability, and scalability in modular architectures.

By understanding and leveraging these key components of modular architecture, developers can build software systems that are modular, reusable, and easy to maintain.

Advantages of Modular Architecture

Let’s dive in and explore the advantages of modular architecture.

  1. Increased code reusability and maintainability:
    • Modular architecture promotes the development of reusable modules, which can be easily integrated into different projects. This reduces redundant code and improves code maintainability.
    • By separating functionality into distinct modules, developers can modify or update specific modules without affecting the entire system. This makes maintenance and bug fixes more efficient.
  2. Improved scalability and flexibility:
    • Modular architecture allows for the addition or removal of modules without impacting the entire system. This enables developers to scale their applications by adding new features or modifying existing ones without disrupting the overall structure.
    • With modular architecture, it becomes easier to adapt to changing requirements or integrate with external systems. Developers can replace or upgrade modules independently, ensuring the system remains flexible and adaptable.
  3. Ease of testing and debugging:
    • Modular architecture enables isolated testing of individual modules, making it easier to identify and fix issues. Testing can be focused on specific modules, reducing the scope and complexity of test cases.
    • By decoupling modules through well-defined interfaces, it becomes simpler to mock or stub dependencies during testing. This improves testability and helps uncover bugs early in the development process.
  4. Enhanced collaboration among developers:
    • The modular architecture facilitates collaborative development by enabling teams to work on different modules simultaneously. This allows for parallel development and reduces dependencies between developers.
    • With well-defined interfaces and clear module boundaries, teams can establish contracts and communicate effectively. Changes to one module can be implemented without affecting others, minimizing conflicts and enhancing collaboration.

Case Study: Froala Rich Text Editor as an Example of Modular Architecture

Froala, a rich text editor, demonstrates the benefits of modular architecture in practice. Froala utilizes a modular architecture by separating its various features into distinct modules called plugins. Froala has over 35 plugins to choose from, each providing a specific functionality such as image editing, table creation, and code highlighting.

Here is the complete list of Froala plugins:

This modular approach allows Froala to easily add or remove features, maintain code cleanliness, and improve overall system performance. For example, if you don’t plan on using the editor in Fullscreen mode, you can disable the Fullscreen plugin and instead of using the “froala.pkgd” files, include only the necessary JavaScript and stylesheet files for the core editor and used plugins in your application. This will reduce the app’s size and improve your app’s loading speed.

<!-- the editor core files -->
<link href="node_modules/froala-editor/css/froala_editor.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="node_modules/froala-editor/js/froala_editor.min.js"></script>

<!-- the Align plugin script -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="node_modules/froala-editor/js/plugins/align.min.js"></script>

<!-- the Char Counter Plugin files -->
<link href="node_modules/froala-editor/css/plugins/char_counter.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="node_modules/froala-editor/js/plugins/char_counter.min.js"></script>

Instead of

<!-- the editor pkgd files which loads all the editor plugins -->
<link href="node_modules/froala-editor/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="node_modules/froala-editor/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>

The modular architecture of Froala allows you to selectively load included plugins in the editor using the pluginsEnabled API option.

new FroalaEditor('.selector', {

  pluginsEnabled: ['align']

});

By leveraging modular architecture, Froala gains the advantages of increased code reusability, maintainability, scalability, flexibility, ease of testing, debugging, and enhanced collaboration.

Froala Custom Plugins

The modular architecture of Froala allows developers to create their own plugins and add them to the editor. This customization feature enables developers to extend the functionality of Froala according to their specific needs.

Creating a custom plugin involves defining the plugin’s functionality, integrating it with the Froala editor, and implementing any necessary UI components or behavior. Once the custom plugin is created, it can be added to the editor by including its JavaScript and stylesheet files in the application and adding its name to the pluginsEnabled API option.

The Froala custom plugin uses the following structure.

(function (FroalaEditor) {
  // Add an option for your plugin.
  FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS = Object.assign(FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS, {
    myOption: false
  });

  // Define the plugin.
  // The editor parameter is the current instance.
  FroalaEditor.PLUGINS.myPlugin = function (editor) {
    // Private variable visible only inside the plugin scope.
    var private_var = 'My awesome plugin';

    // Private method that is visible only inside plugin scope.
    function _privateMethod () {
      console.log (private_var);
    }

    // Public method that is visible in the instance scope.
    function publicMethod () {
      console.log (_privateMethod());
    }

    // The start point for your plugin.
    function _init () {
      // You can access any option from documentation or your custom options.
      console.log (editor.opts.myOption)

      // Call any method from documentation.
      // editor.methodName(params);

      // You can listen to any event from documentation.
      // editor.events.add('contentChanged', function (params) {});
    }

    // Expose public methods. If _init is not public then the plugin won't be initialized.
    // Public method can be accessed through the editor API:
    // editor.myPlugin.publicMethod();
    return {
      _init: _init,
      publicMethod: publicMethod
    }
  }
})(FroalaEditor);

Froala’s modular architecture makes it easy to add and manage custom plugins alongside the existing plugins. This flexibility allows developers to tailor the editor to their requirements and build unique editing experiences.

Modular Architecture in Action: Beyond Froala

While Froala is a standout example, many leading software systems use modular architecture to boost performance, scalability, and maintainability. Here are two real-world examples that demonstrate its power:

Example 1: WordPress

WordPress, one of the world’s most popular CMS platforms, thrives because of its modular plugin system. Each plugin adds a specific feature—SEO optimization, contact forms, caching, or eCommerce (like WooCommerce)—without altering the core system. This allows developers to customize and extend functionality without touching the core code, ensuring easier maintenance, updates, and reduced chances of breaking the system.

Benefit: Users can build anything from a personal blog to a full-fledged online store using modular extensions—no major rewrites required.

Example 2: Microservices in Netflix

Netflix uses a microservices-based modular architecture to handle millions of global users daily. Instead of a single massive application, Netflix breaks functionality down into services like user authentication, movie recommendations, and playback. Each microservice is independently deployable, scalable, and replaceable.

Benefit: Teams can update or scale individual parts (e.g., recommendation engine) without affecting the rest of the platform—ensuring high availability and agility.

Modular vs. Monolithic Architecture: A Quick Comparison

To better understand why modular architecture is gaining popularity, it’s helpful to compare it directly with the traditional monolithic approach. The table below highlights the key differences between the two, making it clear how modular design offers flexibility, scalability, and ease of maintenance in modern software development.

Feature / Aspect Modular Architecture Monolithic Architecture
Structure Composed of independent modules or plugins Single, unified codebase
Development Modules can be developed and maintained separately Requires coordination across the entire system
Scalability Easily scalable—scale only the modules needed Scaling often requires duplicating the whole application
Deployment Modules can be deployed independently The full application must be deployed even for small changes
Flexibility High—modules can be swapped or updated without affecting others Low—tight coupling between components
Learning Curve Easier to understand per module Steeper due to the size and complexity of the system
Example Froala, WordPress, Netflix (via microservices) Traditional ERP systems, early-stage enterprise apps

Conclusion

Modular architecture allows developers to focus on individual modules, enabling faster development, easier testing, and seamless integration. This approach also promotes code reusability, reducing redundancy and improving overall efficiency, leading to more robust software systems.

The case of Froala further exemplifies how modular architecture can be successfully implemented to achieve these benefits. Froala’s modular architecture allows for easy addition and removal of features, improving code cleanliness and system performance. By selectively including plugins, the size and loading speed of the app can be optimized. The core editor and used plugin files can be included in the application, rather than the bundled files, to achieve this. The modular architecture also enables the enabling of specific plugins using the `pluginsEnabled` API option. This architecture provides advantages such as code reusability, maintainability, scalability, flexibility, and enhanced collaboration.

Create your own plugin now.

Introducing Advanced Find and Replace in Froala | A Better WYSIWYG Editor

I recently built a demo to show off what’s new in Froala editor 4.6. In fact, if you’ve seen the video I published, you’ll know we’re tackling a big challenge with our new advanced find and replace in a WYSIWYG editor. This is because professional content workflows often demand more precision than standard browser tools can offer.

For that reason, I’m excited to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how I built the demo. In this post, I’ll walk you through how this new plugin offers a significant upgrade for complex tasks. Ultimately, it gives developers fine-grained control over text manipulation.

Key Takeaways

  • Enhancing a Familiar Tool: This isn’t about replacing standard search, but rather enhancing it with the precision needed for professional editing, like case sensitivity and whole-word matching.
  • Full Programmatic Control: The new plugin gives developers complete control through a rich API. This allows you to find, navigate, and replace text programmatically.
  • Dynamic Configuration: You can also configure the plugin on initialization. This lets you set default behaviors to match your application’s needs.
  • Event-Driven Architecture: Additionally, the plugin fires events before and after actions. This allows you to hook in your own custom logic, like showing a confirmation dialog or saving the document.
  • Precision for Professional Work: The plugin makes it possible to perform delicate operations. These are crucial for brand consistency, technical accuracy, and legal documents.

Why Your Web App Needs an Efficient Text Correction Tool

For most day-to-day tasks, standard find and replace is perfect. However, when you’re working with complex documents inside a rich text editor, the stakes are higher. For a developer or content manager, for instance, the integrity of the document is everything.

Consequently, an efficient text correction tool for web apps becomes essential when users need to perform very specific tasks. A simple search, for example, can’t differentiate between a standalone word and one that’s part of another. This limitation can lead to costly errors in legal documents, technical manuals, or branded content. Indeed, these are the real-world scenarios that inspired us to build a smarter, more capable find and replace tool.

Streamline Your Content Editing Workflow

To show how the Froala 4.6 find and replace feature works, I built an interactive demo which you can run yourself by checking this github repo. Specifically, it has a control panel to test every method and an editor pre-filled with text. This setup lets you see the immediate result of every action. As a result, it clearly demonstrates how you can streamline your content editing workflow.

A good tool should adapt to your needs. The Find & Replace plugin is certainly configurable from the start.

const editorConfig = {
    heightMin: 400,
    pluginsEnabled: ['findReplace'],
    toolbarButtons: [
        ['findReplaceButton', 'bold', 'italic', 'underline', 'strikeThrough']
    ],
    // Plugin-specific configurations
    enableMatchCase: false,
    enableMatchWholeWord: false,
    showFindAndReplace: false,
    ...config
};

editor = new FroalaEditor('#froala-editor', editorConfig);

In the demo, you can toggle key options and re-initialize the editor to see their effect. In other words, this shows how you can set up the plugin’s default behavior to perfectly match what your application needs.

Practical Use Cases for Find and Replace

Beyond simple corrections, a powerful find and replace also opens up new possibilities for content management.

  • Bulk Text Replacement for Branding: Imagine your company rebrands a product. Using a rich text editor with bulk text replacement, you can update the old name to the new one across hundreds of articles. This can all be done in a single operation, thereby ensuring brand consistency.
  • Standardizing Terminology: In technical or legal documents, consistent terminology is critical. Therefore, you can enforce standards by replacing variations of a term with the official one.
  • Correcting Recurring Typos: Furthermore, if you discover a common typo that appears dozens of times in a long document, you can fix every instance at once with precision.
  • Updating Placeholders: Finally, for teams that use templates, find and replace can quickly populate placeholder text. For example, you can fill in [Client Name] or [Date] with the correct information.

How to Use Find and Replace in Froala

The core of the plugin is its API. For instance, methods like findMatches(), replaceMatch(), and getMatchesCount() give you the necessary hooks. You can then build your own custom interface around the plugin’s logic. In short, this is perfect for developers looking for a javascript editor find and replace all solution.

Moreover, a truly flexible tool also tells you when it’s performing tasks. The plugin fires several events that you can listen for to run your own code:

  • findandreplace.beforeClose
  • findandreplace.beforeOnReplace
  • findandreplace.onReplace
  • findandreplace.onReplaceAll

For example, you could use the beforeOnReplace event to show a custom confirmation message. Alternatively, you could use onReplaceAll to automatically save the document. Ultimately, this approach turns the plugin from a simple feature into a fully extensible part of your application. For a complete guide, you can also check out the official Find and Replace documentation.

Putting the Power in Your Hands

Our goal with this new plugin wasn’t to reinvent the wheel, but rather to give it precision steering. Specifically, we’ve built upon the familiar concept of find and replace. This gives developers the robust, controllable API they need to handle sophisticated text manipulation with confidence. Since this has been a long-requested feature, I’m excited that we can finally offer a solution that is both powerful and easy to integrate.

To learn more about this and other new features, you can read our latest release blog post. In the meantime, I encourage you to play with the demo, explore the code, and see how you can bring this new level of control to your own projects.

Froala 4.6.0: New Table Editing Features, React 19 Compatibility, and Find & Replace Plugin

We’re thrilled to announce Froala Editor 4.6.0. The new release comes with new table editing features, React 19 compatibility, and the official release of the Find & Replace plugin.

As always, the release contains impressive improvements to the Editor plugins and fixes for reported customer issues.

Read on to discover the fantastic improvements that will elevate your content creation workflow.

Key Takeaways

  • Total Table and Cell Customization
  • Stable and Powerful Find & Replace
  • Full React 19 Compatibility
  • Enhanced Workflow and Accessibility
  • New Developer Customization Options

4.6 release with table improvements and React 19 support

What’s New

Find & Replace Graduates from Beta

The Find & Replace plugin is now an official, stable feature. This powerful tool gives developers and content creators a seamless way to search for and modify text across an entire document.

Key Benefits

  • Efficient Editing: Quickly locate and replace text throughout your document
  • Comprehensive Search: Support for case-sensitive and case-insensitive searches
  • Flexible Replacement: Replace single or multiple occurrences of text
  • Intuitive User Interface: Simple and clean design that integrates smoothly with the Froala Editor

Use Cases

  • Content Editing: Streamline large document modifications
  • Localization: Easily replace text during translation processes
  • Compliance and Consistency: Ensure uniform terminology across documents

Important Notes

  • Compatible with all major browsers
  • Works across different content types (rich text, markdown)
  • Minimal performance overhead
  • Fully customizable to match your application’s design

Upgrade to Froala Editor 4.6 to experience the full power of the Find & Replace plugin and enhance your content editing workflow.

React 19 Compatibility; Integrate with the Latest Ecosystem

Froala Editor’s React SDK is now fully updated to support React 19. This ensures you can leverage the latest features and performance improvements in your modern React applications.

Key Benefits of React 19 Support

  • Future-Proofing: Immediate compatibility with the latest React version
  • Performance Improvements: Leverage new rendering optimizations in React 19
  • Enhanced Developer Experience: Smooth integration with modern React applications
  • Zero-Configuration Setup: Plug-and-play support for React 19 projects

What Developers Can Expect

  • Full compatibility with React 19’s new features and APIs
  • Maintained backward compatibility with previous React versions
  • Optimized rendering and component lifecycle management
  • Seamless integration with existing Froala Editor React implementations

Our React SDK continues to provide a robust, flexible solution for developers looking to integrate a powerful rich text editor into their React applications. Whether you’re building complex web applications or simple content management systems, Froala Editor’s React implementation ensures a smooth, efficient editing experience.

Upgrade now and stay ahead of the curve with Froala Editor’s latest React SDK update!

Introducing Advanced Table Properties

Froala Editor 4.6 completely transforms table editing. We are introducing two major upgrades; the Table Properties modal and the Cell Properties popup, giving you complete mastery over every aspect of your tables.

Table Properties Modal: Complete Customization at Your Fingertips

When users click the new “Table Properties” button in the table toolbar, a modal window opens, revealing a suite of advanced customization options:

Background Color

  • Select a background color for the entire table
  • Uses a color picker with full RGB and hex support
  • Applies color uniformly across all table cells.

Border Customization

  • Border Color: Choose a specific color for table borders
  • Border Width: Adjust border thickness (1-10px recommended)
  • Border Style: Select from multiple options:
    • Solid
    • Dotted
    • Dashed
    • Double
    • And more!

Dimensions and Sizing

  • Set table width and height using:
    • Pixels (px)
    • Percentages (%)
  • Maintains table responsiveness across different screen sizes

Table Alignment

  • Align table within the content area:
    • Left
    • Center
    • Right

Alternate Rows

  • Enable/disable alternating row colors
  • Improve table readability with visual separation
  • Perfect for data-heavy tables and complex layouts

Table Properties

Table Properties opened

Customizable Table Defaults: Enhanced Configuration Options

Froala Editor 4.6 introduces a comprehensive set of new configuration options that provide developers with granular control over default table properties during table insertion. These new configurations allow for precise customization of table appearance and behavior right from the initialization.

New Configuration Options

  • Table Alignment: Define the default alignment of newly inserted tables with a single configuration option.
  • Table Dimensions: Easily set a default height for new tables to maintain consistent layout.
  • Color Customization: Control the initial appearance of tables with hex color configurations.
  • Border Styling: Customize border properties to match your design requirements.
new FroalaEditor('.selector', {

  tableDefaultAlign: 'left',

  tableDefaultHeight: '200px',

  tableDefaultBGColor: '#000000',

  tableDefaultBorderColor: '#000000',

  tableDefaultBorderWidth: '2px',

  tableDefaultBorderStyle: 'dashed',

});

New Table Properties Methods

We’ve also introduced two new methods to programmatically manage table properties:

  • Show Table Properties: Programmatically open the table properties popup.
  • Hide Table Properties: Programmatically close the table properties popup.
new FroalaEditor('.selector', {
  events: {
    'table.inserted': function (table) {
      // Do something here.
      // this is the editor instance.
      console.log(this);
      this.table.showTableProperties();
    }
  }
});

Key Benefits

  • Comprehensive Customization: One-stop solution for table styling
  • User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive modal with clear options
  • Flexible Design: Supports various styling needs
  • Intelligent Validation: Prevents incorrect input
  • Responsive Styling: Maintains layout across devices
  • Developer Control: Precise management of table insertion properties
  • Intuitive API: Simple, straightforward configuration options and methods

Developer and User Experience

The new Table Properties feature represents our commitment to providing powerful, yet easy-to-use editing tools. Whether you’re creating documentation, reports, or complex data presentations, these enhanced table editing capabilities will streamline your workflow.

Introducing Advanced Table Cell Properties

We didn’t just improve table editing – we revolutionized it. The new Table Cell Properties provide users with unprecedented control over individual table cell styling and layout.

Cell Properties Toolbar Button

When one or multiple table cells are selected, a new “Cell Properties” button appears in the table toolbar. This button offers instant access to a powerful customization popup that consolidates multiple cell editing functionalities into one convenient location.

Cell Properties Popup: Comprehensive Cell Customization

The Cell Properties popup provides granular control over selected table cells, offering four key customization areas:

Background Color

  • Utilize the integrated color picker to select custom background colors.
  • Full RGB and hex color support
  • Apply colors to single or multiple selected cells

Padding Control

  • Set internal cell spacing with precision
  • Support for both pixel (px) and percentage (%) measurements
  • Adjust top, right, bottom, and left padding independently
  • Ensure optimal content layout and readability

Dimensions Configuration

  • Customize cell width and height
  • Flexibility to use pixels (px) or percentages (%)
  • Automatic pixel (px) conversion for numeric inputs
  • Maintain responsive design across different screen sizes.

Alignment Options

  • Horizontal alignment controls
  • Vertical alignment settings
  • Ensure content is perfectly positioned within each cell.

Table cell Properties

Table cell Properties opened

Key Benefits

  • Unified Interface: All cell properties in one convenient popup
  • Precise Customization: Granular control over cell styling
  • Flexible Measurements: Support for pixels and percentages
  • Intuitive Design: Simple, user-friendly interaction
  • Consistent User Experience: Streamlined cell editing workflow

Developer and User Experience

We introduced a new showCellPropertiesPopup() method that allows developers to programmatically display cell properties popups.

The new Table Cell Properties feature represents our commitment to providing powerful, yet intuitive editing tools. Whether you’re creating complex data tables, reports, or documentation, these enhanced cell editing capabilities will significantly improve your content creation workflow.

Enhanced Keyboard Interaction With Selected Table

In Froala Editor 4.6, we’ve significantly improved keyboard interaction when an entire table is selected, addressing previous limitations and providing a more intuitive, predictable editing experience.

Our latest update ensures that when a table is fully selected, all standard keyboard actions now function seamlessly and logically. Such as: Ensures smooth cursor movement while navigating with arrow keys.

Key Benefits

  • Improved User Experience: Eliminates frustrating interaction limitations
  • Intuitive Editing: Keyboard actions now behave predictably
  • Reduced Friction: Streamlines table editing and management
  • Consistent Interaction: Aligns with user expectations across different editing scenarios

Developer and User Impact

These keyboard interaction improvements represent our commitment to creating a more responsive, user-friendly rich text editing experience. By addressing these nuanced interaction challenges, we’ve made table editing more intuitive and efficient.

Enhanced Accessibility

In our latest release, we’ve implemented targeted accessibility improvements based on direct user feedback:

  • Enhanced Form Controls: Implemented aria-label attributes on checkbox fields to improve screen reader comprehension
  • Dynamic State Representation: Added aria-expanded attribute to accurately communicate expand/collapse states
  • Improved Visual Focus:
    • Introduced background color styles for hover and active states in image dropdowns.
    • Implemented clear focus indication for list dropdowns during keyboard navigation.
  • Keyboard Navigation Optimization:
    • Enabled seamless Tab key navigation within color palette popups
    • Ensured smooth focus transitions between interactive elements
  • Screen Reader Support:
    • Added aria-pressed attributes to tab buttons in specialized popups (Emoticons, Special Characters, Font Awesome)
    • Refined aria-pressed state management for popup trigger buttons

These refinements demonstrate our ongoing commitment to creating an accessible, user-friendly editing environment that meets diverse user needs.

Much More…

We have addressed various issues reported by our users to enhance the overall performance and stability of Froala Editor. These include:

  • Resolved the issue in MS Edge where suggested text does not get replaced correctly on autocorrect.
  • Modified the list creation logic to ensure that if the current line or selected lines have styles applied, those styles are preserved in the list content.
  • Resolved the issue in the Android WebView where when the character limit is set to N, and when typed over N characters, it exceeds the character limit.

Please find the complete changelog list here.

How Can I Update?

Don’t miss out on the benefits of the latest Froala WYSIWYG Editor 4.6 release. Update today and experience the enhanced editing features and improvements.

If you are using a plain JavaScript library or other framework, check the get started page to know how to download the latest Froala Editor release and how to include it in your project based on your preferred method.

If you are using a plain JavaScript library or other framework, follow the table below to learn how to download the latest Froala Editor release and include it in your project based on your preferred method.

Method How to download Include in your project
CDN
<!-- Include Editor stylesheet-->
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

<!-- Include Editor JavaScript file-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>
CDN (Always the latest version)
<!-- Include Editor stylesheet-->
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

<!-- Include Editor JavaScript file-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>
NPM
npm install froala-editor
<!--

Replace the {download-folder-path} in the following example with the path to the folder containing the stylesheet file e.g.

../css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js

-->

<link href="{download-folder-path}/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

<!--

Replace the {download-folder-path} with the path to the folder containing the JS file e.g.

../js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js

-->

<script type="text/javascript" src="{download-folder-path}/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>
bower
bower install froala-wysiwyg-editor
NO Package Manager Download Froala WYSIWYG Editor files using the download form here.
Integrated with a Framework Select your preferred framework from 17 different popular frameworks.
Other options Check here for other options for using Froala WYSIWYG Editor in your project.

For Froala Editor Version 2 Users:

Follow this migration guide for step-by-step instructions on upgrading from version 2.

Try The Latest Froala Editor

Explore a variety of examples that demonstrate the functionality of the Froala HTML Editor.

Support and Feedback

We are dedicated to always offering the best possible experience for all our users. We believe this release, meant to enhance Typescript support, is a stepping stone towards that commitment. We encourage you to try this improved Typescript support and give us your valuable feedback. Your input is crucial for delivering continuous enhancement and meeting your evolving needs. Thank you for being a valuable part of our vibrant and growing community.
We would like to hear what you think of the latest release! Join us on our GitHub Community to chat with our product manager, developers, and other members of the Froala team.

Change Log

Get Started

  • You can download and start using Froala in less than five minutes following our get-started guide.

Technical Questions

Modern Web Development Trends with React: Froala Rich Text Editor

React modern thumbnail

As we move through 2025, the way we create and interact with digital content continues to evolve, driven by powerful frameworks like React. Originally developed by Facebook, React remains at the forefront of modern web development, enabling developers to build fast, interactive user interfaces with reusable components. 

Its influence has reshaped how websites and applications are structured, making it easier to create scalable, responsive experiences. Alongside this evolution, tools like the Froala Rich Text Editor are gaining traction by simplifying rich text editing, supporting accessibility, and seamlessly integrating with modern React-based workflows.

Modern-Web-Development-Trends-with-React-Froala-Rich-Text-Editor

React in 2025: Changing How Websites Are Made

React is playing a big role in four important things:

  • Component-Driven Architecture and Design Systems
  • Accessibility as a Priority
  • Performance Optimization and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
  • Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG)

These trends will shape how websites look and work. Let’s see how React fits into these important changes in how we make websites.

1. Component-Driven Architecture and Design Systems

Using small building blocks called components is now a big part of making websites. In 2025, it’s even more important, as developers increasingly reuse these modular components to build scalable and maintainable interfaces.

React fits seamlessly into this approach—it’s built entirely on reusable components. Developers can create a consistent UI by combining these components with a design system that defines shared styling and behaviors.

For example, here’s how a Froala Rich Text Editor could be wrapped into a reusable TextEditor component that aligns with a design system:

 

// components/TextEditor.jsx

// Importing React and Froala WYSIWYG editor component
import React from 'react';
import FroalaEditorComponent from 'react-froala-wysiwyg';

// Importing necessary Froala Editor styles for proper visual formatting
import 'froala-editor/css/froala_style.min.css';
import 'froala-editor/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css';

// Importing custom CSS to match the design system of the app
import './TextEditor.css'; // Applies border, padding, and margin to the editor wrapper

// TextEditor component accepts `value` (text content) and `onChange` (update function) as props
const TextEditor = ({ value, onChange }) => {
  // Configuration object for Froala Editor
  const config = {
    placeholderText: 'Start typing...', // Sets placeholder text when editor is empty
    toolbarButtons: ['bold', 'italic', 'underline', 'formatOL', 'formatUL'], // Defines visible toolbar options
    heightMin: 200, // Sets minimum height for the editor
  };

  return (
    <div className="editor-wrapper"> {/* Wrapper div for styling */}
      <FroalaEditorComponent
        model={value} // Sets the current value of the editor
        onModelChange={onChange} // Updates the parent component when the content changes
        config={config} // Applies the defined configuration
      />
    </div>
  );
};

// Exporting the component for use in other parts of the application
export default TextEditor;

Explore the full working example in this GitHub repository.

This approach lets teams:

  • Reuse the editor across multiple pages
  • Apply consistent styling via a design system
  • Maintain cleaner, modular code

Tools like Froala integrate well into these ecosystems, enhancing productivity while maintaining design consistency.

2. Accessibility as a Priority

Making websites accessible to everyone has become more important lately and will stay important in 2025 and beyond. It’s crucial to create websites that everyone can use. 

React, a tool for building websites, is committed to this idea. It has features like ARIA attributes and practices that make it easier for people with disabilities to use websites. This is important to ensure everyone can access and use the internet.

Froala’s LTS SDK for React is in line with this idea by having special features in its React rich text editor that focus on accessibility. This helps developers create content that’s easy for everyone to use, ensuring no one is left out when using websites.

3. Performance Optimization and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Making websites work faster is important, especially now that more people use phones and tablets. React helps with this by using a clever way to handle how things show up on the screen. It makes websites run faster. 

Also, PWAs are becoming more popular. They’re like websites that feel and work like phone apps. React is good at helping make these kinds of websites, which is why it’s a great choice for building them.

Froala’s LTS SDK for React goes well with these trends that focus on making websites faster. It provides a text editing tool that works quickly and lets users interact smoothly. 

4. Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG)

More people want websites to load faster, so methods like SSR and SSG are making a comeback. React can use these methods, which keeps it important. Websites want to show up better in search engines and work faster, so more websites might start using SSR and SSG in 2025.

React Rich Text Editor works smoothly with setups like SSR and SSG. This means developers can easily add awesome text editing features to websites. It doesn’t matter if the websites are already built or still being made; this tool fits right in!

Step-by-Step Integration of Froala as a React Rich Text Editor

React is popular for making cool web apps. It works great with Froala’s Rich Text Editor, giving React developers a good way to edit text that’s easy to use and keeps things safe. Making Froala work with React apps is made to be simple:

Using the React Froala WYSIWYG Editor

Step 1: Install from NPM

To start using the React Froala WYSIWYG editor, you’ll first need to install it from the NPM package registry. Use the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

npm install react-froala-wysiwyg froala-editor --save

This command will download and install the React Froala WYSIWYG editor package into your project.

Step 2: Import the Component and Stylesheets

Next, you’ll need to import the necessary stylesheets to ensure the editor’s proper appearance. Include these lines in your React component where you’ll use the editor:

import FroalaEditorComponent from 'react-froala-wysiwyg';
import 'froala-editor/css/froala_style.min.css';
import 'froala-editor/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css';
import './TextEditor.css';

These lines import the required Froala Editor stylesheets and the React Froala WYSIWYG editor component into your React project.

Step 3: Use the Editor Component

Now, you can use the editor component within your React application. Place the <FroalaEditorComponent /> tag where you want the editor to appear in your JSX code. For instance:

<FroalaEditorComponent tag='textarea' config={this.config} />

This line creates the editor component, specifying the HTML tag to be used (in this case, a textarea) and passing a configuration object (this.config) to customize the editor’s behavior and appearance according to your requirements.

These steps will enable you to integrate and use the React Rich Text Editor within your React application effortlessly. Adjust the configurations as needed to tailor the editor to your specific needs.

Step 4: Preview the Editor

Users can also experience a preview of the Froala Editor integrated with React.

react wysiwyg editor preview froala

Check out the full step-by-step instructions available in this GitHub repository.

Explore our full documentation for integrating the Froala WYSIWYG Editor with React JS.

Pitfalls to Avoid When Using React WYSIWYG Editors

While integrating a React WYSIWYG editor like Froala Rich Text Editor offers many advantages, developers may face a few common challenges. Here are key pitfalls to watch out for:

Version Incompatibility

Froala may have peer dependencies that are not immediately compatible with the latest version of React (e.g., React 19). Use the –legacy-peer-deps flag during installation or align versions carefully to avoid installation errors.

SSR Compatibility Issues

When working with Server-Side Rendering (SSR) frameworks like Next.js, WYSIWYG editors can sometimes throw errors during server rendering due to their browser-only dependencies. Make sure to dynamically import the editor or load it conditionally (only on the client).

Missing Policy & Signature for Advanced Features

When using Froala with Filestack or similar services for advanced features like image tagging, forgetting to generate the required policy and signature can break functionality. Always configure security settings properly before calling API endpoints.

Styling Conflicts

Froala injects its own styles, which may conflict with custom design systems. Use scoped CSS or apply overrides carefully to maintain consistent branding across your UI.

Conclusion

As modern web development continues to evolve in 2025, React remains a powerful and flexible framework at the core of building fast, accessible, and scalable web applications. Developers are increasingly embracing tools that align with React’s component-driven architecture and performance-first philosophy—and the Froala Rich Text Editor is a prime example.

Designed for seamless integration, the Froala Rich Text Editor offers a lightweight, fast, and highly customizable experience that fits perfectly into React-based workflows. Whether you’re building dynamic content management tools, enhancing accessibility, or optimizing performance with SSR and PWAs, using a robust React WYSIWYG editor like Froala can significantly boost your development efficiency and end-user experience.

By combining the strengths of React and Froala, developers can confidently build modern, interactive interfaces that meet today’s design standards while keeping code clean and modular. If you’re looking to implement a professional-grade rich text editing solution in your next React project, Froala’s React SDK is an excellent place to start.

Building a “Summarize Text” Feature with the DeepSeek API

Since their emergence, AI tools like the DeepSeek API have transformed how developers design experiences in their applications. From autocomplete suggestions to intelligent assistants, smart features are becoming essential rather than optional. Text summarization, or the ability to significantly shorten long content without taking away important information, is one such example.

For instance, let’s say that a user wants to quickly grasp the key points of an article, email, or report without reading every line. Text summarization would allow that user to do so in just a click or two.

As demand for intelligent summarization grows, so does the need for flexible tools that make integrating this functionality easy. That’s where DeepSeek API integration comes in. This API offers developers a simple, powerful, and versatile way to bring AI features into different applications.

In this article, you’ll learn how to build a custom “summarize text” feature using the DeepSeek API. You’ll also learn how to integrate it directly as a plugin within a WYSIWYG editor. Lastly, you’ll explore some tips for enhancing the UX as well as some things to consider when implementing summarization features.

Key Takeaways

  • Text summarization enhances readability and helps users digest content quickly.
  • The DeepSeek API allows developers to add natural language summarization with minimal effort and setup.
  • You can integrate DeepSeek into a WYSIWYG editor through a custom plugin.
  • Offer user flexibility in summary length and format for a better experience.
  • Protect user data by filtering and encrypting sensitive content before sending it to any AI service.

What Is the DeepSeek API?

The DeepSeek API is an AI-powered service that offers natural language processing (NLP) capabilities to developers. It’s similar to DeepSeek’s user-facing AI chatbot but for developers and application integration. It allows applications to understand, generate, and manipulate human language, making it useful for summarization, content writing, and the like.

Building large language models (LLMs) from scratch is a difficult and tedious task for most developers and organizations. Hence, platforms like DeepSeek make their APIs publicly available, and developers can interact with them through a simple API request. For instance, you can send a prompt, and the service returns a smart response (e.g., summary, paraphrase, explanation, etc.).

A visual representation of DeepSeek API. In the image, a brain absorbs information from several sources, depicting how DeepSeek can process information from training data and user interaction.

To better understand how DeepSeek’s API works, you should consider the following key technical parameters:

  • Input text: The raw content you want to summarize.
  • Max tokens: A limit on how many words or characters the summary will contain.
  • Temperature: Determines how “creative” or deterministic the response is. Ranging typically from 0 to 2, the higher the temperature, the better the creativity (at the cost of potential inaccuracy). Similarly, the lower the temperature (e.g., 0 or 0.25), the more precise (but more “boring”) the answer is. Generally, for coding or math tasks, you want to set this to 0.0. For more creative tasks, you should increase it to something greater than 1. If you want to learn more, browse this use case table from DeepSeek.
  • Top-p and presence_penalty: Optional values that help you fine-tune response tone or reduce repetition.

Whether you’re building a fun prototype or a full product, the DeepSeek API is a fast, scalable, and cost-effective solution. But what about the text summarization feature?

Why Add a “Summarize Text” Feature to Your App?

Summarization isn’t just a nice feature to have; it solves real problems in applications with content-heavy workflows. Users regularly encounter walls of text, such as blog posts like this, reports, support tickets, and chat logs. They usually want answers fast, so developers have responded by embedding summarization tools directly into user interfaces.

Without a “summarize text” feature, your users will have to read through every block of text in your application’s content. And that’s mostly alright, but for users who are pressed for time, it could seem like a hindrance. Furthermore, since popular platforms and apps are adopting text summarization today, modern users tend to look for this feature.

By integrating a text summarization feature, you give all users the ability to quickly digest information from your application’s content. As a developer, consider adding this feature when:

  • Your users deal with large blocks of user-generated or imported text.
  • You want to help users make faster decisions.
  • Application content tends to heavily increase over time (e.g., chat groups, forums), and users need to catch up easily.
  • You’re building tools for research, analysis, or reporting.

Normally, implementing this feature would require you to build an LLM yourself. Thankfully, you can integrate text summarization easily by using the DeepSeek API.

Implementing the “Summarize Text” Feature Using DeepSeek API

Building a text summarization feature with the DeepSeek API is simpler and faster than some would think. All you need is a DeepSeek API key, which you can get by signing up. You also need to have at least a bit of balance in your DeepSeek account.

Finally, there’s your choice of tech stack. This tutorial uses plain HTML and JavaScript, but implementing the same feature using frameworks like React is just as easy.

A mockup of a WYSIWYG editor with text summarization features.

Step 1: Set up the DeepSeek API

Before anything else, sign up for access to the API. Once you have an account, retrieve your API key. You can then secure the API key using environment variables on your server (but for simplicity, we’ll keep it in the front end in this tutorial).

Step 2: Build the Front-End View and Logic

Now, you’ll need an HTML file for the view and some JavaScript for the logic. Start by inserting the following code into your HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0 " />

    <title>Summarize Text with this WYSIWYG Editor</title>
    <!-- Load Froala Editor CSS files. -->
    <link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />
   

</head>

<body>
    <h1>Text Summarizer</h1>
    <div id="editor">
        Paste or type text here...
    </div>


<!-- Load Froala Editor JS files. -->
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="index.js"></script>

</body>
</html>

This file does the following:

  • Load the CSS stylesheet and the JS file for Froala Editor, which will contain the embedded “summarize text” feature.
  • Create the container for the editor, which is the div with id “editor.”
  • Load the JS file “index.js.”

Step 3: Set up the WYSIWYG Editor

Now, you’ll need to initialize the WYSIWYG editor by adding the following code into your JS file or script:

new FroalaEditor('#editor', {
    toolbarButtons: ['bold', 'italic', 'underline', '|', 'summarize'],
    pluginsEnabled: ['summarize'],
    heightMin: 300
});

This creates a new FroalaEditor instance in the “#editor” element. In the options, define some basic toolbar buttons along with a new “summarize” button, whose functionality you’ll create later. Lastly, the code specifies a minimum height for the editor.

Step 4: Create the Custom “Summarize Text” Plugin

It’s time to create the custom plugin. Paste the following code in your JS to define the “summarize” plugin:

FroalaEditor.PLUGINS.summarize = function (editor) {
    return {
        summarizeText: function() {
            const selectedText = editor.selection.text();


            // Some error handling
            if(!selectedText || selectedText.trim().length < 30){
                alert ('Please select at least 30 characters of text to summarize.');
                return;
            }

            // Load your API key
            // Be sure to replace this with your actual key (preferably, store it in a secure directory/file)
            const apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
            const endpoint = 'https://api.deepseek.com/v1/chat/completions';

            // Add a bit of text to inform the user about the process
            editor.html.insert('<p><em>Summarizing content. Please wait a bit...</em></p>');

            fetch(endpoint, {
                method: 'POST',
                headers: {
                    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
                    'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`
                },
                body: JSON.stringify({
                    model: 'deepseek-chat',
                    messages: [
                        // Here's where your prompt should be
                        {role: 'system', content: 'Summarize the following content in 5 sentences or less.'},
                        {role: 'user', content: selectedText}
                    ],
                    // Customize the temperature and max tokens
                    temperature: 0.75,
                    max_tokens: 500
                })
            }).then(response => response.json())
            .then(data => {
                // Replace the editor's content with the summary
                const summary = data.choices?.[0]?.message?.content || 'No summary returned.';
                editor.html.set('');
                editor.html.insert(`<p><h2>Summary:</h2> ${summary}</p>`);
            }).catch(error => {
                console.error('DeepSeek API Error: ', error);
                editor.html.insert('<p style="color:red;">Summary failed. Please try again.</p>');
            });
        }
    };
};

This code snippet defines the “summarize” plugin and its “summarizeText” function. Here’s what it does in detail:

  • Get the selected (highlighted) text in the editor and store it in a constant.
  • Check for correctness (minimum number of characters).
  • Define the API key and the DeepSeek endpoint of your choice.
  • Add a text-based loading indicator.
  • Make the API call and define the model, prompt, and options.
  • Insert the resulting summary (if successful) into the editor.

After you define the custom plugin, you still have to link an icon for it and register it as a command. Since the code uses “summarize” for the toolbar button, the associated command should also have the “summarize” name. To wrap up the coding process, add the following to your JS:

FroalaEditor.DefineIcon('summarize', { NAME: 'book-open', SVG_KEY: 'insert' });

FroalaEditor.RegisterCommand('summarize', {
    title: 'Summarize Text',
    icon: 'summarize',
    undo: true,
    focus: true,
    plugin: 'summarize',
    callback: function() {
        this.summarize.summarizeText();
    }
});

This snippet defines an icon for the summarization feature and then registers the command and links it with the “summarize” plugin from earlier.

Step 5: Run the Application

Once you link the plugin with the toolbar button, you’re done! Run the application using a browser, and you should see something similar to the following image.

The intial state of the editor.

This contains the title “Text Summarizer” and the editor instance. Notice how in the toolbar, we can see the three built-in buttons along with a new fourth one. You should then replace the initial text with something else, like this sample short story:

A story about a curious duck, which is then fed into DeepSeek's API for summarization.

This example tells the story of a curious duck who ventures farther from safety, learning and growing in the process. To see if the summarizer can function correctly, select the entire story and click the “Summarize” button. Afterwards, you should see something similar to the following:

The result from the DeepSeek API call. The duck story was distilled into 5 sentences without losing the important information.

In this example, the summarizer from DeepSeek’s API was able to correctly distill the story into 5 sentences. This follows the prompt that was set, which stated to summarize the content in no more than 5 sentences. At this point, you now have a decent start to building something more with a text summary feature and a WYSIWYG editor.

Tips for Enhancing the UX

To improve user experience from “working” to “great,” consider adding the following features to your AI-powered text summarization:

  • Let users choose summary length. Provide dropdowns or buttons like “Short (1-2 lines),” “Medium,” or “Detailed.” This way, your users will get to choose the level of detail they want from the summary.
  • Add copy or download buttons. Summaries often become reusable snippets or notes. For example, users can paste summaries into an email, save them into a note-taking app, or attach them to a report. By adding a “Copy” or “Download” button, you allow users to quickly grab the text without needing to manually copy or type it.
  • Use subtle animations or loading indicators. This manages expectations while the API processes the request. Without animations or a loading indicator, your users might think that the feature doesn’t work.
  • Let users edit the summary. Since AI is never perfect and could contain mistakes, your users should have the ability to tweak the summary. For example, the output might sound too formal or overly simplified, or it might lack important details. By making the summary editable, you allow users to quickly personalize or improve the output to suit their intent better.

An example of a loading indicator using the demo from earlier. This shows "Summarizing content. Please wait a bit..." as the application makes a call to the DeepSeek API endpoint.

Best Practices and Considerations

When using DeepSeek or any LLM-based API, keep these points in mind to help ensure security, performance, and scalability:

  • Monitor token usage. LLMs charge based on token count (roughly a word or sub-word). The longer your inputs and outputs, the more expensive the request.
  • Keep prompts clean. Avoid inconsistent phrasing or irrelevant instructions to allow for more focused summaries or output. If you must, test out different instructions for one input text and pick the one that gives the most consistent or accurate answer.
  • Protect sensitive data. Never send passwords, financial details, or personally identifiable information (PII) unless necessary and encrypted or filtered out. Furthermore, keep your API keys in the back end, preferably stored in a .env file.
  • Cache common results. If multiple users summarize the same content (e.g., in chat groups), store the result locally or in a cache. Doing so would significantly improve response time and cost efficiency. By generating the summary once and storing it into the server or shared memory store, your app won’t have to call the DeepSeek API each time.

Real-World Use Cases

Summarization can fit seamlessly into a wide range of applications:

  • News aggregators can provide condensed story previews.
  • Messaging apps or communication tools can help users catch up on long threads without scrolling up too many times.
  • Documentation tools can auto-generate summaries for long articles or content.
  • Note-taking apps can turn meeting minutes into action points immediately.
  • AI writing tools can help users refine their own drafts through summaries.

Conclusion

Adding a summarization feature shouldn’t take up all your time and resources. Thanks to DeepSeek’s API, developers can implement accurate and scalable summarization features quickly and easily. This helps you change how users consume content, giving them more productivity and convenience.

Integrating the DeepSeek API into your application is fast and simple. Once you’re done with that, experiment with prompts and test different summary lengths and formats. In the end, you should go with the combination of parameters that works best for your use case.

If you want to take things further, try summarizing content from pasted URLs or summarizing conversations into topic-based chunks. You can also try adding multilingual summaries or maybe even a plagiarism or generic content detector to improve quality. Just make sure that as you explore AI-powered features, you continue to prioritize thoughtful implementation and user trust. Happy coding!

Creating Custom Table Styles and Templates for Brand Consistency in Rich Text Editors

A futuristic and sleek table, which represents custom table styles in HTML for brand consistency in rich text editors.

Tables power much of the structured content on the internet. Whether you’re compiling a feature comparison, presenting project timelines, or displaying structured content, tables provide an easy-to-understand grid-based format. However, despite their utility and importance, tables often get overlooked in terms of visual branding.

In many applications, developers insert default or inconsistently styled tables that clash with the rest of the content’s design. This could lead to not only worse aesthetics but also poorer UX and even brand mistrust. For example, users might not like if an entirely dark-themed web app suddenly has brightly colored or white tables.

This is where custom table styles come into play. Integrating these into rich text editors allows teams to build and reuse tables without manual formatting or starting from scratch. Through careful design, testing, and configuration, developers can make every table follow a uniform look that reinforces their brand identity.

Key Takeaways

  • Consistent table design builds trust and improves UX.
  • When designing tables, consider table borders, colors, font choices, cell spacing, and responsiveness.
  • Rich text editors come with manual table styling, in-depth table style customization, and even plugins to aid you with consistency.
  • Implementing custom styles using editors like Froala is as simple as binding existing CSS classes into editor options.
  • A little documentation about brand usage and standards goes a long way, especially when designing tables and other page elements.

Why Table Styling Matters in Branded Content

Branding is not just about names, logos, slogans, and color schemes. It also deals with establishing a company’s or product’s identity by creating a consistent and unique experience. Proper table styling, like other aspects of branding, contributes greatly to building a brand that users trust.

Enhancing Readability and Visual Appeal

Good table design starts with readability. By choosing the right colors, spacing, and typography, you can make table content feel more intuitive for the reader’s eyes. In turn, this helps improve user experience and possibly user retention.

An eye beside some blocks, representing readability when browsing table data.

Providing clear table styling helps users who skim through content by highlighting or emphasizing important or quick details. At the same time, clear table styling can help users who prefer reading in depth by optimizing layout, colors, and typography to reduce eye strain.

For example, by adding high-contrast header rows, users could easily distinguish between categories and values. Moreover, consistent cell padding helps text, whether long or short, avoid seeming cramped or misaligned. When styling tables, always think of the question, “What should I do to help users easily locate key information?”

Building Trust through Visual Consistency

Visual inconsistencies, even small ones like mismatched table borders or font choices, can break user immersion and trust. When your tables follow a well-defined and recognizable design or theme, they feel like a natural part of your brand. This consistency can help convey your attention to detail to users, building credibility.

This is especially important for rich text editors. For example, when team members contribute to a shared report or blog post, they often use the same editor but with their own formatting instincts. Without predefined table styles, one might use thick gray borders, another might center-align everything, and someone else might use defaults.

Over time, a lack of proper table styling creates a patchwork of formatting that undermines brand cohesion. Users might then think that the organization, product, or service is chaotic because of the inconsistent design and experiences. By baking branded and custom table styles directly into rich text editors, you empower contributors to maintain visual consistency easily.

Reducing Formatting Errors across Teams

When teams create tables manually, styling often gets lost or misapplied, especially if they’re copy-pasting content across different apps. A custom template or preset table style eliminates any guesswork, enabling non-technical users to insert consistently styled tables without CSS. More importantly, it ensures that every table conforms to a central source of truth, your brand’s style guide.

Key Components of Custom Table Styles

When building for brand consistency, you must consider the following components of custom table styles.

Table Borders and Line Weight

Table borders define the visual boundaries between rows and columns. Overly thick ones overwhelm and bury the content, while overly thin or missing ones make data more difficult to separate. Thus, you should standardize border widths and colors to improve uniformity and readability.

Alternatively, you can opt for alternating row backgrounds, which is useful for when you have plenty of rows. In the end, you should find the right table border styling and line weight that make your content more readable.

Background and Header Colors

A good background color can signal hierarchy or provide context. For instance, using a different shade for header rows immediately separates them from data rows. Striped row colors (alternating row backgrounds) make tables with thousands of rows easier to read line by line.

An interface with different tables, some of which have a light blue color scheme while others have a green color scheme, representing differences in background and header colors.

For accessibility and readability, pick the right color choices for maintaining good contrast ratios. Of course, pick out colors that align with your branding as well.

Cell Padding, Spacing, and Alignment

Padding affects both readability and visual spacing. Tight padding might save space, but if overused, it results in a cramped layout. And having plenty of data to display alongside such a layout would result in poor user experience.

Vertical and horizontal alignment also affect how users interpret the data. For instance, common conventions include left-aligning text, right-aligning numbers, and centering headers.

Font Choices and Text Styling

Using brand-specific fonts within tables creates a seamless look across all content components. Beyond typefaces, consistent font sizes, weights (e.g., bold headers), and colors make your tables align visually with other elements.

Responsive Design Considerations

On mobile, traditional table layouts often break or overflow. A responsive table style helps boost readability no matter the device. Consider collapsing columns into expandable sections, using scrollable fixed containers, or reformatting data into card-like displays on smaller viewports.

How Rich Text Editors Support Custom Table Styling

Now that you’ve read about what to look for when building custom table styles, it’s time to explore how rich text editors handle it.

Overview of Built-in Table Tools in Common Rich Text Editors

Most rich text editors, including Froala, TinyMCE, and CKEditor, come with built-in table creation and editing tools. These allow users to insert rows and columns, merge cells, and adjust border styles or background colors. However, some of these only apply a default, often unbranded style.

Thankfully, some rich text editors allow developers to create custom table designs and themes. Along with plugins and extensions, this opens the door for deeper customization, enabling table presets, saved classes, and integrations with external styling.

CSS and Class Integration for Branding

Applying CSS classes is one of the most common methods to control table appearance. Rich text editors typically allow you to define custom classes for table elements. You can create branded styles in your stylesheet (e.g., “.my-table,” “.my-row-alt”) and apply them through the editor’s configuration.

This approach centralizes styling, meaning you only have to update a few CSS classes to reflect any changes later on.

Using Editor Plugins or Extensions for Table Templates

Some rich text editors support custom plugins that insert full table templates with predefined structure and styling. These are especially useful for reusing table types, like comparison charts, contact matrices, or performance trackers. Plugins can also enforce styling rules, helping prevent users from unintentionally creating off-brand tables.

Storing and Reusing Style Presets or Templates

Some editors have built-in support for enabling users to insert table templates with one click to save time while enforcing consistency. These templates typically include prefilled headers, styling, and even instructional placeholder text to guide users. This helps improve productivity and efficiency by promoting a “create and reuse” philosophy on table styling.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Custom Table Styles

An image that contains three sub-images of a table. The first one has a bare wooden table. In the second image, the table is starting to have a bit more identity. The third one represents a table with a fully custom table style, which you can achieve within rich text editors.

Designing custom tables may seem like a design-heavy task, but with a structured approach, it turns into a manageable process. This section walks you through implementing custom table styles within your rich text editor.

Define Your Brand Style Guide for Tables

Before writing any code, work with your design or branding team to document how branded tables should look. Define properties like:

  • Header background color
  • Border thickness and color
  • Font and cell alignment
  • Row striping behavior

This would then become your blueprint for coding.

Create a Base Table Template in HTML/CSS

Next, translate your style guide into a sample HTML table and accompanying CSS rules. Test it in isolation to ensure it looks right across screen sizes. For example, we have the following HTML example for a table that shows some items on a cart:

<head>
    <!--other head elements-->
    <link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />
    <link href="styles.css" rel="stylesheet">
</head>
<body>
    <div id="froala-editor">
        <table class="custom-table">
            <thead>
                <tr>
                    <th>Item</th>
                    <th>Quantity</th>
                    <th>Price</th>
                </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
                <tr>
                    <td>Item 1</td>
                    <td>2</td>
                    <td>$1200</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td>Item 2</td>
                    <td>3</td>
                    <td>$150</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td>Item 3</td>
                    <td>2</td>
                    <td>$500</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td>Item 4</td>
                    <td>5</td>
                    <td>$75</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td>Item 5</td>
                    <td>1</td>
                    <td>$150</td>
                </tr>
            </tbody>
        </table>
    </div>
    <script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'></script>
    <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>

This HTML snippet contains a table without a class. In the table, you have three columns: item, quantity, and price. The sample table already comes with five rows for demo purposes, each of which represents different items in a cart.

In the code, you also have a div element that wraps the table, and this is where you’ll initialize Froala Editor. By doing so, the table will appear within the editor once the page loads. Finally, call your stylesheet (“styles.css” in this case) and JS, as well as Froala’s CSS and JS. Afterwards, open or create “styles.css” and paste in the following code:

.custom-table {
    margin: 2rem auto;
    width: 90%;
    max-width: 800px;
    border-collapse: collapse;
    font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
    font-size: 14px;
}

.custom-table th,
.custom-table td {
    padding: 12px 16px;
    text-align: left;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;
}

.custom-table thead {
    background-color: #f8f9fa;
    font-weight: 600;
}

.custom-table tbody tr:nth-child(even) {
    background-color: #f2f2f2;
}

.custom-table td:last-child {
    text-align: right;
}

@media (max-width: 576px) {
    .custom-table {
        font-size: 13px;
    }
}

This script applies several design rules for the “custom-table” class, which we’ll load in the editor later. It sets the properties of the table itself, the cell and header stylings, and responsiveness using media queries as well. Essentially, this turns the table into a modern white and light gray one with alternating background colors.

If you run the code now, you’ll see something similar to the following image.

A basic HTML table without any styling, wrapped inside a Froala Editor instance.

In the image, the table looks cramped, small, and too simple because of the lack of CSS.

Apply Custom Classes in the Editor Configuration

Now, it’s time to load this custom styling into the table using the editor. First, open or create a JS file. Then, insert the following code:

new FroalaEditor('#froala-editor', {
    tableStyles: {
        'custom-table': 'Custom Table Style'
    }
});

This instantiates Froala Editor in the div element with the “froala-editor” ID. Afterwards, this adds the “custom-table” as an available button and option under the “Table Style” menu. Once you’re done, open your browser and run the application.

Preview, Test Responsiveness, and Save as Template

When you run the application, you’ll see the same unstyled table as before. However, if you click or select the table, you’ll see a “Table Style” option on the pop-up toolbar. Click that option and you’ll see “Custom Table Style,” which we defined and linked to the “custom-table” class from CSS.

Clicking the table in Froala Editor brings up the table options bar, in which the "Custom Table Style," from the code above, can be found.

Click the “Custom Table Style” button icon, and you’ll see the table turn into something more modern, responsive, and aesthetic.

After clicking the custom table style button icon, the plain table obtained some styling.

You now have a table theme that your users can directly apply with a single click. You can improve this a lot more by playing around with the CSS to get the specific design that you want. Furthermore, you can do the same by creating custom plugins that generate a stylized table right away instead of applying classes. You can even set up different classes as table styling options in the editor.

Provide Clear Usage Instructions for Team Members

Even the best styling system fails without documentation. Create a short internal guide that shows:

  • How to insert tables using the editor
  • Which templates to use for specific purposes
  • Where to report issues or request updates

With these simple yet effective processes, you’re allowing your team to stay consistent with branding while speeding up their table tasks.

Best Practices for Maintaining Consistency across Teams

To ensure consistent branding in your organization, your teams should also remain consistent when designing components like tables. Here are some strategies that you can implement to help your teams stay aligned with your brand.

Centralizing Templates in the Editor UI

Make styled tables or table templates easy to find in the editor toolbar. You can use clearly named buttons or dropdowns with suitable button icons. If users don’t know where to access the branded or stylized options, they’ll revert to manually styling tables.

Locking or Restricting Unstyled Table Options

Some editors allow you to limit the styling options available to end users. If needed, disable freeform cell styling or inline formatting to reduce the chances of inconsistencies.

Training Content Teams to Use the Predefined Styles

Even non-technical users can follow a structured process with minimal friction, should they receive the right tools and training. Run short onboarding sessions, create intuitive guides, and build standards for promoting predefined table styles.

Periodic Reviews to Update Templates with Brand Changes

Brands, although unique, tend to change and evolve through the years. Hence, you should review your table templates periodically, especially when branding changes significantly. This helps your tables stay consistent with your brand’s visual direction.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the best intentions, teams often fall into traps that make table styling more chaotic than cohesive. Identifying these common pitfalls helps ensure that table styling serves its purpose: clarity, consistency, and ease of use across teams.

Overcomplicating Styles with Too Many Variants

Having 8 versions of the same table design with minor differences confuses users and increases maintenance overhead. In these scenarios, users will often think, “Did I insert the right table design?”So, if you can, try sticking to a few (e.g., 1 to 3) core table styles.

Ignoring Mobile Optimization

Always test your tables on all screens, especially smaller ones. What looks great on desktop may turn into an unreadable mess when column width shrinks or when rows wrap awkwardly.

Failing to Document Styling Rules Clearly

Lack of documentation leads to inconsistent use. Even developers and designers benefit from a simple list, especially if it has supplementary visuals. Proper design and brand guidelines can help ensure consistency and increase developer or designer efficiency.

Examples of Beautifully Branded Tables

To bring these concepts to life, let’s look at a couple of examples that demonstrate what well-styled tables can look like in practice.

A sample table with a good custom table style from Kontrast Interactive

This sample table belongs to Kontrast Interactive, a UI/UX designer on the Dribbble platform. Some of the screenshots of the app that they designed, including this one, display necessary information without being too much. There’s a perfect blend of space efficiency, color context, and expert layout and font execution, all while incorporating the brand.

Dropbox's pricing table, which is another good example of a custom and branded table.

Dropbox’s pricing table is another great example of a well-designed branded table. At one glance, you’ll find a clear division of features and packages. You’ll also notice the differences in background color for each pricing tier, increasing in saturation as the tier becomes higher.

Dropbox also makes good use of icons, using check marks instead of words like “Yes” or “Included.” They also have proper spacing between each cell and around each text or element. Lastly, their table, although simple-looking, matches Dropbox’s branding in terms of colors and fonts.

Tools to Help You Style Tables Efficiently

  • Froala Editor Table Customization: Froala offers built-in styling options and plugin hooks to help you easily customize table design for better user experience.
  • CSS-in-JS for Branded Applications: If you’re using React or Vue, libraries like styled-components or Emotion CSS let you write CSS styles with JavaScript. This allows you to write scoped, component-friendly styles.
  • Design Systems and Component Libraries: Use a centralized design system (like a Figma kit) that includes table design patterns for consistency. You can also opt for and customize component libraries for design, like React-Bootstrap or Material UI.
  • Table Styling in Markdown-Rich Environments: If your app supports Markdown (which most modern rich text editors do), look into parser extensions or wrappers that apply consistent styling to tables automatically.

Conclusion

Custom table styles are more than just an aesthetic choice. They directly contribute to reinforcing your brand, reducing formatting errors, and improving overall content usability. By using rich text editors to define and reuse these styles, teams can create consistently branded tables across their platforms.

If you haven’t already, audit how your current tables look across different pieces of content. Then, take the time to define reusable templates and train your teams to use them. A little effort upfront can save hours of cleanup later and make your brand look more unified and professional in the process.

Real-Time Writing Detection: A Froala WYSIWYG Editor Guide

Real-time writing detection

Imagine typing an important email, only to lose your entire draft because the application couldn’t detect you were mid-sentence. Or picture a chat app that never shows when someone is composing a message, leaving you in uncertain silence. These are the user experience nightmares that writing detection helps prevent.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of writing detection using the Froala WYSIWYG editor. You’ll learn the fundamental concepts, explore practical use cases across various applications, and discover technical implementation strategies. From understanding the core principles to implementing advanced detection techniques, this article will equip developers and product managers with the knowledge to create more responsive and intuitive user interfaces.

Detect users start typing

Takeaways

  • Writing detection is more than a technical feature—it’s a bridge between technology and human communication.
  • It enhances user experience through intelligent, context-aware interactions.
  • Improves productivity and reduces user friction
  • Creates more engaging and responsive digital environments
  • Applicable across diverse platforms (chat apps, email, collaborative documents)

Understanding User Writing Detection

User writing detection is more than just a technical feature—it’s a sophisticated approach to understanding and enhancing user interaction. By identifying the precise moment a user begins to write, developers can unlock a range of powerful features that significantly improve user experience.

Why Detect Writing Initiation?

The core purpose of writing detection extends beyond simple tracking. It enables:

  • Personalized user experiences
  • Real-time collaborative features
  • Intelligent content management
  • Performance and engagement analytics

Use Cases

Writing detection finds applications across diverse digital platforms:

Content Creation Platforms

  • Blogs and content management systems can automatically save drafts.
  • Enable seamless collaborative editing across distributed teams
  • Technical documentation tools can provide contextual assistance.

Communication Applications

  1. Chat Applications
    • Implement real-time “typing” indicators
    • Enable intelligent draft saving
    • Suggest contextual responses
    • Provide a seamless message composition experience.
  2. Email Interfaces
    • Auto-save draft functionality
    • Detect abandoned message composition
    • Provide writing assistance

Professional Tools

  • Learning management systems tracking student engagement
  • Customer support platforms monitoring response times
  • Code documentation tools analyzing writing patterns

Technical Implementation in Froala

Event Listeners

Froala provides multiple events to detect changes inside the editor, which can be crucial for content validation and writing detection:

  1. contentChanged Event
var editor = new FroalaEditor("div#froala-editor", {
    events: {
    'contentChanged': function () {
        // Detect when content is modified
       console.log('User started writing');
    }
  }
});
  1. input Event
var editor = new FroalaEditor("div#froala-editor", {
    events: {
    'input': function () {
       // Capture real-time input changes 
       trackUserWriting();
    }
  }
});

While both events can help in detecting user writing, they have crucial differences:

contentChanged Event

  • Triggers after the content in the editor has been modified
  • Captures broader changes, including:
    • Pasting content
    • Deleting content
    • Formatting modifications
    • Drag-and-drop operations
  • Less frequent, more performance-friendly
  • Provides a comprehensive view of content alterations

input Event

  • Fires immediately when the user types or modifies content
  • Captures real-time, granular input changes
  • Triggered for each keystroke or character insertion

Since input event is not triggered when content deleted, we will use the contentChanged event.

Detecting User Writing with Character Count

Froala provides a convenient charCounter.count method that can be used as an additional technique to detect when a user starts writing:

var editor = new FroalaEditor("div#froala-editor", {
    events: {
   'contentChanged': function () {
        // Check the number of characters in the editor 
      const characterCount = editor.charCounter.count(); 
      if (characterCount > 0) { 
        // User has started writing
         console.log('User is writing'); 
        // Trigger your writing detection logic
     }
    }
  }
});

Key Benefits:

  • Simple and straightforward method
  • Provides an immediate indicator of writing activity
  • Works in conjunction with event listeners
  • Helps distinguish between empty and populated editor states

By combining charCounter.count() with event listeners like input and contentChanged, developers can create a robust writing detection system that captures nuanced user interactions.

Using a flag to avoid multiple unnecessary method calls

Add a flag to determine if user writing is already detected. This approach ensures:

  • Avoid multiple unnecessary method calls
  • More efficient writing detection
  • Clean state management for writing status
let isWriting = false;
var editor = new FroalaEditor('div#froala-editor', {
  events: {
    contentChanged: function () {
      // Check the number of characters in the editor
      const characterCount = editor.charCounter.count();

      if (characterCount > 0 && !isWriting) {
        // User has started writing
        isWriting = true;
        console.log('User is writing');
        // Trigger your writing detection logic
      } else if (characterCount === 0) {
        // Reset the flag when editor is empty
        isWriting = false;
      }
    },
  },
});

User Experience Improvements

Immediate Feedback Mechanisms

  • Trigger auto-save when writing begins
  • Provide spelling and grammar suggestions.
  • Offer contextual writing assistance

Privacy Considerations

  • Implement transparent tracking
  • Give users control over interaction monitoring
  • Clearly communicate data usage policies

Performance Best Practices

Optimization Strategies

  • Use lightweight event handlers
  • Minimize performance overhead
  • Ensure cross-browser compatibility

Ethical Considerations: The Human Behind the Cursor

As writing technologies become more sophisticated, we must never forget the human element. Writing detection should feel like a supportive nudge, not an invasive surveillance mechanism. 

While user activity tracking provides valuable insights, it must be balanced with respect for individual privacy. Transparency, user consent, and respect for privacy are paramount.

Designing for Trust

The best writing detection tools are those that feel invisible. They anticipate needs without feeling intrusive. They save work without demanding attention. They provide assistance without undermining the writer’s agency.

The Future of Digital Writing

Writing detection represents more than a technological milestone. It’s a testament to our growing understanding of how humans interact with digital spaces. It acknowledges that writing is an emotional, complex process—not just a mechanical task of inputting text.

As we move forward, these technologies will become more nuanced, more empathetic. They’ll understand not just when we’re writing, but how we’re feeling while we write.

Conclusion

Writing detection in WYSIWYG editors like Froala represents a sophisticated approach to understanding and enhancing user interaction. By implementing intelligent detection mechanisms, developers can create more responsive, intuitive, and user-friendly digital experiences.

Transform your application with cutting-edge writing detection and seamless user interaction. Whether you’re building a chat app, content management system, or collaborative platform, Froala provides the tools you need to create exceptional digital writing experiences. Download Froala WYSIWYG Editor Now

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What exactly is writing detection?

Writing detection is a technology that identifies when a user starts typing or modifying content in a digital editor, enabling responsive and intelligent user interfaces.

Why is writing detection important?

It enhances user experience by:

  • Enabling auto-save features
  • Providing real-time collaboration indicators
  • Improving performance and engagement tracking
  • Offering contextual assistance

Is writing detection invasive?

No, when implemented ethically. Good writing detection:

  • Respects user privacy
  • Provides transparent tracking
  • Offers user control over data collection
  • Focuses on improving user experience

How accurate is writing detection?

Since charCounter.count() is accurately returning the character count, writing detection can be highly precise.

Does writing detection work across different browsers?

Froala Editor and its events and methods are designed to be cross-browser compatible. Creating a writing detection feature using these events and methods should be cross-browser compatible, but thorough testing across different browsers and devices remains crucial.

The goal is to create a seamless, responsive writing experience that feels natural and intuitive, regardless of the user’s chosen platform.

Can writing detection be used in mobile applications?

Absolutely! Writing detection is crucial in mobile interfaces, helping to:

  • Manage limited screen space
  • Provide real-time feedback
  • Optimize performance
  • Enhance touch-based writing experiences

What are the performance implications?

When implemented correctly, writing detection has minimal performance impact. Best practices include:

  • Using efficient event listeners
  • Implementing debounce techniques
  • Avoiding unnecessary computations

Can writing detection help with accessibility?

Yes, it can:

  • Provide better support for assistive technologies
  • Offer real-time feedback for users with different writing needs.
  • Improve overall digital writing experiences

5 Powerful Table Styles And How To Implement Them In Froala WYSIWYG Editor

table styles

In the world of web content creation, tables are more than just data containers—they’re visual storytellers. A robust WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor transforms these static grids into dynamic, engaging visual elements that can dramatically enhance information presentation. By empowering non-technical users with intuitive styling options, modern web editors like Froala are revolutionizing how we think about tabular data.

The Froala WYSIWYG Editor offers a powerful “Table Styles” feature that enables developers to create predefined table style templates. Through an intuitive table edit popup, users can effortlessly apply these styles, customizing their tables’ appearance without needing to understand the underlying HTML or CSS complexities. This democratization of design ensures that beautiful, professional-looking tables are just a click away.

In this article, we’ll explore some amazing CSS table style examples and how developers can register them in Froala.

beautiful, professional-looking tables

Understanding HTML Table Styles Feature in Froala

Before diving into specific styles, it’s crucial to understand how table styling works in Froala.

Applying Preset Table Styles

The Froala WYSIWYG Editor comes with a selection of pre-designed table styles that users can quickly apply to their tables. These preset styles include a variety of color schemes, border styles, and cell formatting options, allowing users to achieve a polished and consistent look across their tabular content.

This feature is particularly useful for users who want to quickly add visual interest to their tables without having to manually configure each individual styling element. By providing a selection of pre-designed styles, Froala helps users save time and ensure a consistent look and feel across their tabular content.

To apply a preset HTML table style, simply select the table you want to format and click on the “Table Styles” button in the editor’s toolbar. This will open a dropdown menu displaying the available style options. Users can then choose the style that best fits their design needs, and Froala will automatically apply the selected formatting to the table.

Developers can extend this Preset list by:

  1. Defining CSS classes for table styles
  2. Registering these styles within the Froala configuration using the tableStyles option. This option is an Object where the key represents the class name and its value is the style name that appears in the dropdown list. It is important to have unique keys otherwise they will not work properly.

For example, to register a table style that creates a striped table.

  1. Define CSS class
  .class1 tbody tr:nth-child(2n) {

    background: #f9f9f9;

  }
  1. Register the new style
  new FroalaEditor('div#froala-editor', {

    // Define new table cell styles.

    tableStyles: {

      class1: 'Class 1',

    }

  })

Styling Tables Examples

Style 1: Minimalist Professional Grid

Design Philosophy

The Minimalist Professional Grid represents clean, corporate design. It emphasizes clarity and readability through subtle design elements.

Minimalist Professional Grid

Implementation Code

FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS.tableStyles = {

  'fr-table-minimalist-professional': 'Minimalist Professional'

};

CSS Implementation:

.fr-view table.fr-table-minimalist-professional {
  border-collapse: separate;
  border-spacing: 0;
  width: 100%;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-minimalist-professional th {
  background-color: #f8f9fa;
  border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;
  color: #495057;
  font-weight: 600;
  padding: 12px;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-minimalist-professional td {
  border-bottom: 1px solid #e9ecef;
  padding: 10px;
  vertical-align: middle;
}

Use Cases

  • Financial reports
  • Corporate documentation
  • Academic presentations

Style 2: Colorful Interactive Grid

Design Philosophy

The Colorful Interactive Grid introduces playful yet professional color gradients that draw attention without overwhelming the data.

Colorful Interactive Grid

Implementation Code

FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS.tableStyles = {

  'fr-table-colorful-interactive': 'Colorful Interactive'

};

CSS Implementation:

.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive {
  width: 100%;
  border-radius: 8px;
  overflow: hidden;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive th {
  background: linear-gradient(45deg, #6a11cb 0%, #2575fc 100%);
  color: white;
  padding: 15px;
  text-transform: uppercase;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive tr:nth-child(even) {
  background-color: #b3e0fd;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive tr:hover {
  background-color: ##03a9f4;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
}

Use Cases

  • Marketing presentations
  • Product comparisons
  • Educational materials

Style 3: Dark Mode Analytics

Design Philosophy

The Dark Mode Analytics style caters to modern HTML table design trends, offering a sleek, contemporary look that reduces eye strain.

Dark Mode Analytics

Implementation Code

FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS.tableStyles = {

  'fr-table-dark-mode-analytics': 'Dark Mode Analytics'

};

CSS Implementation:

.fr-view table.fr-table-dark-mode-analytics {
  background-color: #121212;
  color: #e0e0e0;
  width: 100%;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-dark-mode-analytics th {
  border-bottom: 2px solid #333;
  padding: 12px;
  font-size: 15px;
  color: #00ad5f;
  line-height: 1.4;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  background-color: #393939;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-dark-mode-analytics td {
  border-bottom: 1px solid #333;
  padding: 10px;
  font-size: 15px;
  color: #808080;
  line-height: 1.4;
  background-color: #222222;
}

Use Cases

  • Tech presentations
  • Developer documentation
  • Night mode interfaces

Style 4: Responsive Compact Grid

Design Philosophy

The Responsive Compact Grid prioritizes adaptability across different screen sizes while maintaining readability.

Implementation Code

FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS.tableStyles = {

  'fr-table-responsive-compact': 'Responsive Compact'

};

CSS Implementation:

.fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact {
  width: 100%;
  font-size: 0.9em;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact th,
.fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact td {
  padding: 8px;
  text-align: left;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
  .fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact thead {
    display: none;
  }
  .fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact tr {
    display: block;
    margin-bottom: 10px;
  }
  .fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact td {
    display: block;
    text-align: right;
  }
}

Use Cases

  • Mobile-friendly websites
  • Condensed reports
  • Adaptive design scenarios

Style 5: Elegant Academic Layout

Design Philosophy

The Elegant Academic Layout draws inspiration from scholarly publications, emphasizing structured, formal presentation.

Elegant Academic

Implementation Code

FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS.tableStyles = {

  'fr-table-elegant-academic': 'Elegant Academic'

};

CSS Implementation:

.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic {
  border: none;
  width: 100%;
  font-family: "Georgia", serif;
  border-collapse: separate;
  border-spacing: 0 10px;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic th {
  border: solid 1px transparent;
  padding: 12px;
  text-align: left;
  font-size: 14px;
  color: #555555;
  line-height: 1.4;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  background-color: transparent;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic td {
  color: #808080;
  line-height: 1.4;
  background-color: #f7f7f7;
  border: none;
  padding: 10px;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic td:first-child {
  border-left-style: none;
  border-top-left-radius: 10px;
  border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;
}

Use Cases

  • Research papers
  • Academic journals
  • Scientific publications

Table Styles Implementation in Froala

Let’s combine all these styles altogether.

In your stylesheet, add

#froala-editor {
  margin: 20px;
}
.show-placeholder > div > a,
.fr-wrapper > div > a {
  display: none !important;
}

/* Minimalist Professional Grid */
.fr-view table.fr-table-minimalist-professional {
  border-collapse: separate;
  border-spacing: 0;
  width: 100%;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-minimalist-professional th {
  background-color: #f8f9fa;
  border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;
  color: #495057;
  font-weight: 600;
  padding: 12px;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-minimalist-professional td {
  border-bottom: 1px solid #e9ecef;
  padding: 10px;
  vertical-align: middle;
}

/*  Colorful Interactive Grid */
.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive {
  width: 100%;
  border-radius: 8px;
  overflow: hidden;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive th {
  background: linear-gradient(45deg, #6a11cb 0%, #2575fc 100%);
  color: white;
  padding: 15px;
  text-transform: uppercase;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive tr:nth-child(even) {
  background-color: #b3e0fd;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-colorful-interactive tr:hover {
  background-color: ##03a9f4;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
}

/* Dark Mode Analytics */
.fr-view table.fr-table-dark-mode-analytics {
  background-color: #121212;
  color: #e0e0e0;
  width: 100%;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-dark-mode-analytics th {
  border-bottom: 2px solid #333;
  padding: 12px;
  font-size: 15px;
  color: #00ad5f;
  line-height: 1.4;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  background-color: #393939;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-dark-mode-analytics td {
  border-bottom: 1px solid #333;
  padding: 10px;
  font-size: 15px;
  color: #808080;
  line-height: 1.4;
  background-color: #222222;
}

/* Responsive Compact Grid */
.fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact {
  width: 100%;
  font-size: 0.9em;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact th,
.fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact td {
  padding: 8px;
  text-align: left;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
  .fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact thead {
    display: none;
  }
  .fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact tr {
    display: block;
    margin-bottom: 10px;
  }
  .fr-view table.fr-table-responsive-compact td {
    display: block;
    text-align: right;
  }
}

/* Elegant Academic */
.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic {
  border: none;
  width: 100%;
  font-family: "Georgia", serif;
  border-collapse: separate;
  border-spacing: 0 10px;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic th {
  border: solid 1px transparent;
  padding: 12px;
  text-align: left;
  font-size: 14px;
  color: #555555;
  line-height: 1.4;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  background-color: transparent;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic td {
  color: #808080;
  line-height: 1.4;
  background-color: #f7f7f7;
  border: none;
  padding: 10px;
}
.fr-view table.fr-table-elegant-academic td:first-child {
  border-left-style: none;
  border-top-left-radius: 10px;
  border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;
}

In your script, initialize Froala editor

new FroalaEditor("div#froala-editor", {
  tableStyles: {
    "fr-table-minimalist-professional": "Minimalist Professional",
    "fr-table-colorful-interactive": "Colorful Interactive",
    "fr-table-dark-mode-analytics": "Dark Mode Analytics",
    "fr-table-responsive-compact": "Responsive Compact",
    "fr-table-elegant-academic": "Elegant Academic",
  },
  tableMultipleStyles: false,
})

The HTML code

   <link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet'
        type='text/css' />

<div id="froala-editor">
  <h2>Compare Plans</h2>
  <table style="width: 100%;">
    <tbody>
        <tr>

   <th>
    Professional
   </th>
   <th>
    Enterprise
   </th>
   <th>
    Custom
   </th>
  </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Self-Hosted</td>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Everything in Professional</td>
        <td style="width: 33.3559%;" rowspan="4">
    Contact Us</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Unlimited Active Users</td>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Unlimited Products</td>
      </tr>
            <tr>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Self-Hosted</td>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Everything in Professional</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Unlimited Editor Loads</td>
        <td style="width: 25%;">Unlimited Domains</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>
  <script type='text/javascript'
        src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'></script>

Now, when you open your application, you’ll see a rich, interactive table editing experience with multiple predefined styles. Users can seamlessly switch between different table designs, each optimized for specific contexts and visual requirements. The integrated styles provide a flexible framework for creating professional, responsive, and visually engaging tables that adapt to various design needs and screen sizes, enhancing overall user experience and content presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is styling tables in Froala important?

Tables are a popular element in web content, used to organize and present data in a structured format. Whether it’s displaying product information, financial reports, or schedule details, tables play a crucial role in effectively communicating information to readers. However, poorly styled tables can detract from the overall user experience, making the content appear cluttered, difficult to scan, and visually unappealing.

This is where the Froala WYSIWYG Editor’s Table Styles feature shines. By providing a user-friendly interface for table formatting, Froala empowers non-technical users to create visually engaging tables that enhance the presentation of their content.

Can I create custom table styles beyond the pre-defined options?

Yes, Froala provides extensive flexibility for creating custom table styles. Developers can define unique CSS classes and register them using the tableStyles configuration option, allowing for virtually unlimited styling possibilities.

How difficult is it to implement custom table styles?

Implementing custom table styles is relatively straightforward. It requires basic knowledge of CSS and JavaScript. The process involves:

  • Creating a CSS class with your desired styling
  • Registering the style in the Froala configuration
  • Applying the style through the editor’s interface

Can I use these styles with dynamic content?

Yes, these table styles work seamlessly with dynamically generated tables. Once registered, the styles can be applied to tables created programmatically or through user input in the Froala editor.

Are there performance implications of using custom table styles?

Custom table styles have minimal performance impact. The CSS classes are lightweight, and Froala is optimized to handle various styling configurations efficiently.

Can I apply multiple table styles simultaneously?

By default, Froala allows you to apply multiple table styles concurrently. However, if you prefer a more controlled approach where only a single style can be active at a time, Froala provides a simple configuration option.

Controlling Style Selection

  • Multiple Styles (Default Behavior):


tableMultipleStyles: true  // Multiple styles can be applied simultaneously

  • Single Style Mode:


tableMultipleStyles: false  // Only one style can be selected at a time

Example Scenario

Consider a table with multiple style requirements:

new FroalaEditor('#myEditor', {

  tableMultipleStyles: false,  // Enforce single style selection

  tableStyles: {

    'professional-grid': 'Professional Grid',

    'dark-mode': 'Dark Mode',

    'compact-view': 'Compact View'

  }

});

In this single-style mode, selecting a new style will automatically deselect any previously applied styles, ensuring a clean, focused presentation.

Pro Tip: Use tableMultipleStyles: false when you want to maintain a consistent, uniform look across your tables and prevent style conflicts.

Do these styles work in all browsers?

The styles demonstrated in this article use modern CSS techniques that are supported in all contemporary browsers. However, it’s always recommended to test your specific implementation across different browser versions.

Conclusion

Froala’s table styling capabilities represent a significant leap in content creation technology. By providing developers with flexible, powerful styling options, the editor transforms tables from mere data containers into compelling visual narratives.

Implementing these styles requires thoughtful consideration of your specific use case, target audience, and overall design language. Experiment, iterate, and find the perfect table style that elevates your content.

Key Takeaways

  • Table styles go beyond aesthetics; they enhance data communication.
  • Froala offers unprecedented customization for table design.
  • Choose styles that align with your content’s purpose and audience.

Download the editor, embrace these table styles, and watch your data tell more engaging, visually stunning stories.

 

Advanced Integrations for an AI Content Analyzer

In the last post, we introduced our internal content analyzer. That tool is great for a high-level score, but its “input-process-output” model is just the beginning. The real opportunity is to build a more dynamic and integrated experience.

This article is for developers who saw that analyzer and thought, “What’s next?” We’ll explore three practical ways to evolve a content analysis tool using the Froala editor’s deeper API features.

Key Takeaways

  • Embed AI suggestions directly into the editor text using html.set().
  • Use the official Froala Filestack plugin to handle direct .docx file uploads.
  • Leverage the plugin’s events to create a custom document-to-HTML workflow.
  • Use the editor’s contentChanged event to create a “live linting” experience.
  • Debounce editor events to ensure optimal application performance.

Embed Feedback Directly into the Text

A common limitation of analyzer tools is the separation of feedback from the content itself. We can fix this by putting the AI’s suggestions right where they belong, transforming static text into interactive annotations.

The API Implementation

After your application gets a response from the AI, it can parse the suggestions and programmatically rewrite the editor’s content. By wrapping the targeted text in a custom <span> tag using html.set(), you can highlight the area and use a title attribute to show the AI’s note on hover.

 

/**
 * A hypothetical function after receiving AI feedback.
 * Applies suggestions to the Froala Editor's content,
 * highlighting the original text with feedback as a tooltip.
 */
function applySuggestions(suggestions) {
  let modifiedContent = froalaEditor.html.get();

  // Your logic to find and replace text would go here
  suggestions.forEach(suggestion => {
    modifiedContent = modifiedContent.replace(
      suggestion.originalText,
      `<span class="suggestion" title="${suggestion.feedback}">${suggestion.originalText}</span>`
    );
  });

  froalaEditor.html.set(modifiedContent);
}

 

Integrate a Document Upload Workflow

Writers work in document editors. A professional tool should handle .docx files directly, not force a copy-paste workflow. Instead of building a custom uploader, we can use the official Froala Filestack plugin to handle this.

The goal is to use the plugin to upload a .docx file, but instead of inserting a link to that file, we will intercept the upload, convert the document to HTML on our backend, and then load that HTML into the editor.

The API Implementation

This approach relies on using the plugin’s built-in filestack.uploadedToFilestack event. We configure the plugin with our API key and then use the event to trigger our custom conversion logic.

  • The user clicks the ‘Insert File’ button, which is now powered by Filestack.
  • They upload a .docx file using the Filestack picker.
  • The filestack.uploadedToFilestack event fires, providing the URL of the uploaded file.
  • Our custom logic sends this URL to a backend service for conversion.
  • The editor’s html.set() method is called to insert the final, converted HTML.

 

/**
 * Initializes the Froala Editor with the Filestack plugin,
 * configured for a custom DOCX workflow.
 */
new FroalaEditor('#editor', {
  // Ensure the 'insertFile' button is available in the toolbar.
  toolbarButtons: ['bold', 'italic', '|', 'insertFile'],

  // Basic Filestack plugin configuration.
  filestackOptions: {
    filestackAPI: 'YOUR_FILESTACK_API_KEY', // Replace with your actual Filestack API key.
    pickerOptions: {
      accept: ['.docx', '.doc'] // Only allow .docx and .doc files to be picked.
    }
  },

  events: {
    // This plugin event is crucial for our custom workflow.
    // It triggers after a file has been successfully uploaded to Filestack.
    'filestack.uploadedToFilestack': function (response) {
      // The plugin has handled the file upload; now we take over.
      const fileUrl = response.filesUploaded[0].url; // Get the URL of the uploaded file.
      const editorInstance = this; // 'this' refers to the Froala editor instance.

      // This would be your function that calls a backend service
      // to convert the document at the given URL into HTML.
      convertDocxToHtml(fileUrl).then(html => {
        // Once the HTML is received, set it as the editor's content.
        editorInstance.html.set(html);
      });

      // Return 'false' to prevent the default behavior of the Filestack plugin,
      // which would typically insert a link to the uploaded file.
      return false;
    }
  }
});

 

 

Build Real-Time Analysis with Editor Events

A manual “Analyze” button is useful, but we can provide more immediate value with real-time feedback. The goal is to create a “live linting” experience that offers suggestions as the user writes.

The Froala Events API is the foundation for this feature.

The API Implementation

You can listen for the contentChanged event to trigger actions whenever the user types. To avoid performance issues, you must “debounce” this event so your analysis function only runs after the user has paused typing for a moment.

 

// Assumes you have a debounce utility function from a library like Lodash.
// This function delays the execution of 'updateRealtimeFeedback'
// until 1.5 seconds after the user stops typing or making changes.
const debouncedAnalysis = debounce(() => {
  let currentContent = froalaEditor.html.get();
  // Run your lightweight, real-time content analysis here.
  updateRealtimeFeedback(currentContent);
}, 1500); // 1.5 second delay

// Attach the debounced analysis function to the 'contentChanged' event of the editor.
froalaEditor.events.on('contentChanged', debouncedAnalysis);

 

Wrapping up the improvements

A basic content analyzer is a great start, but it’s just one possibility. These examples show how a rich editor with a deep API is not just an input field but a platform for building integrated and powerful applications. By using the API to handle content manipulation, custom UI, and events, you can move beyond simple analysis and create tools that actively improve a writer’s workflow.

What Is A WYSIWYG Editor? A Complete Guide

Introduction

Maybe you were scrolling on a web page and have seen the abbreviation “WYSIWYG editor” and wondered what it means. Well, I’m here to tell you exactly what it means and why you might be interested in it even more especially if you’re a developer. Basically, a WYSIWYG editor is a software tool that allows users to create and edit content visually, without needing to have a deep understanding of coding or markup languages. WYSIWYG editors are easy but may limit design control compared to manual coding. However, with that in mind, the advantages of a WYSIWYG editor might still interest you despite its downsides. So today, we will explore WYSIWYG editors, their pros and cons, and tips for using them effectively.

 

What Does WYSIWYG Stand For?

So what is a WYSIWYG editor?  WYSIWYG stands for “What You See Is What You Get”. WYSIWYG is a term that software applications or user interfaces use to allow users to see the final output before producing, printing, or publishing it. People commonly use WYSIWYG in word processing, computer programming, desktop publishing software, and web design, among other applications.

person-sitting-on-bench-with-cat

How Does a WYSIWYG Editor Work?

The user creates and edits content visually using a WYSIWYG editor, instead of writing code or using markup languages. Here are the general steps involved in how a WYSIWYG editor works:

  1. User Interface: The WYSIWYG editor presents a graphical user interface that is similar to what users might see in a typical word processor, with familiar tools such as formatting options, menus, and buttons for adding or manipulating images, links, tables, and other elements. Instead of typing code, the developer can use this user interface.
  2. Real-time Content Creation: Users can create or edit content directly in the WYSIWYG editor by typing or pasting text, adding images or multimedia elements, and using formatting tools to adjust the appearance of the content. As they work, users can see the content rendered in real-time on the screen, as it will appear in the final output.
  3. Behind the Scenes: The WYSIWYG editor operates behind the scenes to generate code or markup language (such as HTML, CSS, or XML) based on the user’s input. Developers create the final output, such as a web page or document, using this code.
  4. Preview and Publish: Most WYSIWYG editors provide a preview mode that allows users to see how their content will look in its final form before it is published or printed. The user can publish or export the output, including the WYSIWYG-generated code, after ensuring the content and appearance are satisfactory.

Examples of Popular WYSIWYG Editors

WYSIWYG editors ease content creation and editing for non-technical users. Therefore, using one might interest you. There are many editors out there such as Froala, CKEditor, TinyMCE, Redactor, QuillJS and many more. Hopefully these could help you choose the best WYSIWYG HTML editor for your needs.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a WYSIWYG Editor

WYSIWYG editors have benefits in ease of use and speed but lack complexity and control. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of using a WYSIWYG editor.

Pros:

  1. Ease of Use: One of the primary advantages of using a WYSIWYG editor is its ease of use. Users can create and edit content visually, without needing to have a deep understanding of coding or markup languages. It widens accessibility for new web or document creators.
  2. Speed: WYSIWYG editors help users create content more quickly than if they had to write code manually. Users can create layouts and designs quickly using templates and drag-and-drop tools.
  3. Consistency: Because the editor generates code based on user input, it can help ensure consistency across different pages or documents. Maintaining a consistent style and formatting is useful for larger projects with multiple contributors.

Cons:

  1. Limited Customization: Though these editors are easy to use, they probably do not provide as much control as coding manually would. Developers may find it difficult to edit the code generated.
  2. Bloated Code: The code generated could be bloated and may contain unnecessary elements. This could lead to slower web pages, which is be problematic for websites.
  3. Compatibility Issues: Not every code generated are compatible with every platform. Users would need to test their output and make edits to make sure it is compatible.

Tips for Using a WYSIWYG Editor Effectively

  1. Understand the Code: While you don’t need to be an expert in coding or markup languages, it’s still important to understand the basics of HTML and CSS. Having basic knowledge ease design and troubleshooting.
  2. Use Templates: Many editors come with pre-built templates that you can use as a starting point for your project. Templates ensure consistent design and save time on multiple pages.
  3. Use Stylesheets: Stylesheets are a powerful tool that can help you maintain consistency in the design and layout of your work. Using stylesheets defines element styles and applies them consistently across content.
  4. Keep It Simple: While it can be tempting to add lots of flashy design elements to your content, it’s important to remember that simplicity is often best. Avoid clutter with multiple fonts, colors, or design elements.
  5. Test and Preview: Before publishing your work, make sure to test it across multiple platforms and devices to ensure that it looks and functions as intended. Use the preview mode in your WYSIWYG editor to check that your content appears as you expect it to.

Effective use of these editors require code knowledge, use of templates, simplicity, and testing. With these tips in mind, you can create high-quality work.

Key Takeaways

  • A WYSIWYG editor gives your users a familiar UI to edit content so you don’t have to build one.
  • Users can format text, manage images, and change layouts without creating a support ticket for you to handle.
  • The editor lives inside your application. Its output must be clean HTML that respects your existing CSS.
  • Integrating a rich text editor shouldn’t be a project in itself. It should drop into your app with minimal configuration.
  • Froala is built for this, letting you ship the feature and get back to your actual product

Conclusion

WYSIWYG editors can be a great tool for creating and editing content quickly and easily, especially for those who are new to web design or document creation. However, WYSIWYG may not offer full control and browser/device compatibility. By understanding the code, using templates and stylesheets, keeping designs simple, and thoroughly testing aid content quality. Hopefully, this has helped you understand more about this editor and if we’ve inspired you to try it for yourself, then why don’t you try the Froala WYSIWYG HTML editor which is lightweight but can be heavily customized to your liking with our plugins.

 

Download Froala Editor

 

 

HTML Code Writer with Iframe Isolation and How to Inject Styles

HTML Iframe

Looking to seamlessly integrate a rich text editor into your web application without disrupting your existing design or compromising security? Leveraging the power of iframes, the Froala WYSIWYG editor offers a robust solution for achieving just that. This approach provides a clean, isolated environment for the editor, preventing style conflicts and potential security vulnerabilities.

This article delves into the advantages of loading your Froala editor within an iframe, exploring the benefits of content isolation and enhanced customization options. We’ll provide a clear, step-by-step guide on how to effectively embed the Froala editor in an iframe, and discuss techniques for injecting custom styles to maintain brand consistency and a polished user experience.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Using an iframe to embed the Froala WYSIWYG editor provides content isolation, preventing style conflicts between the editor and the main website. This ensures a consistent editing experience regardless of the surrounding website’s CSS.
  2. Froala’s iframe mode allows developers to inject custom styles directly into the iframe, enabling precise control over the editor’s visual presentation to maintain brand consistency.
  3. Embedding the Froala editor in an iframe is a straightforward process.

HTML Code Writer

The Benefits of Using HTML Iframe with Froala Editor

Understanding the Advantages of Iframe Content Isolation

Iframes offer a powerful way to embed external content seamlessly within your web pages while maintaining a clean separation from your core site’s structure and styling. Think of them as miniature windows displaying content from other sources.

With the Froala WYSIWYG editor, utilizing iframe mode provides significant advantages, primarily centered around content isolation. This iframe editor customization ensures that the styling of your Froala editor, embedded within the iframe, won’t clash with the CSS of your main webpage. This is particularly crucial when dealing with complex website designs or when integrating third-party content. This isolation prevents conflicts and ensures a consistent editing experience within the Froala editor, regardless of the surrounding website’s styles.

Furthermore, iframe content isolation enhances security by limiting the impact of potentially malicious scripts within the embedded content, protecting your website’s integrity. Using iframes with the Froala editor allows for a more controlled and predictable integration, contributing to a smoother user experience and simplified development process.

The Froala editor embedding process is straightforward and designed to enhance both UX and DX, aligning perfectly with Froala’s mission to create exceptional editing experiences.

Enhancing Your WYSIWYG Editor with Iframe Customization

The ability to set default styles for framed WYSIWYG editors’ content is particularly beneficial for maintaining brand consistency and ensuring seamless visual integration.

How do you achieve this level of iframe editor customization? It’s simpler than you might think. Injecting styles into the framed Froala editor allows you to precisely tailor the look and feel to match your brand’s guidelines. This precise control extends to fonts, colors, button styles, and virtually every aspect of the editor’s visual presentation.

With Froala’s focus on intuitive design and developer experience, customizing your framed editor becomes a powerful tool for creating a visually appealing and user-friendly editing experience within your web application.

How to Embed Froala Editor in an Iframe Effectively

The Froala WYSIWYG editor, known for its clean design and developer-friendly integration, provides a dedicated iframe mode, further enhancing its versatility and customization capabilities.

First, include the Froala library in your project. Then, when initializing the editor, set the iframe option to true. This creates a contained environment for the editor, preventing style conflicts with the surrounding webpage.

new FroalaEditor('div#froala-editor', {
  iframe: true
})

This isolation is especially beneficial when dealing with complex website designs, ensuring the Froala editor renders perfectly regardless of existing CSS. This method offers several advantages, including iframe content isolation and enhanced iframe editor customization.

How To Inject Styles Inside Froala WYSIWYG Editor

Enabling Froala’s iframe mode brings us to the matter of styling the framed editor. Because of the inherent content isolation, simply adding CSS to your main stylesheet won’t affect the editor within the iframe. This is where the Froala core.injectStyle(style) method comes into play.

This method is used to inject styles directly into the iframe’s document. This approach allows precise control over the editor’s visual presentation within its contained environment, overcoming the limitations posed by iframe SEO impact and ensuring consistent styling regardless of the parent page’s CSS.

For example, by default, the standard browser’s font-size for the H1 tag is 32px. This is the font size that will be automatically applied to H1 elements inside the Froala editor when used in iframe mode. However, you may want to change this default to match your brand’s style guide – for instance, setting the H1 font-size to 40px. In this case, you can use core.injectStyle(style) method like this:

let editor = new FroalaEditor(
  "div#froala-editor",
  {
    iframe: true,
  },
  function () {
    // Call the method inside the initialized event.
    editor.core.injectStyle("h1{font-size: 40px}")
  },
)

The code above sets the font-size for any H1 tags inserted within the Froala editor to 40px, ensuring the editor’s appearance matches your brand’s design guidelines.

With this technique, developers can achieve seamless iframe editor customization while leveraging the benefits of iframe content isolation and enhanced security. This allows for a streamlined user experience that makes Froala a favorite among developers worldwide.

FAQ

1. What are the benefits of using HTML iframe for embedding the Froala Editor?

Using an iframe for the Froala Editor offers several key benefits: content isolation (preventing style conflicts with your main website and enhancing security), enhanced customization (allowing precise control over the editor’s appearance through style injection), and a cleaner separation of content which can potentially improve page load times and thus, SEO. It creates a contained environment, simplifying development and ensuring a consistent editing experience.

2. How can I customize the Froala Editor when loaded in an iframe?

Customize the framed Froala editor by injecting styles directly into the iframe’s document using the core.injectStyle(style) method. This allows precise control over fonts, colors, button styles, and more, ensuring brand consistency.

Conclusion

Embedding the Froala editor within an iframe offers a compelling blend of design flexibility, enhanced security, and improved site stability. While iframe implementation requires careful consideration of SEO implications, the benefits of content isolation and styling customization often outweigh the challenges. By understanding the nuances of iframe integration and leveraging Froala’s intuitive design, developers can create a seamless and visually appealing editing experience that enhances user satisfaction and development workflow. So, take the leap and explore the power of iframe embedding with Froala – you might be surprised at how easily it elevates your web application’s editing capabilities.

Setting Up and Customizing a Dark Mode Text Editor

Dark mode text editor

The demand for dark mode interfaces has been steadily rising in modern UI/UX design trends. Users actively seek out applications and tools that provide a visually pleasing and comfortable dark mode experience.

Froala, a popular rich text editor, empowers developers to easily customize the user interface and experience, including a captivating dark mode option.

Key Takeaways

  • Dark mode can improve user experience by reducing eye strain, enhancing readability, and creating a more immersive environment.
  • Implementing dark mode can benefit developers by meeting user expectations and improving accessibility.
  • Froala makes it easy for developers to customize the editor’s appearance, including enabling a dark mode theme.

Froala's dark mode

The Benefits of Dark Mode

Enabling Froala’s dark mode offers several advantages for both users and developers.

From a user’s perspective, a dark mode can:

  • Reduce eye strain – The dimmer interface is easier on the eyes, especially in low-light conditions.
  • Improve readability – The high-contrast colors make text more legible.
  • Create a more immersive experience – The dark theme establishes a focused, visually appealing environment.

For developers, implementing a dark mode option can:

  • Enhance the overall user experience – Users increasingly expect and appreciate dark mode functionality.
  • Increase accessibility – The improved contrast benefits users with visual impairments.

By providing a well-designed dark mode, you can deliver a more comfortable and accessible text editing experience for your users.

Step-by-step guide to setting up Froala’s dark mode

Let’s set up a dark mode text editor.

Step 1: Get started

Follow the Froala installation guide to set up your preferred framework. For a simple webpage using Froala’s CDN links, you can use the following code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, height=device-height, initial-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0">
    <link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="example"></div>
    <script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'></script>
    <script>
      var editor = new FroalaEditor('#example');
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

If you prefer hosting Froala locally, you can download it and start a free trial.

Step 2: Include the theme CSS file

Froala offers several built-in themes, including Black, Gray, and Royal. You need to include the CSS file for the Dark theme to use it in your project.

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/themes/dark.min.css

Step 3: Set the theme in the configuration

To enable editor dark mode, configure the theme option when initializing the Froala editor:

new FroalaEditor('div#eg-dark-theme', {

  theme: 'dark'

});

This will add the dark-theme class to the Froala .fr-box element, allowing the CSS rules defined in the Dark theme to be applied without conflict with other CSS on the page.

Step 4: Run your app

When you run your app, you should see Froala in the dark mode. 

Note: To use Froala in a production environment, don’t forget to get a valid API key.

Dark mode text editor

Customize Your Editor Theme

Froala’s built-in Dark theme only changes the color of the top toolbar. To make the entire editor interface darker, you can add custom CSS rules.

Here’s an example of CSS rules to turn the editor’s editing area and bottom toolbar into a darker color:

.dark-theme.fr-box.fr-basic .fr-element {

  background: #4e4d4d;

  color: #f0efef;

}

.dark-theme .fr-second-toolbar {

  background: #353535;

}

These rules will make the editor’s content area and bottom toolbar adopt a darker background color, with the text displayed in a lighter shade. This creates a more consistent dark mode appearance throughout the editor.

Froala custom theme

By leveraging the flexibility of CSS, you can further customize the Froala editor’s appearance to match the overall branding and design of your application.

Create Your Own Theme

Froala allows developers to create their own custom themes. This empowers you to tailor the editor’s appearance and branding to match your application or website.

To create a custom theme:

  1. Write your CSS rules in a separate file, e.g. “awesome.css”.
  2. Start each CSS rule with “.awesome-theme” to avoid conflicts with other styles.
  3. Place the “awesome.css” file in the themes folder on your server.
  4. Add a link to your theme in your application.

Once you’ve defined your custom theme, you can apply it to the Froala editor by setting the theme option when initializing the editor. For example:

new FroalaEditor('div#eg-dark-theme', {

  theme: 'awesome'

});

This allows you to fully customize the appearance of the text editor, including colors, fonts, and other visual elements. By aligning the editor’s design with your application’s branding, you can create a cohesive and visually appealing user interface.

Detecting User Preferences and Adjusting Themes

You can also detect the user’s system mode (light or dark) and automatically adjust the editor’s theme accordingly. This provides a seamless transition between light and dark modes without requiring the user to manually switch settings.

Using CSS

When creating a new theme, you can use the prefers-color-scheme media query in your CSS. This media query allows you to detect the user’s preferred color scheme and apply different styles based on that preference:

/* Light mode styles */

.custom-theme .froala-editor {

  --text-color: #333;

  --background-color: #fff;

}

/* Dark mode styles */

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {

  .custom-theme .froala-editor {

    --text-color: #f1f1f1;

    --background-color: #333;

  }

}

The default styles are set for a light mode interface. When the media query detects the user’s system is in dark mode, it overrides the text and background colors to create a visually pleasing dark mode experience.

Using JavaScript

Alternatively, you can use the window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)") expression to check the user’s system mode and set the appropriate theme:

new FroalaEditor('div#eg-dark-theme', {
  theme: window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches
    ? "dark"
    : "royal"
});

Auto switch between dark and light mode

By leveraging these techniques, you can ensure that Froala’s dark mode is seamlessly integrated into your application, providing users with a consistent and comfortable experience regardless of their system preferences.

Best Practices for Dark Mode in Rich Text Editors

When it comes to best practices for using dark mode in rich text editors like Froala, it’s important to consider factors such as contrast, readability, and accessibility.

Ensuring that the text and background colors provide sufficient contrast, while maintaining legibility, is crucial for providing a comfortable and usable experience for all users. Avoid using low-contrast color combinations, as this can make the text difficult to read and strain the user’s eyes.

Additionally, consider the accessibility implications of your dark mode implementation. Ensure that the color choices and contrast levels meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards to support users with visual impairments or other accessibility needs.

When designing a dark mode theme for your Froala editor, pay close attention to the following:

  • Contrast Ratio: Aim for a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 between the text and background colors to ensure readability.
  • Font Legibility: Choose fonts and font sizes that are easily readable, even in low-light environments.
  • Consistent Styling: Maintain a consistent visual style throughout the editor, including the toolbar, menus, and other UI elements.
  • Accessibility Considerations: Ensure that your dark mode theme meets WCAG guidelines for color contrast, text resizing, and other accessibility requirements.

By following these best practices, you can create a dark mode experience in your Froala editor that is not only visually appealing but also accessible and comfortable for all users.

Conclusion

Froala’s UI customization features, such as creating custom themes, empower developers to deliver a cohesive, visually appealing dark mode experience. By exploring Froala’s dark mode capabilities and implementing best practices, you can create text editors that not only meet the growing demand for dark mode but also enhance the overall user experience and accessibility.

As users increasingly seek out applications with thoughtful dark mode support, incorporating a well-designed and accessible option in your Froala-powered text editor can be a valuable differentiator. It’s a great way to improve the user experience and set your application apart.

So why not try editor dark mode today? Enable it with just a few lines of code and see how it can transform your text editing interface. Provide your users with a comfortable, focused, visually appealing dark mode experience they’ll love.

FAQ

Is dark mode better for your eyes?

Yes, dark mode can be better for your eyes in certain situations. The dimmer interface and higher contrast between text and background can reduce eye strain, especially in low-light environments. The reduced brightness and blue light exposure can also help minimize headaches and fatigue associated with prolonged screen time. However, it’s important to ensure that the dark mode implementation follows accessibility best practices to maintain readability and comfort for all users.

What are the benefits of dark mode on a computer?

Using dark mode on a computer can provide several benefits:

  • Reduced eye strain: The lower brightness and contrast can be easier on the eyes, especially in low-light conditions.
  • Improved battery life: Dark mode can reduce the power consumption of OLED and LCD displays, leading to longer battery life on laptops and mobile devices.
  • Enhanced focus and productivity: The dimmer interface can create a more immersive and focused work environment, helping to minimize distractions.
  • Aesthetic appeal: Many users find dark mode visually appealing and prefer the sleek, modern look it provides.

This explains why dark mode is better than normal mode in many cases. By leveraging the advantages of dark mode, you can create a more comfortable and efficient computing experience for your users.

Why is dark mode bad in some cases?

While dark mode can offer several benefits, it’s important to consider that dark mode may not be suitable for all users or all situations. Some potential drawbacks of dark mode include:

  • Reduced Contrast: In some cases, the high contrast between dark backgrounds and light text can make it difficult for users with visual impairments or certain eye conditions to read the content.
  • Increased Power Consumption: On non-OLED displays, dark mode may not provide significant power savings and could even increase power consumption in some cases.
  • Difficulty Adapting: Users who are accustomed to light mode interfaces may find it challenging to adjust to a dark mode environment, especially if they need to switch between the two modes frequently.
  • Compatibility Issues: Certain websites or applications may not be designed with dark mode in mind, leading to visual inconsistencies or rendering problems.

When implementing dark mode, it’s important to carefully consider the potential drawbacks and ensure that the design provides a comfortable and accessible experience for all users, regardless of their preferences or needs.

Can I create my own custom theme for Froala’s dark mode?

Yes, Froala allows developers to create their own custom themes. This empowers you to tailor the editor’s appearance and branding to match your application or website. You can define your own CSS rules and apply the custom theme when initializing the Froala editor.

How We Built Our Internal E-E-A-T Content Analyzer with Froala

Our team launched the E-E-A-T & Helpful Content Analyzer a few weeks ago. You might have noticed it’s built with the Froala editor. We made this key technical decision immediately (and it was a no-brainer).

Our content team needed to move away from subjective, manual content reviews. We wanted an automated tool to check our work against Google’s standards. This project also serves as a great example of how easily Froala integrates into modern, AI-powered applications.

This article details the technical thinking behind the tool. We’ll cover why we built it and how its components, including Froala and the DeepSeek API, work together to provide a seamless experience.

Key Takeaways

  • For AI content analysis, a <textarea> is insufficient; preserving HTML structure with an editor like Froala provides essential context.
  • Getting structured data from an LLM requires strict instructions; embedding formatting rules directly into the prompt is non-negotiable for a predictable response.
  • A simple html.get() method call is all that’s needed to pull clean, complete HTML from the Froala editor for processing.
  • You don’t need complex parsers for LLM responses if you enforce a consistent format; a simple regular expression can extract the data you need.
  • Focus your engineering effort on the core problem—in this case, the AI prompt—not on rebuilding commodity components like a rich text editor.

The Need for an Objective Tool

Our team used to manually check an article against Google’s E-E-A-T and Helpful Content guidelines. It was slow and, worse, subjective. One person’s interpretation of “authoritativeness” could easily differ from another’s.

We needed an objective, automated tool to give us structured feedback. The goal wasn’t to replace our writers but to give them a consistent feedback loop. The tool had to do three things well.

  1. Accept rich text with all its formatting.
  2. Analyze it against specific E-E-A-T criteria.
  3. Present structured, actionable feedback.

How the Analyzer is Structured

The analyzer is a simple two-column layout. Input on the left, results on the right. There’s no need to over-engineer the UI when a clean workflow is the priority. We used basic CSS Flexbox to keep it responsive and straightforward.

 

.main-layout {
    display: flex;
    flex-grow: 1;
    padding: 20px;
    gap: 25px;

}

.column {
    flex: 1;

}

.input-column {
    order: 1;
}

.results-column {
    order: 2;
}

This keeps a clear, logical separation between the user’s content and the AI’s analysis.

Why a <textarea> Wasn’t Enough

For the content input, a standard <textarea> element was a non-starter. Modern articles depend on headings, lists, links, and other formatting. These structural elements are critical for readability and are a key signal in Google’s “Helpful Content” evaluation. If you send plain text to an AI for analysis, you lose half the context.

This is where we plugged in the Froala editor. It’s designed to handle complex, structured content out of the box. This is all the code required to embed the editor and configure its toolbar.

 

document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
    try {
        new FroalaEditor('#editor', {
            placeholderText: 'Paste your article HTML or text content here...',
            heightMin: 150,
            toolbarButtons: ['bold', 'italic', 'underline', '|', 'align', 'formatOL', 'formatUL', '|', 'insertLink', 'undo', 'redo'],
        });
    } catch (e) {
        console.error("Froala Editor initialization failed:", e);
    }
});

 

With the editor in place, all the important structural elements of an article are preserved. When it’s time to send the content for analysis, grabbing the complete, clean HTML is a single method call.

 

let content = FroalaEditor.INSTANCES[0].html.get();

This line provides the complete HTML content, which is ready for analysis.

Engineering a Predictable AI Prompt

Getting a consistent, structured response from a large language model requires giving it precise instructions. Anyone who has worked with an LLM API knows the pain of getting back unstructured, unpredictable text. We solved this by creating a very strict system prompt that commands the AI’s behavior and a user prompt that injects the article content.

The system prompt tells the AI to act as an expert content analyst and defines the exact output structure, including the use of Markdown and specific Score: and Priority: formats. This formatting is the most critical part. It turns the AI’s free-form response into something we can reliably parse.

Our buildAnalysisPrompt function wraps the article content with these instructions.

 

function buildAnalysisPrompt(content) {
    // The user prompt includes strict formatting instructions.
    return `Please analyze the following article content based on Google's E-E-A-T and Helpful Content guidelines.

    Follow these formatting instructions precisely for each category:
    1. Provide a clear Markdown heading (e.g., "## Content Quality").
    2. Assess the content for that category.
    3. Offer specific, actionable recommendations.
    4. Include the score line EXACTLY as: "**Score: [score]/10**"
    5. Include the priority line EXACTLY as: "**Priority: [High/Medium/Low]**"

    --- START ARTICLE CONTENT ---
    ${content}
    --- END ARTICLE CONTENT ---`;
}

 

The system prompt is a detailed instruction set telling the AI to act as an expert content analyst. It defines the exact output structure, including the use of Markdown headings and the specific Score: and Priority: formats. This strict formatting is crucial because it allows our application to parse the AI’s response and display it in a structured way, like the score table.

The Output: Displaying Actionable Insights

After the analysis is complete, the results are formatted and displayed. The raw Markdown response from the API is processed to create a score table and a detailed feedback section.

We use a regular expression to find and extract the score from each category in the Markdown text.

 

const scoreRegex = /\*\*Score:\s*(\d{1,2})\/10\*\*/;

 

This allows for the automatic creation of a summary table. The detailed text feedback is then converted from Markdown to HTML for clear presentation, providing the specific recommendations that make the tool useful.

A Real Tool for a Real Problem

We built the analyzer to solve an internal bottleneck. It’s a practical example of how a robust front-end component like Froala is critical for building useful, AI-driven tools. By combining a solid editor with a capable API, we created a workflow that helps our team produce better content. It’s not about finding shortcuts; it’s about using the right tools for the job so you can focus on the actual work.

 

Three Ways For Uploading Images in Froala: Which One Should You Use?

Uploading Images in Froala

As a developer, you understand the importance of seamless image uploads in WYSIWYG editors. Froala, a popular rich text editor, offers three distinct methods for handling image uploads.

The right approach depends on your application’s requirements and the level of control you need over the image upload process.

In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of the default image uploader, the File Manager, and the Filestack integration, and when you might want to use each one, helping you determine which one best suits your project’s needs.

Key Takeaways

  • The default image uploader is a straightforward option for basic image upload needs, but it requires server-side setup and management.
  • The Froala File Manager offers a more robust and user-friendly image upload experience, with the ability to upload multiple images at once.
  • The Filestack integration provides the most comprehensive set of features, including cloud-based storage, advanced image transformation, and AI-powered image analysis. This makes it the best choice for projects with sophisticated image management requirements.
  • All methods support integrating with cloud storage providers like Amazon S3 to offload image storage from your own server.

Images Upload

The Default Image Uploader

The default image uploader in Froala is a straightforward option. When you click the image icon in the toolbar, you can easily drag and drop an image or browse your local files to select a file. This inserts the image directly into the editor as a BLOB (Binary Large Object).

The image plugin manages this default image upload functionality. Developers can customize various properties of the inserted images, such as the default width, display settings, and more.

To use the default image uploader, you’ll need to set the imageUploadURL option. This tells Froala where to send the uploaded image for processing. You’ll also need to handle the image upload on your server and return the URL of the uploaded image, which Froala can then use to display it in the editor.

Froala provides server-side SDKs to simplify this server-side implementation, making the default image uploader relatively easy to set up.

It also supports integrating with cloud storage providers like Amazon S3 and Azure. This lets you store your uploaded files on external cloud platforms, rather than your own server.

You can filter accepted image file types by setting the imageAllowedTypes option. This is useful if you want to restrict the types of images users can upload. Additionally, you can set maximum file size limits using the imageMaxSize option.

new FroalaEditor("#froala-editor", {
  toolbarButtons: [
    "insertImage",
    "bold",
    "italic",
    "underline",
    "|",
    "undo",
    "redo"
  ],
  pluginsEnabled: ["image"],
  imageUploadURL: "/upload_image",
  imageUploadMethod: "PUT",
  imageAllowedTypes: [
    'jpeg', 
    'jpg', 
    'png'
  ],
  imageMaxSize: 1024 * 1024 * 3
});

Default uploader
Pros:

  • Simple and easy to use
  • No additional costs

Cons:

  • Requires you to set up server-side logic to handle image uploads and storage.
  • Images are stored directly on your own server, which could impact performance and storage management.

Overall, the default image uploader is a straightforward option that works well for basic image upload needs. However, if you require more advanced features, you may want to consider the other options Froala provides, such as the File Manager or Filestack integration.

The File Manager

Froala’s File Manager offers a more robust and user-friendly image upload experience. It allows users to browse, upload, and manage files directly within the editor.

The File Manager utilizes several plugins, including file, image, imageTUI, and video. These plugins need to be enabled in your Froala configuration.

When uploading images, the File Manager leverages specific settings from the image plugin, such as imageDefaultWidth, imageResizeWithPercent, imageDefaultDisplay, and imageDefaultAlign. This allows you to customize the appearance and behavior of the uploaded images.

The File Manager also supports integrating with cloud storage providers like Amazon S3 and Azure. This lets you store your uploaded files on external cloud platforms, rather than your own server.

Additionally, you can use the Froala server SDKs to simplify the server-side implementation. However, keep in mind that this may require more setup and configuration since the File Manager can handle various file types, not just images.

One of the key benefits of the File Manager is its ability to upload multiple images at once. Users can easily browse their local files and select several images to upload in a single action.

Moreover, the File Manager provides a direct way to insert images into your content. Users can browse the available files and simply click to insert the desired image into the Froala editor.

new FroalaEditor('#froala-editor', {
   toolbarButtons: ['insertFiles', 'bold', 'italic', 'underline', '|', 'undo', 'redo'],
   pluginsEnabled: ["filesManager","image", "video","file","imageTUI"],
   filesManagerUploadURL: '/upload_file',
   filesManagerAllowedTypes: [
      'application/pdf', 
      'application/msword',
      'image/png'
   ], 
});

The File Manager

Pros:

  • Offers a user-friendly interface for managing images
  • Supports uploading multiple images at once.

Cons:

  • Requires enabling multiple plugins, which can increase the overall plugin size.
  • Still requires some server-side implementation to handle file uploads and storage.

Filestack Integration

Froala offers seamless integration with Filestack, a powerful file hosting and image upload API service. Filestack allows you to upload images and other file types directly to their cloud storage, relieving your server of the burden of image storage.

Filestack provides an intuitive user interface with over 20 integrated sources, enabling users to upload files from a wide range of platforms, including local devices, cloud storage services, and social media. This makes the file upload process more convenient and versatile.

Beyond images, Filestack supports the upload of various file types, and it allows users to upload multiple files simultaneously. The service’s Content Ingestion Network (CIN) ensures reliable and fast uploads, delivering a 100x improvement in reliability compared to traditional file uploads.

Once an image is uploaded, Filestack instantly generates a CDN-backed URL, ensuring lightning-fast delivery across the web. This eliminates the need for any server-side code to handle image storage, as Filestack manages the entire process on its cloud infrastructure.

Filestack also offers robust image transformation capabilities, allowing you to resize, crop, and apply various effects to your images using their powerful processing API. Additionally, Filestack’s AI features can scan uploaded images for viruses, detect tags and attributes, and perform advanced image analysis, providing valuable insights about your visual content.

Filestack provides developers with a variety of configurations to control the image upload experience. For example, they can limit accepted image file types by setting the Filestack Picker’s accept option.

     var editor = new FroalaEditor('#editor', {
       filestackOptions: {
            /*
            To get your Filestack API, create a free Filestack account
            https://www.filestack.com/signup-free-froala/
            */
            filestackAPI: "**************",
            uploadToFilestackOnly: false,
            pickerOptions: {
                accept: [
                    ".pdf",
                    "image/jpeg",
                    "image/png",
                    "image/*",
                    "video/*",
                    "audio/*"
                ],
                fromSources: [
                    "local_file_system",
                    "url",
                    "facebook",
                    "instagram"
                ]
            },
            transformationOptions: {
                filters: {
                    enabled: [
                        "blackWhite",
                        "sepia"
                    ]
                },
                adjustments: {
                    enabled: [
                        "brightness",
                        "noise"
                    ]
                }
            }
        }
    });

Pros:

  • Offloads image storage to a dedicated cloud service
  • Provides advanced image transformation and optimization tools
  • Offers robust file management capabilities, including support for multiple file types.
  • Delivers fast, CDN-backed image delivery
  • Includes features like virus detection and image analysis powered by Filestack AI

Cons:

  • Requires signing up for a Filestack account.
  • May incur additional costs depending on the Filestack pricing plan.

Overall, the Filestack integration in Froala offers a comprehensive and streamlined solution for managing file uploads, storage, and optimization, freeing you from the hassle of implementing these features on your own server.

Side-by-side comparison

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the three image upload methods in Froala to help you identify similarities and differences and make informed decisions.

Default Image Uploader The File Manager Filestack Integration
Support multi-image uploads
Support drag and drop image upload
Upload files other than images  
Require server-side setup
Delivery Depends on your server setup. Depends on your server setup. Fast, with CDN link instantly generated
Secure Depends on your server setup. Depends on your server setup. Yes
Image editing Through third-party integration (TUI plugin) Through third-party integration (TUI plugin) Filetsack Transformation UI
Image conversion Images can be converted to different formats using the Filestack Processing API.
Virus Detection
Image tags and AI features
S3 upload (Default)
Additional cost     Free trial

Conclusion

When choosing the best image upload method for your Froala-based application, consider your specific requirements, the level of control you need, and the trade-offs between ease of implementation, performance, and cost. While the default image uploader is a simple option, the Filestack integration offers the most comprehensive set of features and capabilities, making it the best choice for projects that require advanced image management and optimization.

FAQ

Can I restrict the types of images users can upload in Froala?

Yes, you can restrict the types of images users can upload in Froala. For the default image uploader, you can set the imageAllowedTypes option to specify the allowed file extensions. For the Filestack integration, you can set the accept option in the Filestack Picker to control the accepted file types.

Does Froala support uploading multiple images at once?

Yes, the Froala File Manager and the Filestack integration both support uploading multiple images at once. This can be a useful feature for users who need to quickly add several images to their content.

Can I store my uploaded images on a cloud platform like Amazon S3?

Yes, all upload methods support integration with cloud storage providers like Amazon S3 and Azure. This allows you to offload the storage of your uploaded images to a dedicated cloud platform, rather than managing it on your own server.

What features does the Filestack integration offer beyond basic image uploads?

The Filestack integration provides a range of advanced features, including robust image transformation capabilities, virus detection, and image analysis powered by Filestack’s AI. These features can be particularly useful for projects that require more sophisticated image management and optimization.

Important Considerations When Choosing a Rich Text Editor for Framework Integration

A cube that encompasses all important considerations when choosing a rich text editor for framework integration.

Plaintext by itself isn’t enough for most user interactions in modern web applications. Whether it’s composing emails, writing articles, or chatting with a friend, a rich text editor often plays a central role. These editors allow users to format content with bold text, bullet lists, images, and more, bridging the gap between raw text and meaningful interactions.

However, when using React, Angular, Vue, or other frameworks, you should always ensure seamless integration between it and your editor. An editor might appear suitable on its own, but integrating it into your application can potentially cause performance, state management, or compatibility issues. Thus, you should always choose a rich text editor that smoothly integrates with your chosen framework.

This guide will help you determine what to look for when evaluating rich text editors for framework integration. From architecture and extensibility to performance, security, and accessibility, you’ll explore essential considerations that help ensure effortless implementation.

Key Takeaways

  • A rich text editor must integrate smoothly with modern front-end frameworks like React to avoid disrupting state management or causing rendering issues.
  • Lightweight editors with modular design and lazy loading support improve performance.
  • Good rich text editors must allow both pre-built and custom plugins to extend functionality.
  • Security is critical, and accessibility should not be optional.
  • Cross-platform responsiveness ensures usability.

Why Framework Compatibility Is Crucial

Modern front-end frameworks like React, Angular, Vue, and Svelte each come with their own design and architecture philosophies. For instance, these frameworks revolve around components, reactive data binding, and virtual DOMs.

An image of puzzle pieces, representing the importance of compatibility between rich text editors and front-end frameworks.

Now, imagine that you have a rich text editor that assumes control over the DOM or operates outside your framework’s reactive system. This means that the editor directly manipulates the website’s structure without informing your front-end framework about the changes. In such cases, your app may fail to detect or respond to updates in the editor.

When a rich text editor has poor integration with modern front-end frameworks,

  • The UI might not re-render correctly when the application state updates.
  • Accessing or modifying the editor’s content programmatically becomes more difficult.
  • Performance might suffer due to duplicate re-renders or lack of lazy loading.

Conversely, if you select an editor that has a modular, framework-friendly architecture,

  • Your editor slots naturally into the app’s component structure.
  • State updates flow cleanly between the editor and the app.
  • You can customize faster and better through props, bindings, and lifecycle methods.

Choosing a framework-friendly rich text editor can reduce complexity and ultimately lead to a smoother development experience.

Key Features to Look for during Integration

Aside from a rich text editor’s core features, there are several more that directly contribute to how well it integrates with modern front-end frameworks. If you’re using these frameworks, the following features are almost non-negotiable (i.e., ensure that your editor has these):

Lightweight and Modular Design

A good rich text editor should avoid bloating your application. Editors that are modular (i.e., you can use parts of them individually) let you include only what you need. For instance, if you need just basic formatting and images, modular editors can pull those without loading the entire toolkit.

Furthermore, good rich text editors generally have a minimized bundle size. This lets the editor load faster and without disrupting the UX. Additionally, lazy loading support lets you hold off on loading the editor until your user needs it, improving initial loading.

A modular design, small bundle size, and lazy loading all align with modern frameworks’ principles, which is important for SPAs (single-page applications).

API Accessibility

A good rich text editor offers easy-to-use APIs, not just in plain JavaScript but also through integrations for modern frameworks. These APIs let developers insert custom content, connect to app state, respond to user changes, and extend functionality without rewriting the core editor.

Hence, look for an editor that lets you use event listeners, built-in and custom commands, and hooks with little difficulty. Doing so will let you integrate it into your app and adapt it to your specific needs more easily.

Plugin and Extension Support

An image of an electrical plug reaching into a socket, representing plugin support of rich text editors.

Many applications require custom functionality. Pre-built plugins contain functionality that you can integrate and use in your apps right away. Usually, to add these plugins, you would only need to include them on the toolbar.

Custom plugins, on the other hand, are tools you build yourself and integrate into the editor. You might resort to building these when you need something that the editor doesn’t support out of the box.

For example, a pre-built plugin might let users insert tables, emojis, or an image with a single click. But if you need something more specific, such as an AI proofreader, for example, you’d usually create a custom plugin.

A good rich text editor should make both options easy. It should have enough flexibility to let you plug in ready-made tools quickly without extensive configuration. It should also let you build or extend plugins, ideally without needing to modify the core source code.

Reactive State Management

Two-way data binding is one of the biggest challenges with rich text editors in frameworks like React or Vue. As stated earlier, these editors usually maintain their own state outside the framework’s reactive system. This could lead to UI bugs, inconsistent content, incorrect rendering, performance issues, or unpredictability.

A capable editor will allow you to:

  • Control its state using framework-native tools like useState.
  • Reflect external changes in the editor (e.g., loading drafts from a database, such as in emails).
  • Sync content with form inputs or global stores in real time (e.g., live previews, collaborative editing, or other autosaved content).

Frameworks rely on a reactive architecture, and your editor should respect that by making content synchronization straightforward and efficient.

Note: Two-way data binding refers to a framework feature that synchronizes data between the view and model in both directions. In other words, any changes in the model will also update the corresponding view (and vice versa).

Rich Text Editor Customization and UX Control

Beyond core functionality, customization is key to making the editor feel native to your application. Ensure that your editor lets you:

  • Modify the toolbar to only show the tools that your users need. Additionally, it should allow you to create your own toolbar buttons through custom plugins and arrange the buttons accordingly.
  • Style the editor to match your app’s design, including fonts, colors, and themes.
  • Support keyboard shortcuts.
  • Toggle between Markdown, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), and even HTML or code view modes.
  • Configure permissions to hide or disable features based on user roles (e.g., a contributor can’t insert HTML).

An editor that has most or all of these features will further improve the user experience while making framework integration smoother.

Performance, Security, and Accessibility

Users of modern applications will almost always seek performance, security, and some form of accessibility. Most frameworks strive to provide this to developers, but you should also ensure that your rich text editor does the same.

Load Time and Performance Optimization

A visual representation of tree shaking, a practice that involves deleting unutilized code. In the image, a tree is shown to have some of its leave falling, representing the deleted lines of unused code.

Framework-based applications must be fast. On slower networks or lower-end devices, it should remain functional. Thus, your rich text editor should:

  • Support CDN (content delivery network) for faster access and caching.
  • Work with tree shaking to reduce bundle size.
  • Work with lazy loading to speed up initial page load.
  • Perform well even when handling large documents, many blocks, or complex content structures.

A heavy editor can drag down your app’s performance. So, look for one that works for both initial load and sustained usage.

Note: Tree shaking refers to the process of removing unused code. This can drastically reduce the bundle size of your application, potentially improving performance.

Security Compliance

Any editor that handles HTML must implement strong sanitization policies to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) and other vulnerabilities. Some key security features include

  • HTML sanitization when loading or saving content.
  • Support for sandboxed iframes or controlled embeds (e.g., YouTube, social posts)
  • Disabling unsafe tags or scripts during copy-paste from external sources.

Note: Whatever application you’re building, security is non-negotiable. And while some editors offer protection against XSS, you should always fortify your security through the back end. Check for valid file types and sizes, parameterize your queries, and follow other security best practices.

Accessibility Standards

A modern rich text editor must also support accessibility features. For instance, you should support screen readers through ARIA roles. Furthermore, your users should have the ability to navigate through your editor’s toolbar using the keyboard.

Localization and RTL (right-to-left) language support are just as important. Having an editor that has these features ensures usability across different regions and devices. And following WCAG guidelines allows you to serve your app to everyone, regardless of ability.

Cross-Platform and Device Responsiveness

We all know it. Modern applications need to be cross-platform and responsive as much as possible. Today, people use laptops, 4k resolution 34-inch screens, mobile phones, and tablets, among others. Your rich text editor should:

  • Provide a touch-optimized interface for tablets and phones.
  • Offer responsive layouts that adapt to narrow screens.
  • Work seamlessly across major browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) and platforms (iOS, Android, Mac, Linux, Windows).

Having a cross-platform and responsive editor out of the box will significantly lighten the load for your team. Furthermore, testing the editor across environments helps you catch layout bugs or pitfalls early on. Check if everything looks and feels the same using different devices, browsers, platforms, and even network conditions.

Documentation, Support, and Community

A group of developers sitting down and discussing things, forming a community around the rich text editor.

Even the most feature-rich editor can cause some frustrations without good developer support. You have to ensure that your team won’t get stuck implementing or integrating the editor into your application. So, before committing, check:

  • Whether the documentation is clear, complete, and up-to-date.
  • If there’s an active community, support forum, or GitHub issues where the rich text editor’s team can address issues.
  • If it has dedicated product support for your team.
  • If it has helpful interactive or extensive demos on its website or GitHub.
  • Whether the project has a visible roadmap and consistent release cycles with clear improvements and bug fixes.
  • If you can find webinars, YouTube series, and other non-documentation content that you can use to learn about the editor.

Good support not only accelerates development but also ensures your app doesn’t break after a future update.

Conclusion

Choosing a rich text editor for framework integration isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about finding a balance between features, performance, security, developer experience, and long-term reliability.

A capable editor should feel like a natural part of your front-end stack, not an add-on that is forcefully nailed onto it. From state syncing and plugin extensibility to performance and accessibility, every element counts.

Looking for an editor that checks all the boxes? Explore how Froala simplifies framework integration.

Inserting merge tags in the Froala editor is easy – find out how?

Insert merge tags

As a developer, you know the importance of creating engaging and personalized content for your users. One powerful way to achieve this is by leveraging merge tags – dynamic placeholders that can be replaced with unique information for each user or recipient. The Froala WYSIWYG editor provides seamless integration with the Tribute JavaScript library, allowing you to easily enable merge tags and provide a delightful content creation experience for your users.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of implementing merge tags in the Froala editor. You’ll learn how to display a dropdown list of predefined tags, allow users to select and insert them as non-editable elements, and ensure the tags are easily identifiable within the content. By the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge to add personalization to your applications.
Insert merge tags in the editor

Key Takeaways

  1. Merge tags are dynamic placeholders that can be replaced with unique information for each user or recipient. This allows you to create highly personalized content and experiences.
  2. Froala WYSIWYG editor integrates seamlessly with the Tribute.js library to enable merge tag functionality. This allows users to easily insert predefined merge tags into the content they create.
  3. Protecting merge tags as non-editable elements is crucial to ensure consistent personalization. By setting the contenteditable="false" attribute, you can prevent users from accidentally modifying or deleting the merge tags.
  4. Merge tags can be leveraged in a variety of applications, including email marketing, CRM systems, e-commerce, and content management. This makes them a powerful tool for enhancing personalization and user engagement.

What are merge tags?

Merge tags, also known as personalization tokens or mail merge fields, are dynamic placeholders that can be replaced with unique information for each user or recipient. These tags are commonly used in email marketing, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and other applications where personalization is crucial for engagement and conversion.

When a user or recipient interacts with content that contains merge tags, the tags are replaced with the corresponding data, creating a tailored experience. For example, a merge tag like {{first_name}} might be replaced with the recipient’s first name, resulting in a message that feels more personal and relevant.

Implementing merge tags in the Froala WYSIWYG editor can significantly enhance the content creation process. Users can easily insert predefined tags, ensuring consistent and accurate personalization across all generated content.

Integrating Tribute.js with Froala

The Froala WYSIWYG editor provides seamless integration with the Tribute.js library, which enables the display of a dropdown list of predefined tags. Tribute.js is a lightweight, customizable autocomplete library that allows users to easily select and insert tags into the editor.

To get started, you’ll need to include both the Tribute.js and Froala libraries in your web application. You can do this by adding the following script tags to your HTML file:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/tribute.js"></script>

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>

Next, add an HTML element where Froala will initialize:

<div id="froala-editor">

  <p>Froala WYSIWYG Editor can easily be integrated with the awesome <a href="https://github.com/zurb/tribute" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tribute.js library</a>. Type an @ to display the autocomplete list.

  </p>

</div>

Then, initialize the Froala editor and configure the Tribute.js integration:

var tribute = new Tribute({
  collection: [
  
    {
      values: [
        { key: "Phil", value: "pheartman" },
        { key: "Gordon", value: "gramsey" },
        { key: "Ethan", value: "ethan" },
        { key: "Emma", value: "emma" },
        { key: "Isabella", value: "isabella" },
      ],
      selectTemplate: function (item) {
        return (
          '<span class="fr-deletable fr-tribute">' +
          item.original.key +
          "</a></span>"
        )
      },
    },
    {
     trigger: '{',
  selectClass: 'mytag',
      values: [
        { key: "username" },
        { key: "email"},
        { key: "sender.phone" },
        { key: "Address" },
        { key: "Date" },
        
      ],
      selectTemplate: function (item) {
        return (
          '<span class="fr-deletable fr-tribute">{{' +
          item.original.key +
          "}}</span>"
        )
      },
    },    
  ],
})

new FroalaEditor("#froala-editor", {
  events: {
    initialized: function () {
      var editor = this

      tribute.attach(editor.el)

      editor.events.on(
        "keydown",
        function (e) {
          if (e.which == FroalaEditor.KEYCODE.ENTER && tribute.isActive) {
            return false
          }
        },
        true,
      )
    },
  },
})

In this example, we’ve set up the Tribute.js integration to display two types of dropdown lists. One list is for user mentions, triggered by typing the @ character. The other list is for merge tags, triggered by typing the { character.

The values array contains the available tags for each dropdown. The selectTemplate function defines how the selected tag will be inserted into the editor. For merge tags, it will insert the tag surrounded by {{ and }}.

Finally, we attach the Tribute.js instance to the Froala editor’s element using the tribute.attach(editor.el) method.

Protecting Merge Tags

Once the user has selected a merge tag from the dropdown, the tag should be inserted into the Froala editor as a non-editable element. This ensures that the tag is easily identifiable and cannot be accidentally modified.

To achieve this, you can edit the custom HTML representation of the inserted tag in the selectTemplate function. Here’s an example:

      selectTemplate: function (item) {
        return (
          '<span class="fr-deletable fr-tribute fr-merge-tag"  contenteditable="false">{{' +
          item.original.key +
          "}}</span>"
        )
      },

In this code, the selected tag will be inserted with a custom HTML element (<span class="fr-deletable fr-tribute fr-merge-tag" contenteditable="false">{{' + item.original.key + "}}</span>).

The contenteditable="false" attribute ensures that the inserted merge tag cannot be accidentally modified by the user.

Additionally, this custom HTML element includes a merge-tag class which you can use to style and interact with the merge tags in your application.

Styling Merge Tags

To make the merge tags visually distinct within the editor, you can style the custom HTML elements using CSS:

.fr-merge-tag {

  background-color: #f0f0f0;

  border: 1px solid #ddd;

  border-radius: 4px;

  color: #333;

  display: inline-block;

  font-weight: bold;

  padding: 2px 6px;

  margin: 0 2px;

}

This will apply a subtle background color, border, and padding to the merge tag elements, making them stand out from the regular text.

By combining the power of Froala’s WYSIWYG editor and the Tribute.js library, you can create a seamless and user-friendly merge tag experience for your content creators. This will not only make it easier to insert personalization tokens but also ensure the final content is visually appealing and easy to maintain.

Experience Merge Tags for yourself

Play with this interactive demo to see how it can improve your app’s content creation, editing, and publishing experiences.

Use Cases for Merge Tags

Merge tags can be leveraged in a variety of applications to enhance personalization and improve user engagement. Here are some common use cases:

  1. Email Marketing: Merge tags are widely used in email marketing campaigns to personalize subject lines, greetings, and email content. Email merge tags help to increase open rates, click-through rates, and overall engagement.
  2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): CRM systems often utilize merge tags to personalize customer communications, such as welcome messages, invoices, and support inquiries. This creates a more personalized experience for customers.
  3. E-commerce and Retail: Merge tags can be used to personalize product recommendations, order confirmations, and shipping notifications in e-commerce and retail applications. This can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.
  4. Content Management Systems (CMS): Merge tags can be integrated into CMS platforms to allow content creators to easily insert personalized elements, such as the user’s name or location, into their content.
  5. Web Applications: Merge tags can be used in web applications to personalize user dashboards, account settings, and other user-specific content, enhancing the overall user experience.

A Practical Example of Merge Tags in Email Marketing: Mailchimp Merge Fields

One well-known example of merge tags are the merge fields used in email marketing platforms like Mailchimp. Mailchimp provides a variety of predefined merge fields, such as *|FNAME|* for the recipient’s first name, *|LNAME|* for the last name, and *|EMAIL|* for the email address.

These Mailchimp merge fields can be inserted into email subject lines, body content, and other areas of an email campaign. When the email is sent, Mailchimp will replace the merge fields with the corresponding data for each recipient, resulting in a personalized message.

Integrating Mailchimp merge fields with the Froala WYSIWYG editor can be a powerful way to create highly personalized email content. By allowing users to easily insert these predefined merge tags, you can streamline the email creation process and ensure consistent personalization across all your email campaigns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I customize the appearance of the merge tag dropdown?

You can customize the appearance of the merge tag dropdown by modifying the CSS styles applied to the Tribute.js elements. In the example code, we’ve applied some basic styles to the .fr-merge-tag class, but you can expand on this to match the branding and design of your application.

What happens if a user accidentally deletes or modifies a merge tag?

By setting the contenteditable="false" attribute on the merge tag elements, you can prevent users from directly editing or deleting the tags. However, if a user does manage to remove or modify a merge tag, you can implement additional safeguards, such as:

  • Providing a way for users to “undo” their changes and restore the original merge tag.
  • Validating the content before saving or publishing and alerting the user if any merge tags are missing or altered.
  • Automatically replacing any missing or modified merge tags with default values or placeholders.

How can I integrate merge tags with a CRM or user database to enhance personalization?

To take merge tags to the next level, you can integrate them with a customer relationship management (CRM) system or user database. This allows you to pull in dynamic data, such as a user’s name, email, or other personalized information, directly into your content.

When a user interacts with content that contains these merge tags, your application can retrieve the corresponding data from the CRM or database and replace the tags accordingly. This creates an even more personalized experience for your users.

By integrating merge tags with a CRM or user database, you can dynamically populate your content with user-specific information, ensuring each interaction is tailored to the individual. This can lead to increased engagement, higher conversion rates, and an overall more satisfying user experience.

How can I use merge tags to generate personalized documents?

Merge tags can be utilized to generate personalized documents, such as invoices, contracts, or reports. By embedding merge tags within the document template, you can dynamically populate the content with user-specific information, ensuring each document is tailored to the recipient.

This can be particularly useful for automating the creation of custom documents, reducing the manual effort required and ensuring consistency across all generated materials.

Conclusion

In this article, you’ve learned how to enable merge tags in the Froala WYSIWYG editor by integrating the Tribute.js library. You’ve seen how to configure the Tribute.js integration and render and display the merge tags.

By implementing merge tags in your Froala-powered applications, you can empower your users to create highly personalized and engaging content, leading to increased user satisfaction and conversion rates. Remember to continue exploring the vast capabilities of the Froala editor and the Tribute.js library to unlock even more powerful content creation features for your users.

Happy coding!

 

Guide to DeepSeek API Integration: What It Is and How to Get Started

The fast-paced AI environment today enables developers to construct applications through large language models (LLMs) and multimodal APIs, which produce intelligent chatbots and advanced content generation tools. DeepSeek stands as a powerful innovation that is gaining momentum in the rapidly advancing field of AI development.

So what’s behind the buzz? The DeepSeek platform provides developers with open, high-performance models, including DeepSeek-Coder and DeepSeek-VL, which offer a scalable alternative for intelligent AI-driven features. The DeepSeek API enables developers to access powerful capabilities that are specifically designed for practical applications when working with text, images, or code.

This guide provides information about DeepSeek and its comparison to other leading APIs, as well as a step-by-step process for project integration. This walkthrough provides step-by-step instructions to help beginners start their first AI application development while showing them how to replace OpenAI or Claude with confidence. Start building smarter websites with DeepSeek API integration and unlock endless possibilities for your next project

Key Takeaways

  • DeepSeek API integration gives access to open-source models for text, code, and image tasks.
  • Includes DeepSeek-Coder for code generation and DeepSeek-VL for multimodal input.
  • Offers a fast, scalable alternative to APIs like OpenAI and Claude.
  • Easy to use with Python, Postman, or curl via OpenAI-compatible endpoints.
  • No hard rate limits on the official API, but usage may vary with traffic or third-party hosts.
  • Free access available via Hugging Face; hosted use via OpenRouter or Together.ai.
  • Follow best practices: secure your API key, cache responses, and optimize prompts.
  • Can be embedded into apps like Froala Editor for AI-assisted content creation.

3D illustration of a robot assembling blocks with a magnet, representing DeepSeek API integration and AI-powered application building.

What is DeepSeek?

DeepSeek operates as an open-source AI project that develops large language and vision models for developers, researchers, and tech enthusiasts. DeepSeek presents itself as a clear and fast API solution that provides open access to its capabilities while encouraging community involvement and state-of-the-art functionality.

The project foundation rests on its two main models:

DeepSeek-Coder functions as an LLM (Large Language Model) that specializes in code generation, completion, and understanding of multiple programming languages. The system proves beneficial for software development automation, code review support, and the development of AI-based developer tools.

DeepSeek-VL functions as a strong vision-language model that accepts multiple input types, including images, charts, documents, and text, to support applications such as visual question answering, caption generation, and document comprehension.

The models within DeepSeek provide users with a wide range of AI application possibilities, including:

  • Coding assistance
  • Research and data analysis
  • Workflow automation
  • Multimodal applications combining text and images

The open-source community supports DeepSeek as a flexible platform that serves developers who want to implement AI-driven development and users who need intelligent visual interfaces.

Key features of the DeepSeek API

DeepSeek stands apart from other AI APIs through its distinctive features in the expanding AI API market. The DeepSeek API stands out through these distinctive features, which make it an attractive option for developers and researchers:

Advanced language and vision understanding

DeepSeek models surpass traditional LLMs through their ability to merge natural language processing with visual understanding capabilities. DeepSeek delivers state-of-the-art performance through accurate context-aware outputs when you need to analyze code or generate text, or interpret image-text combinations.

Open-source friendly

The open nature of DeepSeek distinguishes it from proprietary alternatives because it promotes open collaboration among developers. The developer-friendly ecosystem of DeepSeek enables open environment development, model auditing, and contribution and extension through its supportive framework for innovation and trust.

Scalable and high-performance

DeepSeek operates at high speeds and maintains low response times, which makes it appropriate for projects ranging from solo work to large enterprise implementations. The robust architecture of this system enables smooth handling of traffic and load regardless of the number of users it serves.

Competitive edge over other APIs

DeepSeek provides distinct advantages compared to proprietary APIs like OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and Google Gemini through its unique strengths:

  • Open-source architecture with fewer usage limitations
  • Multimodal capabilities available out of the box (e.g., image + text tasks)
  • A developer-friendly platform with scalable performance

While each API has its strengths, DeepSeek stands out as a flexible and transparent solution, especially for those looking to build with open tools, experiment freely, or fine-tune for specific use cases.

Getting access to the DeepSeek API

The process to integrate DeepSeek API with your system remains simple, whether you are new to AI development or building it into an existing system.

Sign up for an account

The first step involves visiting deepseek.com or the official GitHub page to obtain registration or access instructions. DeepSeek models that are open on Hugging Face platforms do not require direct registration with DeepSeek unless you use their hosted API service.

Sign up for the DeepSeek API

Generate your API key

If you’re using an official DeepSeek-hosted API endpoint (or accessing via a third-party provider like Together.ai or OpenRouter), you’ll typically need to sign up and retrieve an API key from your dashboard. This key is used to authenticate your requests and track usage.

DeepSeek dashboard
DeepSeek dashboard

Pricing and free access

DeepSeek-Coder and DeepSeek-VL models are openly available on platforms like Hugging Face for free use in research and many commercial applications, depending on the license terms (typically Apache 2.0). If you’re using the models via hosted APIs (e.g., Together.ai or OpenRouter), pricing will vary by provider and usage volume. DeepSeek’s open-source approach makes it a budget-friendly option for testing, development, and even production use when self-hosted.

DeepSeek Models & Pricing

Documentation and resources

The official API documentation provides a centralized reference for DeepSeek API integration. It includes:

  • Quick start guides
  • Input/output formats
  • Supported endpoints
  • Model capabilities
  • Sample scripts and integration examples

You can also find additional resources and real-world usage patterns on platforms like GitHub, Hugging Face model cards, and community forums. These sources offer valuable implementation tips and troubleshooting insights shared by developers.

Understanding the API basics

Before diving into implementation, it’s important to get familiar with the core components of the DeepSeek API. This section walks you through the base URL, authentication process, and any rate limits you should be aware of.

Base URL and endpoint structure

The DeepSeek API is accessible via:

https://api.deepseek.com

(For OpenAI‑compatible clients, you may also use `https://api.deepseek.com/v1`; this “v1” namespace is for compatibility, not model versions.)

Endpoints follow a consistent RESTful structure. For example:

POST /chat/completions – For generating text completions using models like deepseek-chat or deepseek-coder

Each request typically includes a `model` parameter, a `messages` array, and hyperparameters such as `temperature`, `max_tokens`, `frequency_penalty`, etc.

Authentication methods

Authentication is handled via API keys. Once you create an account or access DeepSeek via a third-party provider (like OpenRouter), you’ll receive a token.

To authenticate a request, include the following header:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Never expose your key in client-side applications. Store it securely and rotate it regularly if needed.

Rate limits and usage caps

DeepSeek’s official API does not enforce a rate limit on user requests. Their infrastructure is designed to serve as many requests as possible, even under heavy traffic.

During periods of high load:

  • Non-streaming requests may return continuous empty lines.
  • Streaming requests may return keep-alive events (e.g., : keep-alive) until a full response is ready.

If a response cannot be completed within 30 minutes, the server will automatically close the connection.

⚠️ If you’re using DeepSeek through a third-party API provider (like OpenRouter or Together.ai), rate limits may apply depending on your plan.

And if you’re self-hosting (e.g., via Hugging Face), usage is only limited by your compute power (e.g., GPU/CPU/memory).

For up-to-date behavior, check the official DeepSeek API docs or your provider’s dashboard.

Step-by-step integration guide

Let’s learn to integrate the DeepSeek API step by step.

Prerequisites

Before you begin your DeepSeek API integration, make sure you have the following:

  • Basic programming knowledge in a language like Python or JavaScript
  • Access to an API client such as:
    • Postman
    • curl (command-line tool)
    • A language-specific HTTP library like requests (Python) or fetch (JavaScript)
  • An API key from DeepSeek or a third-party provider (e.g., OpenRouter)

Making your first request

Let’s walk through a basic “Hello World”-style text generation request using the /chat/completions endpoint.

Python example:

import requests

url = "https://api.deepseek.com/v1/chat/completions"

headers = {

    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",

    "Content-Type": "application/json"

}

data = {

    "model": "deepseek-chat",

    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Say hello to the world!"}],

    "temperature": 0.7

}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)

print(response.json())

cURL example:

curl https://api.deepseek.com/v1/chat/completions \

  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \

  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \

  -d '{

        "model": "deepseek-chat",

        "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Say hello to the world!"}],

        "temperature": 0.7

      }'

Response format:

The response will be a JSON object with a choices array. You can extract the generated text like this:

{

  "choices": [

    {

      "message": {

        "role": "assistant",

        "content": "Hello, world!"

      }

    }

  ]

}

Step-by-step setup in Postman

You can run the equivalent of the above request code in Postman by setting up a POST request with the correct headers and JSON body.

Here’s how to do it step by step in Postman:

1. Set the request method to POST

URL:

https://api.deepseek.com/v1/chat/completions

2. Set the headers

Go to the “Headers” tab and add:

Key Value
Authorization Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type application/json

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual DeepSeek API key.

Setting HTTP Headers for DeepSeek API Call in Postman
Setting HTTP Headers for DeepSeek API Call in Postman

3. Set the request body

Go to the “Body” tab → Select “raw” → Choose JSON (from the dropdown).

Paste the following JSON:

 

{

  "model": "deepseek-chat",

  "messages": [

    {

      "role": "user",

      "content": "Say hello to the world!"

    }

  ],

  "temperature": 0.7

}
Example JSON Body for a DeepSeek Chat Completion API Request
Example JSON Body for a DeepSeek Chat Completion API Request

4. Send the request

Click the “Send” button.

5. View the response

You’ll get a JSON response like:

{

  "choices": [

    {

      "message": {

        "role": "assistant",

        "content": "Hello, world!"

      }

    }

  ]

}

Example DeepSeek API Response for Chat Completion
Example DeepSeek API Response for Chat Completion

 

Handling errors and debugging

When working with any API, it’s important to know how to handle errors gracefully.

Common error messages:

  • 401 Unauthorized: Check if your API key is missing or incorrect.
  • 400 Bad Request: Often due to malformed JSON or missing parameters.
  • 402 Payment Required: Your account has insufficient balance to process this request.
  • 429 Too Many Requests: Applies only if you’re using a third-party API provider.
  • 500 Internal Server Error: May occur under heavy load or internal issues.

Retry strategies:

  • Use exponential backoff for retrying failed requests (especially 429 or timeout errors).
  • Avoid retrying 400 or 401 errors unless corrected.

Logging best practices:

  • Log the full request payload and response body (excluding API keys).
  • Tag logs with timestamps and response status codes for traceability.

A quick note on Froala integration

Because DeepSeek is an API-based service, it can be embedded into various applications, including our very own Froala WYSIWYG Editor. While we won’t go deep into this here, the potential is exciting: AI-assisted content suggestions, intelligent grammar corrections, or auto-generated text snippets—all triggered live within the editing interface.

Imagine building a rich-text editor that not only formats your content but also helps generate it. That’s the kind of seamless experience developers can create by combining the Froala Editor with DeepSeek API integration.

For example, you could build a note-taking or documentation app where DeepSeek autocompletes sentences or summarizes content directly inside Froala’s editor frame.

DeepDive: Example use cases

Let’s explore how DeepSeek’s models perform in real-world scenarios—from writing clean code to understanding multimodal content.

Code completion or generation with DeepSeek-Coder

DeepSeek-Coder is optimized for software development tasks such as autocompletion, refactoring suggestions, and generating functions from plain-text prompts.

Input/output sample:

Input prompt:

 

{"role": "user", "content": "Write a Python function to check if a number is prime."}

Output:

def is_prime(n):

    if n <= 1:

        return False

    for i in range(2, int(n**0.5) + 1):

        if n % i == 0:

            return False

    return True

This makes DeepSeek-Coder ideal for coding assistants, educational platforms, and documentation generators.

IDE plugin (if available):

While there’s no official IDE plugin from DeepSeek at the time of writing, developers can integrate DeepSeek-Coder with code editors (like VS Code) using custom scripts or API wrappers, similar to how GitHub Copilot operates.

Multimodal tasks with DeepSeek-VL

DeepSeek-VL enables models to process both visual and text inputs, making it useful for applications involving documents, images, and diagrams.

Example input:

  • Image: A scanned document or screenshot
  • Text prompt: “Summarize the key points from this image.”

The model interprets the visual content and responds with a meaningful summary or extracted data.

Sample application:

  • Caption generation: Upload an image and receive an accurate caption like:
    “A group of engineers reviewing a circuit board schematic on a table.”

 

  • Document Q&A: Upload a PDF and ask:
    “What is the main clause in paragraph 3?”
    → DeepSeek-VL reads the image-based document and extracts answers.

 

These use cases show how DeepSeek API integration can power next-gen apps across development, education, productivity, and visual understanding.

Best practices for working with DeepSeek API

To get the most out of your DeepSeek API integration, follow these best practices for security, performance, and cost-efficiency.

Token management & security tips

  • Never expose API keys in frontend code or public repositories.
  • Use environment variables or secret managers to store keys securely.
  • Rotate keys periodically and revoke them immediately if compromised.
  • Consider using IP whitelisting if supported by your API provider.

Optimizing input prompts

  • Keep prompts clear and context-rich, especially when working with coding or multimodal tasks.
  • Avoid unnecessary verbosity—it can waste tokens and reduce model accuracy.
  • Test prompt variations to identify the most efficient phrasing for consistent results.

Example:

Instead of saying:

“Please can you help me by writing a function that checks whether a number is prime?”
Try:
“Write a Python function to check if a number is prime.”

Caching strategies for repeated calls

  • If your app sends the same or similar requests frequently, implement caching at the application level.
  • Cache both input-response pairs and processed outputs to reduce token consumption and latency.
  • Use hash keys of prompt strings as identifiers for quick retrieval.

Rate limiting and efficient usage

Although DeepSeek’s official API does not enforce hard rate limits, usage can still be impacted by:

  • Server congestion
  • Timeout thresholds (e.g., 30-minute max response window)

To ensure efficient usage:

  • Batch smaller queries when possible
  • Use streaming mode for faster response delivery
  • Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for handling transient errors

By following these practices, you’ll build more stable, secure, and scalable applications while keeping your DeepSeek usage optimized and cost-effective.

Conclusion

In this guide, we explored everything you need to know about DeepSeek API integration—from understanding its models and features to setting up your first request and handling advanced use cases. Whether you’re building with DeepSeek-Coder for code generation or experimenting with DeepSeek-VL’s multimodal capabilities, the API offers flexibility, speed, and open accessibility for modern AI development.

Now it’s your turn. Start small with a simple prompt, or go big by integrating DeepSeek into your next project. There’s a lot to discover—and even more to build.

How to Quickly Add Rich Text Editing Capabilities to Your React Application

A visual representation of a rich text editor for React applications.

Most modern web applications revolve around content creation and sharing. Whether you’re building a blog, messaging app, or learning management system (LMS), you’ll need features that allow users to create and format text and media. That’s where rich text editors come in.

For React developers, the demand for intuitive, flexible, and seamless text editing capabilities has never been higher. For instance, most users expect features like bold text, embedded links, inline media, and responsiveness. They also expect to use these features with as little effort as possible.

That’s why in this article, we’ll explore how to quickly add a rich text editor for React that meets modern standards. You’ll also learn about what to consider when choosing one and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Key Takeaways

  • Rich-text editors enhance user interaction and boost UX.
  • When choosing an editor, strike the balance between cost, extensibility, features, and performance.
  • Mobile responsiveness is almost always non-negotiable, and accessibility should be another priority.
  • Always sanitize editor output to prevent XSS attacks.
  • Avoid over-customization in the early stages of development by building an MVP first and then refining it later.

What is a Rich Text Editor?

Showcasing the difference between plaintext and rich text. The image with rich text contains a snippet of a rich text editor for React that has capabilities for font styling, images, emojis, Markdown, and so on. The plaintext snippet, as the name suggests, contains only plaintext.

A rich text editor is a UI component that allows users to input and format text content beyond plain characters. While a basic <textarea> HTML element only lets you input plaintext, a rich text editor enables users to:

  • Bold, italicize, or underline text
  • Add hyperlinks and email links
  • Insert images and videos (some even allow for editing media files)
  • Create bulleted or numbered lists
  • Insert emojis or Markdown
  • Add custom elements

If you’ve ever used Google Docs, WordPress, or even messaging apps, you’ve likely used a rich text editor. Here are some common use cases for them:

  • Content Management Systems (CMS): For writing blog posts or product descriptions
  • Email Builders: For composing formatted newsletters, marketing, and other emails
  • Chat and Messaging Apps: To support emojis, attachments, and message styling
  • Internal or Productivity Tools: For note-taking, task management, issue tracking, etc.

Rich text editors are great tools for any user of a content-heavy web application. But do you really need them in React applications? Let’s explore this in the next section.

Why Use a Rich Text Editor for React?

React’s declarative and component-based architecture makes it easy to embed a rich text editor and manage its state using hooks like useState and useEffect. This encourages developers to manage UI behavior and state through clearly defined components rather than relying on low-level DOM manipulation. For example, you can sync the editor’s content with your app state in real time or trigger autosave logic without manually touching the DOM.

Using a rich text editor for React leads to many benefits. For instance, it helps users express themselves more clearly through an enhanced user experience and a variety of features. In turn, it boosts engagement and productivity, delighting (and most likely retaining) users.

Furthermore, rich text editors are essential in building dynamic UIs. Users expect to format content visually (WYSIWYG) or structurally (via Markdown) without writing raw HTML. Whether it’s for a blog, message, or other content, offering intuitive formatting tools makes content creation more accessible and engaging.

Note: A “declarative” architecture means you describe what the UI should look like based on the current state. Then, React takes care of rendering it correctly.

Note: “Component-based” means that you build your app from small, reusable building blocks. Examples include building a full app from reusable components like buttons, forms, or, in this case, rich text editors.

Key Features to Consider before Choosing an Editor

When finding a rich text editor for React, you should make your choice based on your requirements, budget, and user base. And although all rich text editors offer similar benefits and features, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few critical considerations:

A depiction of a person trying to find the right editor for their use case.

Licensing and Cost

Some editors are open-source and free to use. On the other hand, others offer commercial licenses with premium features. Always check whether the license aligns with your project’s scale and purpose. For example, an enterprise SaaS app might benefit more from a commercial license, while a small blog might get by with a free tool.

Some even offer demos or a free trial, allowing you to take the rich text editors for a test drive. This could prove beneficial, especially if you want to quickly test out each editor for your React application.

Plugin support and extensibility

Not all rich text editors for React offer the same level of flexibility when it comes to extending functionality. Some are simpler and self-contained, while others allow for deep customization through plugin support or APIs. This extensibility is essential if you plan to allow users to embed rich media, code snippets, or even real-time collaboration.

An extensible editor also allows you to build or integrate custom components, helping the editor scale with your application’s needs. For example, do you need built-in AI suggestions in your editor as your users type? A great React rich text editor should allow you to integrate your own custom AI plugin.

Mobile responsiveness

Today, users expect a consistent experience whether they’re editing content on a desktop or a mobile device. A mobile-responsive editor ensures that the interface adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and input types.

For instance, users should find it easy to tap or click toolbar items and use the editing area without awkward scrolling or zooming. If you plan to release your React app across multiple platforms and devices, prioritizing mobile responsiveness is the key. Hence, you should choose an editor that’s already mobile-optimized and responsive.

Markdown or HTML output

Different editors produce different types of output, such as HTML or Markdown. HTML is ideal for displaying content in web browsers directly. On the other hand, Markdown is lightweight and often the choice for developer-focused or documentation-heavy applications (e.g., GitHub).

Your choice should ultimately reflect how you plan to store, retrieve, and render content. This is especially true if you need the editor to interact with a database, API, or custom front-end component.

Image and File Upload Capabilities

Allowing users to insert images or attach files directly within the editor adds significant value, but it also introduces extra technical challenges. Some editors offer built-in support for file uploads, image previews, and in-editor media management (e.g., cropping, filters, text, borders, etc.). Others require you to handle file uploads yourself, including setting up the backend, handling storage, and returning accessible URLs.

Either way, you’ll need to consider performance (e.g., compression), security (e.g., file type checking), and content sanitization. Your choice of editor should align with how much media content you’re storing, processing, and delivering in your React app. Of course, having solid image and file management features is almost always better in content-centric apps.

Best Practices for Using a Rich Text Editor in React

In the image, icons for security, styling, performance, and accessibility represent the components of the best practices for using a rich text editor in React.

Integrating a rich-text editor for React applications doesn’t stop after importing the component. To ensure a robust, seamless, and user-friendly experience, consider the following best practices:

Security

Rich text editors usually produce HTML output, which can serve as an entry point for cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. To counter this, always sanitize your editor’s output before storing it. Libraries like DOMPurify help prevent this, but there are a few editors that already help with combating XSS out of the box.

Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks also threaten React applications by exploiting upload vulnerabilities, saturating resources, and downing your application or server. You can help prevent this by imposing file upload limits. Additionally, you should always check and limit the file types of your users’ uploads to avoid harmful scripts, executables, or disguised malware.

Plenty more web application security risks exist, but for the purpose of keeping this article brief, we’ll stop here for now. If you want to learn more about the most infamous risks, you should check out this OWASP Top Ten list.

Performance

Heavy editors can affect your app’s performance, especially if you’re rendering them on every keystroke or in large lists. So, you should use the React.memo component to avoid unnecessary re-renders. Moreover, you should consider lazy loading the editor component if it’s not used immediately.

Note: Lazy loading refers to the technique in which you hold off on loading non-critical resources (e.g., images, videos, or JS) until they’re needed. This practice lets you improve initial page load times and performance by avoiding loading everything in one go. Note, however, that lazy loading might be limited in terms of browser support, especially in legacy versions.

Styling

Most rich text editors for React are highly customizable. Leverage this to match the look and feel of your app through theming and deep customization. Whether you use Tailwind CSS or a custom design system, consistent styling enhances the user experience.

Accessibility

Most modern web applications don’t forget about users who rely on on-screen keyboards and screen readers. Ensure your chosen editor supports ARIA roles, implements proper tab navigation, and complies with Section 508 and the like.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

An image of a pitfall trap that signifies the common mistakes to avoid when integrating a rich text editor for React.

Even though integrating most rich text editors for React is easy, developers can still make avoidable mistakes:

  • Not Sanitizing Output Content: As said earlier, always sanitize the editor’s output to help prevent security attacks like XSS. Never trust user input, especially if it goes beyond plaintext.
  • Over-customizing before MVP: Avoid diving into extensive customization before you validate whether users actually need those features. This could cost you plenty of time that you could’ve used for other tasks. Like most of the time, attain an MVP (minimum viable product) first.
  • Ignoring Mobile Responsiveness and Accessibility: If your rich text editor doesn’t feel consistent on mobile or different browsers, you’re alienating a significant number of users. The same thing happens if it doesn’t support screen readers or screen keyboards. Make testing across devices and input methods an early priority or consideration.
  • Skipping Integration with Backend Storage Formats: Your editor might output rich content, but where does it go? Plan for how you’ll store, retrieve, and render that data. Ensure you handle storing data to a database table on a server, an Amazon S3 bucket for files, and so on.

Conclusion

Adding a rich text editor for React is a task you can do in minutes with the right library. Whether you’re looking for simplicity or a full-featured WYSIWYG experience, you’ll find a tool out there that fits your needs. However, don’t just plug in the first one you find.

In the end, you should choose the editor that best fits your app’s goals. Evaluate the trade-offs, test some integrations, and prioritize the features that your users need the most. Moreover, as said earlier, some editors offer demos, interactive documentation, and free trials, allowing you to explore their features before fully committing.

By following best practices and avoiding common pitfalls, you’ll empower your users to create rich, expressive content. All while maintaining performance, security, and usability in your React application.

Building a Responsive Website with a Bootstrap Editor: A Step-by-Step Guide

The digital world demands responsive web design as an essential requirement. Users access websites from phones, tablets, or desktop computers. Your website must deliver a smooth experience no matter the screen size. 

The solution is Bootstrap. The front-end framework Bootstrap provides developers with a comprehensive set of tools that accelerate and simplify responsive website development. The developer-friendly nature of Bootstrap may not appeal to users who prefer to avoid manual coding. Bootstrap editors serve as the perfect solution for users who need to create responsive websites.

The drag-and-drop interfaces and coding flexibility of Bootstrap editors allow users to build stunning responsive layouts without starting from scratch.

This guide provides a comprehensive pathway to build responsive websites with Bootstrap editors, covering everything from selecting the right tool to layout design and interactive additions, and concluding with live deployment.

What is Bootstrap, and why use it?

Bootstrap is a popular front-end framework originally developed by Twitter in 2011. It was built to help developers create consistent, responsive designs more efficiently. Today, it powers millions of websites and is currently in its fifth major version (Bootstrap 5), offering modern features and a mobile-first approach.

Key features

  • Grid System: Bootstrap’s 12-column layout makes it easy to create responsive page structures.
  • Components: Prebuilt elements like buttons, navbars, cards, and modals speed up development.
  • Utility Classes: Apply spacing, colors, alignment, and more directly in HTML.
  • Mobile-First Design: All components are designed to look great on small screens first.

Why choose Bootstrap?

Bootstrap stands out for its ease of use and flexibility. You can build sleek, functional websites without starting from scratch or writing a lot of custom CSS.

Pros:

  • Fast prototyping with reusable components.
  • Built-in responsiveness.
  • Strong community and documentation.
  • Easy to integrate with most editors and tools.

Cons:

  • May include more code than needed for small projects.
  • Customizing deeply can be challenging.
  • Websites can look similar if not styled further.

Overall, Bootstrap is a solid choice for building responsive sites quickly, especially when paired with a visual editor to simplify the process.

Check out all the Bootstrap classes here.

Overview of Bootstrap editors

When building responsive websites with Bootstrap, many developers also want to offer live editing capabilities — whether it’s for a content management system, admin panel, or inline content editing experience. That’s where WYSIWYG Bootstrap editors come into play.

These are not standalone site builders — instead, they are embeddable editors that integrate into your Bootstrap-based website, allowing users to edit content directly on the page while preserving Bootstrap’s layout and styling.

What is a Bootstrap-compatible WYSIWYG editor?

A Bootstrap-compatible WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor is an embeddable content editor that works seamlessly with Bootstrap’s grid system, components, and utility classes. These editors let users update text, images, media, and layout blocks inside a live Bootstrap site without breaking responsive design.

WYSIWYG vs. Code-based editors

  • WYSIWYG editors like Froala are designed for non-technical users or content editors who need to make real-time updates without writing code. They’re often integrated into CMSs, admin dashboards, and SaaS applications.
  • Code-based editors, in contrast, are used by developers to manually write and maintain HTML/CSS/JS. They’re ideal for full-code control but aren’t suitable for non-technical content editing.

Bootstrap-compatible editors to consider

Here are some WYSIWYG editors that integrate well into Bootstrap-based websites:

  • Froala – A clean, lightweight, and highly customizable WYSIWYG HTML editor. Froala is Bootstrap-aware, supports inline editing, offers a responsive UI, and can be embedded directly into any Bootstrap project. It also supports custom toolbars, image uploads, code view, and works well in modern JavaScript frameworks.
  • TinyMCE – Another popular embeddable WYSIWYG editor that can be styled to match Bootstrap. Offers plugin-based customization and responsive layouts.
  • CKEditor – A rich editor that integrates with responsive frameworks, including Bootstrap. It has collaboration features and enterprise-ready tooling.

Note: Tools like Bootstrap Studio or Pinegrow are layout builders, not embeddable editors for Bootstrap websites. They are great for prototyping, but they don’t offer live, in-browser editing like Froala does.

How to choose the right WYSIWYG editor

When picking an editor for your Bootstrap website, consider:

  • Bootstrap Compatibility – Does the editor respect your existing layout and CSS classes?
  • Ease of Integration – Can it be easily embedded with minimal setup?
  • Responsiveness – Does it adapt across devices like your Bootstrap site?
  • Customizability – Can you extend or modify its UI and features?

If you’re looking to add live, responsive content editing to your Bootstrap website, Froala offers one of the smoothest and most developer-friendly integrations available.

Preparation: setting up your project

Before we dive into building our website, we need to set up a clean development environment. In this tutorial, we’ll create a dog adoption agency website to demonstrate how you can embed a WYSIWYG editor like Froala, use Bootstrap for layout and responsiveness, and integrate Filestack for handling images.

These tools work seamlessly together:

  • Bootstrap handles layout and design.
  • Froala provides inline content editing.
  • Filestack simplifies uploading and managing media.

Choosing a bootstrap-compatible editor

For this guide, we’re using Froala Editor. It’s a lightweight, embeddable WYSIWYG editor that fits perfectly into modern responsive websites. Froala is Bootstrap-aware — it respects your layout, classes, and components — and it allows users to edit content directly inside styled elements like cards, columns, or even modals.

Creating a new project

Start by organizing your files with a simple directory structure:

/bootstrap-froala-site

  ├── index.html

  ├── /css

  │   └── style.css

  ├── /js

  │   └── script.js

  └── /assets

      └── images/

This setup makes it easier to manage your code, styles, scripts, and media as your site grows.

Overview of bootstrap file structure

When building with Bootstrap 5, the core files you’ll need are:

  • bootstrap.min.css – for responsive styling and layout utilities.
  • bootstrap.bundle.min.js – includes Bootstrap’s interactive JavaScript components (like modals and dropdowns) and dependencies like Popper.js.

In addition, we’ll include:

  • Froala CSS/JS – to enable rich-text editing.
  • Filestack SDK – to enable media upload and processing.

Importing Bootstrap, Filestack, and Froala

Below is the basic HTML skeleton you can use. Notice that we’ve included Bootstrap, Filestack, and Froala scripts. These files enable you to leverage Bootstrap for responsive layout, work with Filestack for image handling, and embed Froala for live content editing:

index.html

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang="en">

<head>

    <meta charset="UTF-8">

    <title>Dog Adoption Agency</title>

    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <!-- Bootstrap CSS -->

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css">

    <!-- Froala Editor CSS -->

    <link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet'

        type='text/css' /> <!-- Filestack JS and CSS (Picker, Drag-and-Drop, Transforms) -->

    <script src="https://static.filestackapi.com/filestack-js/3.32.0/filestack.min.js"> </script>

    <script

        src="https://static.filestackapi.com/filestack-drag-and-drop-js/1.1.1/filestack-drag-and-drop.min.js"> </script>

    <script src="https://static.filestackapi.com/transforms-ui/2.x.x/transforms.umd.min.js"> </script>

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://static.filestackapi.com/transforms-ui/2.x.x/transforms.css" />

    <!-- Froala Editor JS -->

    <script type='text/javascript'

        src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'> </script>

</head>

<body> <!-- Content goes here --> <!-- Bootstrap JS -->

    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"> </script>

</body>




</html>

With this setup, you’re ready to start building your dog adoption agency website with embedded editing, responsive layout, and modern media capabilities.

Step-by-step: Building your responsive website

With our project environment set up and Bootstrap, Froala, and Filestack integrated, let’s start building the dog adoption agency website section by section. We’ll walk through how to structure the layout, embed interactive components, and bring the site to life using Bootstrap’s utility classes and JavaScript components — all while enabling rich content editing and image uploads.

Step 1: Build a sticky navbar

Start with a Bootstrap sticky navbar that stays fixed to the top as users scroll. It contains anchor links that smoothly guide users to each section of the page.

index.html – inside the <body> tag

<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-dark bg-dark sticky-top">

  <div class="container-fluid">

    <a class="navbar-brand" href="#">DogAdopt</a>

    <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target="#navbarNav">

      <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>

    </button>

    <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">

      <ul class="navbar-nav ms-auto">

        <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link active" href="#">Home</a></li>

        <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" href="#adopt">Adoptable Dogs</a></li>

        <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" href="#pricing">Pricing</a></li>

        <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" href="#comment">Comment</a></li>

      </ul>

    </div>

  </div>

</nav>

Step 2: Create a hero section

Use a simple Bootstrap hero layout to grab attention with a clear message and call to action.

index.html – inside the <body> tag

<section class="bg-light text-dark py-5 text-center">

  <div class="container">

    <h1 class="display-4">Save a Life, Adopt a Dog</h1>

    <p class="lead">Join our community and give a loving home to these adorable companions.</p>

    <a href="#adopt" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Find Your Companion</a>

  </div>

</section>

So far, your page should look something like this:

Froala Bootstrap website - after adding hero section

Step 3: Add an image carousel

Bootstrap’s carousel component highlights adoptable dogs using high-quality Filestack-transformed images.

index.html – inside the <body> tag

<!-- Add an image carousel -->
    <div id="dogCarousel" class="carousel carousel-dark slide" data-bs-ride="carousel">
        <div class="carousel-indicators"> <button type="button" data-bs-target="#dogCarousel" data-bs-slide-to="0"
                class="active" aria-current="true"></button> <button type="button" data-bs-target="#dogCarousel"
                data-bs-slide-to="1"></button> <button type="button" data-bs-target="#dogCarousel"
                data-bs-slide-to="2"></button> </div>
        <div class="carousel-inner">
            <div class="carousel-item active"> <img
                    src="https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/resize=width:1200,height:500/hmzhYgUSZiIA0Ju2ocMo"
                    class="d-block w-20" alt="Friendly Dog 1"> </div>
            <div class="carousel-item"> <img
                    src="https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/resize=width:1200,height:500/xsFLOcdRYKQOz4oQpmgg"
                    class="d-block w-20" alt="Friendly Dog 2"> </div>
            <div class="carousel-item"> <img
                    src="https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/resize=width:1200,height:500/e0DUJOjTjWmUQm0FxL7e"
                    class="d-block w-20" alt="Friendly Dog 3"> </div>
        </div> <button class="carousel-control-prev" type="button" data-bs-target="#dogCarousel" data-bs-slide="prev">
            <span class="carousel-control-prev-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span
                class="visually-hidden">Previous</span> </button> <button class="carousel-control-next" type="button"
            data-bs-target="#dogCarousel" data-bs-slide="next"> <span class="carousel-control-next-icon"
                aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="visually-hidden">Next</span> </button>
    </div>

Update the image URLs with your Filestack handles or transformed links.

To center the images within the carousel, add the following CSS. You can place it in your style.css file (if you’re using a separate stylesheet) or directly in your index.html file, just inside the <style> tag and placed within the <head> section.

Style.css

 

<style>

    .carousel-inner img {

        margin: auto;

    }

</style>

Here’s how your page should be shaping up so far:

Froala Bootstrap page after adding carousel

Step 4: Enable image upload with Filestack

Embed a Filestack picker to let users upload new dog images:

index.html – inside the <body> tag

<!-- Filestack Mini-Section -->

    <section class="py-4 text-center">

        <div class="container">

            <h3>Upload a picture of your own dog</h3>

            <p>Upload and transform images directly, then embed them on your site.</p>

            <button class="btn btn-secondary" onclick="openFilestackPicker()">Upload a New Dog Image</button>

        </div>

    </section>

<script>

    const client = filestack.init('YOUR_API_KEY'); // Replace 'YOUR_API_KEY' with your actual Filestack API key. 

    function openFilestackPicker() {

        client.picker({

        onUploadDone: (res) => {

            console.log('Uploaded file handle:', res.filesUploaded[0].handle);

        }

        }).open();

    }

 </script>

Replace ‘YOUR_API_KEY’ with your actual Filestack API key.

Sign up for free today to get your Filestack API key.

You can also place the script in a separate script.js file and reference it in the <body> section of your index.html file like this:

<script src="js/script.js"></script>

Make sure the path matches your folder structure (e.g., js/ in this case).

Froala Bootstrap webpage after adding Filestack file uploader

Step 5: Display adoptable dogs with cards

Showcase adoptable dogs using Bootstrap cards:

index.html – inside the <body> tag

<!--Display adoptable dogs with cards-->    

<section id="adopt" class="py-5">

        <div class="container">

            <h2 class="mb-4 text-center">Meet Our Adorable Dogs</h2>

            <div class="row">

                <div class="col-md-6 col-lg-4 mb-4">

                    <div class="card"> <img

                            src="https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/resize=width:1200,height:500/hmzhYgUSZiIA0Ju2ocMo"

                            class="card-img-top" alt="Buddy">

                        <div class="card-body">

                            <h5 class="card-title">Buddy</h5>

                            <p class="card-text">A playful pup who loves belly rubs and afternoon walks.</p> <a href="#"

                                class="btn btn-primary">Adopt Buddy</a>

                        </div>

                    </div>

                </div>

                <div class="col-md-6 col-lg-4 mb-4">

                    <div class="card"> <img

                            src="https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/resize=width:1200,height:500/xsFLOcdRYKQOz4oQpmgg"

                            class="card-img-top" alt="Lucy">

                        <div class="card-body">

                            <h5 class="card-title">Lucy</h5>

                            <p class="card-text">A gentle soul who gets along with children and other pets.</p> <a href="#"

                                class="btn btn-primary">Adopt Lucy</a>

                        </div>

                    </div>

                </div>

                <div class="col-md-6 col-lg-4 mb-4">

                    <div class="card"> <img

                            src="https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/resize=width:1200,height:500/e0DUJOjTjWmUQm0FxL7e"

                            class="card-img-top" alt="Max">

                        <div class="card-body">

                            <h5 class="card-title">Max</h5>

                            <p class="card-text">A loyal companion who enjoys fetch and lazy afternoons.</p> <a href="#"

                                class="btn btn-primary">Adopt Max</a>

                        </div>

                    </div>

                </div>

            </div>

        </div>

    </section>

Froala Bootstrap webpage displaying adoptable dogs with cards

Step 6: Add a pricing section with cards

Showcase your adoption packages using Bootstrap cards combined with utility classes for spacing and layout.

index.html – inside the <body> tag

<!--Add Pricing section-->

    <section id="pricing" class="bg-light py-5">

        <div class="container text-center">

            <h2 class="mb-4">Adoption Packages</h2>

            <div class="row">

                <div class="col-md-4 mb-4">

                    <div class="card h-100">

                        <div class="card-body">

                            <h5 class="card-title">Basic</h5>

                            <p class="card-text">$50 Donation</p>

                            <ul class="list-unstyled">

                                <li>Initial Checkup</li>

                                <li>Vaccinations</li>

                            </ul> <a href="#" class="btn btn-primary">Adopt Now</a>

                        </div>

                    </div>

                </div>

                <div class="col-md-4 mb-4">

                    <div class="card h-100">

                        <div class="card-body">

                            <h5 class="card-title">Standard</h5>

                            <p class="card-text">$100 Donation</p>

                            <ul class="list-unstyled">

                                <li>All Basic Perks</li>

                                <li>Pet Insurance (6 months)</li>

                            </ul> <a href="#" class="btn btn-success">Adopt Now</a>

                        </div>

                    </div>

                </div>

                <div class="col-md-4 mb-4">

                    <div class="card h-100">

                        <div class="card-body">

                            <h5 class="card-title">Premium</h5>

                            <p class="card-text">$150 Donation</p>

                            <ul class="list-unstyled">

                                <li>All Standard Perks</li>

                                <li>Lifetime Vet Support</li>

                            </ul> <a href="#" class="btn btn-warning">Adopt Now</a>

                        </div>

                    </div>

                </div>

            </div>

        </div>

    </section>

Froala Bootstrap webpage after adding Pricing

Step 7: Add a comment section with Froala

Enable live WYSIWYG editing using Froala Editor for user comments.

<!--Adding a Bootstrap Editor WYSIWYG Froala-->
    <section id="comment" class="py-5">
        <div class="container">
            <h2 class="mb-4 text-center">Leave a Comment</h2>
            <div id="editor"></div>
        </div>
    </section>
    <script> var editor = new FroalaEditor('#editor', {
        imageEditButtons: ['imageReplace', 'imageAlign', 'imageCaption', 'filestackIcon', 'imageTUI'], filestackOptions: {
            uploadToFilestackOnly: false, filestackAPI: '***', // Replace with your Filestack API key 

            pickerOptions: { fromSources: ['local_file_system', 'imagesearch', 'url', 'googledrive', 'facebook'], accept: [".pdf", "image/jpeg", "image/png", "image/webp", "video/*", "audio/*"], transformations: { crop: true, rotate: true } }
        },
    }); 
    </script>

Add a comment section with Froala

With these steps, your responsive website now includes:

  • A mobile-friendly layout with Bootstrap
  • Live content editing powered by Froala
  • Image uploads and transformations via Filestack

Check out the full example on our GitHub repo!

Next, we’ll look at testing, optimization, and going live.

Testing and optimization

Before going live, ensure your site looks great and performs well across all devices.

Preview and test

  • Use Chrome DevTools or built-in browser tools to preview different screen sizes.
  • Test on major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
  • View your site on real phones or tablets when possible.
Responsive preview of the dog adoption website built with Bootstrap, Froala and Filestack (iPad view)
Responsive preview of the dog adoption website built with Bootstrap, Froala and Filestack (iPad view)

Optimize performance

  • Minify your HTML, CSS, and JS files to reduce load time.
  • Compress and resize images using Filestack or similar tools.
  • Use lazy loading for images and videos to boost speed, especially on mobile.

Exporting and going live

Once your dog adoption website is complete, it’s time to bring it online. This final step outlines how to export your project, host it, and make it accessible to users worldwide.

Exporting your project

If you’ve been working in an online editor, download your full project as a .zip file or copy the HTML, CSS, and JS files manually. If you’re developing locally, your index.html, css/, and js/ folders are already ready to deploy.

Hosting options

You can host your site for free using services like:

  • GitHub Pages – Ideal for static HTML/CSS projects and version control.
  • Netlify – Offers drag-and-drop deployment, custom domains, and CI/CD support.
  • Vercel – Great for frontend developers; supports instant previews and easy deployment.

Connecting a domain

After hosting your site, you can connect a custom domain:

  • Purchase a domain from registrars like Namecheap or GoDaddy.
  • Point the domain’s DNS to your hosting provider (e.g., add A records for Netlify or GitHub).
  • Most platforms provide step-by-step domain setup guides.

This example guide is provided by Namecheap.

Basic SEO and meta tags

To improve visibility and search performance:

  • Add a <title> tag and a descriptive <meta name=”description”> to your HTML <head>.
  • Use semantic HTML (e.g., <header>, <main>, <section>).
  • Include alt text for images and ensure the site is mobile-friendly.

Example:

 

<!-- Example meta tags -->

<title>DogAdopt – Adopt a Dog Today</title>

<meta name="description" content="Find and adopt your perfect dog companion. Browse dogs, learn about adoption, and support a great cause.">

With these steps, your Bootstrap + Froala-powered website is live and ready to help dogs find their forever homes.

Advanced tips and next steps

Once your Bootstrap website with Froala and Filestack is up and running, you may want to take it a step further. Here are a few ways to level up your skills and make your site even more powerful, customized, and accessible.

Integrate with modern frameworks

If you’re building a more dynamic or scalable project, consider integrating Bootstrap with popular JavaScript frameworks like:

  • React (with react-bootstrap or reactstrap)
  • Angular (using ng-bootstrap)
  • Vue (with bootstrap-vue)

These integrations allow you to combine Bootstrap’s styling with framework-specific component logic and interactivity.

Use Bootstrap themes and templates

Speed up design by using pre-built Bootstrap themes or UI kits. You can:

Learn SCSS for deeper customization

Bootstrap is built with Sass, and learning it unlocks powerful features:

  • Change default colors, spacing, and breakpoints.
  • Import only the components you need to reduce file size.
  • Build fully custom design systems on top of Bootstrap.

Prioritize accessibility

Make your site usable for everyone by applying accessibility best practices:

  • Use semantic HTML and ARIA roles.
  • Maintain color contrast for readability.
  • Ensure full keyboard navigation for all interactive elements.

You can test accessibility with tools like Lighthouse, Axe DevTools, or WAVE.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we walked through how to build a fully responsive dog adoption website using Bootstrap, Froala, and Filestack. You learned how to:

  • Set up your project structure and import essential tools
  • Create a clean, mobile-friendly layout with Bootstrap
  • Enable inline content editing with Froala
  • Upload and manage media using Filestack
  • Test, optimize, and publish your site with ease

This guide highlights the power and efficiency of modern web development when combining Bootstrap with embeddable editors like Froala and tools like Filestack.

Now it’s your turn to experiment! Try adding new sections, customizing styles, or integrating this layout into a CMS or app. The best way to learn is by building, breaking, and rebuilding.

If you have questions, want to share your own version, or need help with the next step—feel free to drop a comment or open an issue in the GitHub repo.

Happy coding, and happy adopting!

Effortless Control Over Multiple Editors with Shared Toolbar

Are you tired of juggling multiple toolbars and switching between different editing interfaces just to manage your content? The solution may lie in the power of a shared toolbar – a centralized control hub that allows you to seamlessly manage content across multiple rich text editors on a single page.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of managing multiple editors with shared toolbar, demonstrate how to implement this feature, and uncover use cases that showcase its versatility in modern content management systems.

The Power of a Shared Toolbar Controlling Multiple Editor Instances

Traditionally, when working with multiple editable areas on a webpage, each editor would have its own dedicated toolbar, leading to a cluttered and disjointed user experience. However, the ability to leverage a single, shared toolbar across multiple editors can offer a range of benefits that optimize the content creation and management workflow.

Consistency and Predictability

By managing multiple editor instances with a shared toolbar, you can ensure a uniform editing experience across all content sections on a page. All editors will share the same toolbar configuration, making the interface predictable and intuitive for users. This consistency helps reduce cognitive load and enables seamless transitions between different editing areas.

Resource Efficiency

Only one instance of the toolbar is created and reused for multiple editor instances. This reduces the overall DOM complexity of the page.

Only one instance of the toolbar is created and reused for multiple editor instances. This reduces the overall DOM complexity of the page, potentially improving performance and reducing resource consumption.

By minimizing the duplication of toolbar elements, you can streamline the codebase and optimize the user experience.

For more on DOM optimization, see MDN’s guide on performance best practices

Simplified Maintenance

When you need to update the toolbar layout or the available buttons, making changes in one place automatically updates all editors sharing that toolbar. This centralized control simplifies the maintenance and evolution of the content management system, as any enhancements or modifications to the toolbar are instantly reflected across all associated editors.

Improved User Experience

A shared toolbar provides a cohesive and seamless editing environment, making it easier for users to switch between different content sections without disrupting their workflow. This level of integration and consistency can lead to increased user satisfaction and productivity, as they don’t have to reorient themselves with a new toolbar every time they shift their focus.

Implementing a Shared Toolbar

Implementing a shared toolbar for multiple editors is a straightforward process; the Froala WYSIWYG Editor provides built-in support for this functionality. Let’s walk through an example of how to set up a shared toolbar using the Froala Editor:

<!-- HTML -->
<div id="toolbar-container"></div>
<div id="editor1" class="froala-editor"></div>
<div id="editor2" class="froala-editor"></div>
// JavaScript
new FroalaEditor('.froala-editor', {
  toolbarContainer: '#toolbar-container',
  toolbarButtons: [
    'fullscreen', 'bold', 'italic', 'underline', 'strikeThrough',
    'subscript', 'superscript', '|', 'fontFamily', 'fontSize', 'color',
    'inlineStyle', 'paragraphStyle', '|', 'paragraphFormat', 'align',
    'formatOL', 'formatUL', 'outdent', 'indent', 'quote', '-',
    'insertLink', 'insertImage', 'insertVideo', 'insertFile',
    'insertTable', '|', 'emoticons', 'specialCharacters', 'insertHR',
    'selectAll', 'clearFormatting', '|', 'print', 'help', 'html', '|',
    'undo', 'redo', 'trackChanges', 'markdown'
  ]
});

In this example, we have two editor instances on the page, #editor1 and #editor2, both of which are initialized with the Froala Editor. The key configuration is the toolbarContainer option, which is set to the CSS selector #toolbar-container. This tells the Froala Editor to use the #toolbar-container element as the shared toolbar for both editor instances.

By leveraging this shared toolbar approach, any actions performed on the toolbar will be reflected in the active editor, ensuring a seamless and consistent editing experience for the user.

Use Cases for Shared Toolbars

The ability to control multiple editors with a single shared toolbar can be particularly beneficial in a variety of scenarios:

Multi-section Editing Pages

Websites or web applications that have multiple editable content sections, such as an article body, sidebar notes, or call-to-action areas, can benefit from a shared toolbar. This ensures a uniform editing experience across the entire page, making it easier for users to navigate and format content consistently.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

In content management systems, editors often need to switch between different areas of content, such as the main article body, metadata, or related resources. A shared toolbar can provide a centralized and efficient way to manage the formatting and styling of these various content sections, streamlining the editing workflow.

Collaborative Editing Platforms

In collaborative editing environments, where multiple users may be working on different parts of a document simultaneously, a shared toolbar can help maintain a consistent formatting and styling experience. This can be particularly useful in scenarios like online document collaboration, project management tools, or online whiteboards.

Dynamic Forms

Websites or web applications that incorporate rich text fields within forms can benefit from a shared toolbar approach. By using a single toolbar to control the formatting options across multiple form fields, you can avoid cluttering the interface and provide a more organized and intuitive editing experience for users.

Example: Create fully-templated documents with shared toolbar

Building on the concept of a shared toolbar, you can also leverage the ability to designate certain content sections as “locked” or “editable.” This gives you the power to control which parts of the document users can modify, ensuring the overall structure and branding remain consistent, while still allowing for targeted editing where needed.

Let’s say you’re building a company brochure template that has both static, branded content and dynamic, editable areas. Using the Froala Editor, you can create a template that has the following structure:

<div class="template-container">
  <dev id="toolbar-container"></dev>
  <br />
  <div class="header"></div>
  <dev id="editor1" class="editable-section">
    <h1>Zymexi Corp</h1>
  </dev>
  <div class="non-editable separator"></div>
  <div class="non-editable">
    <h2>About the Company</h2>
  </div>
  <!-- Editable main content section -->
  <div class="editable-section" id="main-content">
    <p>We are a leading provider of high-quality products and services.</p>
  </div>
  
    <div class="non-editable">
    <h2>Our Products</h2>
  </div>
  <!-- Editable main content section -->
  <div class="editable-section" id="products">
<ul>
 <li>First Product: product summary</li>
 <li>Second Product: product summary</li>
 <li>Third Product: product summary</li>
</ul>
  </div>
  
    <div class="non-editable separator"></div>

  <!-- Non-editable footer section -->
  <footer class="non-editable">
    <p>&copy; 2025 Acme Corp. All rights reserved.</p>
  </footer>
</div>

In this example, some sections are marked as “non-editable” using the non-editable class, while other sections are designated as “editable” with the editable-section class and a unique ID.

We can now initialize Froala on the editable section and control them with one toolbar:

let editor = new FroalaEditor(".editable-section", {
  toolbarContainer: "#toolbar-container",
  toolbarInline: true,
  charCounterCount: false,
  wordCounterCount: false,

  toolbarVisibleWithoutSelection: true,
  toolbarButtons: [
    "bold",
    "italic",
    "underline",
    "strikeThrough",
    "|",
    "fontFamily",
    "fontSize",
    "color",
    "|",
    "paragraphFormat",
    "align",
    "formatOL",
    "formatUL",
    "outdent",
    "indent",
    "quote",
    "-",
    "insertLink",
    "insertImage",
    "insertVideo",
    "insertFile",
    "insertTable",
    "|",
    "clearFormatting",
    "html",
    "|",
    "undo",
    "redo",
  ],

})
 Adding some CSS code to style the template and make the toolbar visible all the time
.fr-toolbar{
  display: block !important;
  background:#eee
}

.header{
  width:100%;
  height: 100px;
  background-color: greenyellow
}

.separator{
  background-color: greenyellow;
  width: 60px;
  height: 7px;
  
}
.editable-section{
  border: 2px solid transparent;
}
.editable-section:hover{
  border: 2px solid #eee;
}

By using the shared toolbar and locking down specific sections, your users will have a seamless editing experience where they can focus on the content that requires updates, without accidentally modifying the static, branded elements. This ensures that the overall structure, branding, and layout of the document remain consistent, while still allowing for targeted editing where needed.

With this approach, you eliminate the need for your users to constantly preview their changes, as they’ll see the exact 1:1 representation of the final output, streamlining the content creation and management workflow.

Optimizing the Shared Toolbar Experience

While the concept of a shared toolbar is relatively straightforward, there are a few additional considerations and best practices to keep in mind when implementing this feature:

Lazy Loading Editors

When using multiple instances of the Froala Editor on the same page, it’s recommended to set the initOnClick option to true.

As we discussed in Froala tips and tricks article, this lazy-loads the editors, improving the initial page load performance and reducing the overall resource footprint.

Customizing the Toolbar

The Froala Editor allows for extensive customization of the toolbar, enabling you to fine-tune the available buttons and their arrangement to suit the specific needs of your application or user base. This level of control allows you to create a tailored editing experience that aligns with your content management requirements.

Seamless Editing Experience

By combining the shared toolbar with the Froala Editor’s inline editing capabilities, you can create a truly seamless editing experience. Users can click directly on the content they want to edit, without the need to navigate to a separate editing window or preview mode. This “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” (WYSIWYG) approach can significantly enhance the user’s productivity and content management workflow.

Conclusion

Mastering the use of a shared toolbar to control multiple rich text editors on a single page can be a powerful tool in your content management arsenal. By leveraging this feature, you can streamline the editing experience, improve resource efficiency, and maintain consistency across your digital content.

Whether you’re working on a multi-section website, a complex content management system, or a dynamic form-based application, the shared toolbar approach can help you create a more intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly editing environment.

As you continue to refine and optimize your content management strategies, exploring the capabilities of shared toolbars and integrated editing experiences can be a game-changer in delivering a superior content creation and collaboration experience for your users.

How to Switch up Grids by Making 5-Column Bootstrap Layouts

When building responsive websites and web apps with Bootstrap, most developers default to variants of the standard 12-column grid. But what if your design calls for something more unconventional, like a 5-column Bootstrap layout?

Whether you’re building a product showcase, dashboard, or content-heavy interface, you can use a 5-column layout as a unique and equally aesthetic alternative. In this guide, you’ll learn how to build a custom 5-column layout. Additionally, you’ll gain insights about responsiveness tips, advanced Bootstrap techniques, and whether to use Bootstrap or CSS Grid.

By the end, you’ll have the tools and understanding needed to go beyond default layouts and create something functional and unique, like this Bootstrap editor built with Froala. Let’s get started!

Why Should You Choose a 5-Column Bootstrap Layout?

Bootstrap’s 12-column grid system is versatile, but opting for a 5-column layout gives you a unique way to structure content. It breaks away from the usual 2-, 3-, or 4-column setups, giving you new ways to play with multi-column layouts in Bootstrap.

A visual representation of grid lines

For instance, 5-column Bootstrap layouts are significantly helpful when designing image galleries, complex data dashboards, or even social media content. Such a layout allows either equal or variable width distributions while retaining the core responsiveness of the Bootstrap framework. Additionally, you won’t be constrained by the “factors of 12” limitation of the default grid system.

Now, before you dive deep into creating a custom Bootstrap layout with 5 columns, let’s first explore Bootstrap’s grid system.

Understanding the Grid System

Modern websites rely heavily on responsiveness and compatibility. For instance, developers need to ensure that the user interface and experience will remain consistent no matter the platform or screen size.

Normally, this involves some CSS, which has honestly gotten easier with the introduction of CSS Grid. But with Bootstrap, implementing a grid layout is more straightforward, letting developers build the UI faster.

Bootstrap’s grid system helps developers and designers create responsive, mobile-first designs easily and rapidly. In this section, you’ll have a refresher on how it works and how you can use the 5-column layout as an alternative.

How Does Bootstrap’s Default Grid System Work?

Bootstrap’s grid system uses flexbox to emulate aligning and organizing content into containers, rows, and columns. By default, it uses 12 columns of equal widths for a full-width row. This allows you to combine columns in different ways as long as the combinations are factors of 12.

For example, you can “slice” up a 12-column row into four .col-3, three .col-4, two .col-6, and more columns. You can even set up variable-width columns (e.g., two .col-5 plus one .col-2) for versatility. Additionally, you can nest these columns and rows or alter their behavior depending on the screen size breakpoint.

Here are some other concepts from the Bootstrap grid documentation:

  • As of Bootstrap 5, there are six default grid breakpoints, starting from extra small (xs) to extra extra large (xxl).
  • Grid breakpoints include the specific media query breakpoint and all breakpoints larger than it. For example, a .col-md-4 column affects the breakpoints md, lg, xl, and xxl.
  • You can customize gutters to change the spaces between each column.
  • You can set columns to have equal or variable widths. Moreover, you can set only one column width and have the other columns automatically resize around it.
  • It’s possible to customize grid layouts using Sass.

The 5-Column Bootstrap Layout: A Novel Alternative

The 5-column layout deviates slightly from the standard one and is useful for different scenarios. But what is it, really? Well, it refers to having 5 columns per row, whether visually or intrinsically.

To illustrate it better, let’s say we want to create an image repository app (i.e., a web app that displays images like Pinterest). In the app, we want to display 5 images per row, wherein 1 column contains each image.

If you use Bootstrap, you might wonder if you can divide the 12 columns equally into 5. The answer is yes, you can! Luckily, there are different ways to achieve this, which you’ll see in the next section.

Creating a 5-Column Bootstrap Layout

Bootstrap 5+ doesn’t have a .col-2.4 (as in 12 columns divided by 5) class by default. Thankfully, you can still easily implement a 5-column Bootstrap layout.

All methods shown below work well, so you’ll have to choose depending on what you need. Also, other layout methods possibly exist, but for now, you’ll learn about the most popular ones.

Method 1: Equal-Width Flex Columns

Need dynamic column sizing? This method involves specifying neither a column breakpoint nor column width. By doing so, Bootstrap will automatically assign an equal width to each column.

To do this, try copying the following lines of code:

<div class="container-fluid bg-light vh-100">
   <div class="row h-25 text-center">
       <div class="col h-100 bg-success">
           1
       </div>
       <div class="col h-100 bg-info">
           2
       </div>
       <div class="col h-100 bg-danger">
           3
       </div>
       <div class="col h-100 bg-warning">
           4
       </div>
       <div class="col h-100 bg-primary">
           5
       </div>
   </div>
</div>

The code above splits the row into 5 columns without any specific width. If you run this, you’ll see something like the following image:

A 5-column Bootstrap layout that uses equal-width columns.

This method works well when you’re displaying a fixed number of columns, like five equally spaced items in a row. However, it’s not ideal for layouts that need to support a dynamic or growing number of columns, such as a Pinterest-style grid.

If you add more than five columns, they won’t automatically wrap to the next line. Instead, all the columns stay in a single row, stretching beyond the container and breaking the layout, as shown in the image below.

This image shows 8 columns side by side. In most cases for our scenario, you'll want just 5 columns per row, with the additional columns being wrapped below the first 5. In this case, all 8 columns reside on the first row, which is not that flexible compared to the next methods.

In the second image, you can see that all 8 columns are placed side by side in one row instead of wrapping to form a second line. This happens because Bootstrap’s .col classes are based on a 12-column grid system. When using equal-width .col without specifying breakpoints or limits, Bootstrap doesn’t automatically wrap the columns unless their combined width exceeds 12 units.

Method 2: Custom CSS Class

Prefer using CSS with Bootstrap? The second method involves using a custom .col class within a Bootstrap row. Compared to the first, this takes care of automatically wrapping excess columns.

To get started, replace the code earlier with the following:

<div class="container-fluid bg-light vh-100">
     <div class="row h-25 text-center">
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-success">
               1
          </div>
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-info">
               2
          </div>
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-danger">
                3
          </div>
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-warning">
                4
          </div>
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-primary">
                5
          </div>
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-info">
                6
          </div>
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-danger">
               7
          </div>
          <div class="custom-col h-100 bg-warning">
               8
          </div>
     </div>
</div>

Additionally, you’ll need to add some custom CSS for the custom columns:

.custom-col{
    flex: 0 0 20%;
    max-width: 20%;
}

This custom CSS ensures that a column with this class takes up exactly 20% of the container’s width. The shorthand code represents “flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; flex-basis: 20%.” This means that

  • The column won’t grow to fill extra space.
  • It won’t shrink if the container is too small.
  • The initial width of the column is set to 20% of the container’s width.

In simpler terms, the first line essentially locks the column’s size at 20%. The second line, on the other hand, ensures that the column width’s limit never exceeds 20%, even if you have more available space. Now, if you run this code, you’ll see something like the following image:

The image shows 8 columns, with the first 5 on the first row and the last 3 on the second.

By creating a custom class, you’re able to control how many columns you can display per row. And this is great, especially if you want to experiment more with CSS and customization. However, there’s an even simpler way that involves Bootstrap.

Method 3: Bootstrap’s .row-cols Classes

Want an easy and pure Bootstrap solution? Bootstrap v5+ offers responsive row-cols-* classes that allow you to easily set how many columns should appear per row. When the number of columns exceeds the specified count (e.g., 5), the extra columns will wrap to the next line, starting a new row.

Insert the following code to test out the built-in class for a 5-column Bootstrap layout:

<div class="container-fluid bg-light vh-100">
     <div class="row row-cols-5 h-25 text-center">
          <div class="col h-100 bg-success">
               1
          </div>
          <div class="col h-100 bg-info">
               2
          </div>
          <div class="col h-100 bg-danger">
               3
          </div>
          <div class="col h-100 bg-warning">
               4
          </div>
          <div class="col h-100 bg-primary">
               5
          </div>
          <div class="col h-100 bg-info">
               6
          </div>
          <div class="col h-100 bg-danger">
               7
          </div>
          <div class="col h-100 bg-warning">
               8
          </div>
     </div>
</div>

If you run this, you’ll notice that you’ll get exactly the same result as method 2 without any CSS. This is ideal if you wish to make the most of Bootstrap, allowing you to create 5-column layouts with ease.

Which Method Should I Use?

The answer depends completely on your use case, but you’ll end up using method 2 or 3 in most cases. That’s because method 1 doesn’t work too well for dynamic content.

For instance, if you’re making a layout for hundreds of products, method 1 might make the width of each column too small. With methods 2 and 3, you can specify the width for each column, giving you enough space to display each product in an organized manner.

Method 2 (custom CSS) does the job usually, but if you’re using Bootstrap, you’d want to keep using Bootstrap for most things. So unless you have very specific CSS requirements that Bootstrap can’t handle, you should stick to using Method 3 (row-cols).

CSS Grid vs. Bootstrap: Which Is Better for You?

A few years ago, CSS released an official way to handle grids. Since then, developers and designers have had an easier time creating responsive layouts using only CSS. But should you use CSS grid or a framework like Bootstrap? Let’s explore both layout solutions.

CSS Grid for Precise Control

CSS Grid is ideal when you need fine-tuned control over complex, two-dimensional layouts. It lets you define both rows and columns explicitly, making it perfect for custom designs where alignment and spacing are key.

Sure, it involves more work compared to Bootstrap. But if you prefer control and customization over rapid development, CSS Grid might work better for you.

Bootstrap for Rapid Prototyping

Bootstrap shines when you need to build responsive layouts quickly and easily. Its predefined grid system and utility classes help you prototype fast without worrying about writing layout CSS from scratch.

And should you need more customization, you can easily customize Bootstrap classes as well, either with custom CSS or even Sass. So if you prioritize speed and scalability, Bootstrap might suit your needs.

Whichever you choose is up to you. You can even mix the two layout solutions if the situation calls for it. Be sure to assess your (and your clients’) needs first, and choose the one that will benefit you more.

Advanced Bootstrap Techniques

Before you start creating your own designs using Bootstrap, you might want to experiment first with a few advanced Bootstrap techniques.

Column Nesting

Bootstrap allows nesting columns within existing columns. This is useful when you want to have subsections within a single column. For example, we can replace a column from the earlier code with the following:

<div class="col h-100 bg-success">
     <div class="row h-50">
          <div class="col bg-success">
               1.1
          </div>
          <div class="col bg-light">
               1.2
          </div>
     </div>
     <div class="row h-50">
          <div class="col bg-danger">
               1.3
          </div>
          <div class="col bg-warning">
               1.4
          </div>
          <div class="col bg-primary">
               1.5
          </div>
     </div>
</div>

Afterwards, refresh the page to see the following result:

This image demonstrates nesting two rows, one with two columns and another with three columns, inside a column.

Notice how the first column from earlier is now divided into two rows, with each row having a different number of columns. This advanced technique allows you to create more complex layouts using Bootstrap.

Flexbox Utilities

Use classes like .d-flex, .justify-content-between, or .align-items-center to control layout behavior. These utilities allow you to control how both child and parent elements interact with one another.

Offsets and Hidden Classes

Create whitespace or reposition content with .offset-* classes. To show or hide columns based on screen size, use “hidden” classes such as .d-none, .d-md-block, and so on. A combination of these classes helps improve responsiveness and, in turn, the user interface and experience.

Tips for Creating Fluid Layouts

If you want pristine layouts across any screen size, you should consider these quick tips:

Use .container-fluid for Full-Width Sections

If you want your layout to span the entire screen width, wrap it in a .container-fluid div element instead of the default .container class. This creates fluid layouts in Bootstrap that feel modern and immersive (e.g., perfect for a landing page).

Improve Spacing using Utilities

Bootstrap includes dozens of utility classes (e.g., margins, paddings, etc.). Use and experiment with them for consistent spacing and cleaner code no matter the user’s device.

Ensure Cross-Browser Support

Bootstrap works on most modern browsers, but as an extra precaution, test your layout on multiple screen sizes and browsers. Responsive design is about real-world usability, so you should follow Bootstrap’s mobile-first philosophy (and continue building for larger screens) if you use it.

Conclusion

Creating a 5-column Bootstrap layout gives you creative flexibility beyond the usual grid. With the right combination of customization, responsive breakpoints, and Bootstrap’s built-in classes, you can build clean, scalable, and engaging designs.

Whether you’re developing dashboards, image galleries, or product catalogs, mastering these techniques will help you leverage Bootstrap more effectively. It might even help you stand out in a sea of templated websites. Keep experimenting, and don’t be afraid to mix in custom logic or even CSS Grid where it makes sense!

Introducing Froala 4.5.2: Now with Find & Replace, Enhanced Colors, and More

Froala 4.5.2 is now available, introducing the long-awaited Find & Replace plugin (beta), expanded alpha color support, and a series of critical usability fixes. This update enhances editing flexibility while preparing the foundation for future stable features.
Dive into what’s new, test the beta plugin, and help shape the next release by sharing your feedback.

Froala 4.5.2 release

Spotlight on the New Find and Replace Plugin

 The highlight of version 4.5.2 is the new Find and Replace plugin. Please note: This feature is currently in beta and disabled by default, giving you the opportunity to test it and provide feedback before its stable release, targeted for our next update by the end of June.

paste and replace

When enabled, this plugin introduces a range of capabilities that our users have been eagerly awaiting:

  • Search Functionality: Users can now search for specific text or words within the editor and see the total number of occurrences, even in styled text like bold or italic.
  • Replace Options: The plugin provides the ability to replace a specific occurrence or all occurrences of the searched text with new replacement text.
  • Highlighted Matches: Each instance of the searched text is highlighted, making it easy for users to identify and navigate the matches.
  • Advanced Search: Users can enable options to match case or restrict the search to whole words only.
  • Draggable Popup: The search and replace interface is presented in a fully draggable popup, allowing users to position it wherever is most convenient.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts: Opening the search popup can be performed using customizable keyboard shortcuts. Default is (CTRL + F).
  • Undo Functionality: Users can easily revert any changes made through the Find and Replace plugin by using the undo feature or the (Ctrl + Z) shortcut.
  • Intuitive Design: The plugin features an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible for both novice and advanced users.

Developers can further customize the Find and Replace behavior using its dedicated options, events, and methods.

To enable the plugin, its resource file must be loaded separately in each application where it’s needed. The method for loading it depends on the type of application you’re working with. Here are a few examples:

  1.  For Web Applications (using a <script> tag):
    <script src="froala-editor/js/plugins/find_and_replace.min.js"></script>
  2. For JavaScript Modules (using import):
    import 'froala-editor/js/plugins/find_and_replace.min.js';
  3. For Node.js/CommonJS (using require):
    require('froala-editor/js/plugins/find_and_replace.min.js');

Ensure that the plugin file is included and loaded correctly in the application’s runtime environment for the plugin functionality to be available.

Here is an example of Froala with find and replace plugin enabled

Alpha Color Support

One of the notable improvements in this Froala 4.5.2 release is the enhanced support for alpha colors (RGBA) in text coloring. This ensures that users can now properly apply transparency to the text within the editor.

For example, let’s say you want to apply a semi-transparent blue color to a section of text. Developers can now add the RGBA color value rgba(0, 0, 255, 0.5) or the Hex color value #0000ff80 to the colorsText array. This enables users to select the desired color from the text color popup in the editor. The text will then be displayed with the specified level of transparency, allowing the background to partially show through.

new FroalaEditor('div#froala-editor', {

    colorsText: [   

    'rgba(255, 220, 59, 0.7)', 'rgba(255, 220, 59, 0.5)',

    '#ffdc3bb3','#ff1e001a','#ff1e0040','#ff1e0059','#ff1e0080','#ff1e00a6',

    '#ff960026','#ff96004d','#ff960066','#ff96008c','#ff9600bf',

    '#ffdc3b26','#ffdc3b40','#ffdc3b66','#ffdc3b80','#ffdc3bb3',

    'REMOVE'

],

});

This improvement in alpha color support empowers users to create more visually striking and nuanced content within the Froala editor. Whether you’re designing eye-catching headings, highlighting important information, or creating subtle textual effects, the enhanced color capabilities give you greater creative control and flexibility.

Other Improvements and Bug Fixes

While the Find and Replace plugin is the highlight of this release, we’ve also addressed several other issues and made various improvements to the Froala editor:

  • Increase Indent button and keyboard shortcut functions Synchronization: Fixed an issue where the Increase Indent button and keyboard shortcut were not correctly synchronized, leading to inconsistent behavior.
  • Handling URLs with Hyphens: When pasting a URL that ends with a hyphen (e.g., https://example.com/-) into the Froala Editor as plain text (Ctrl + Shift + V), the editor incorrectly removed the hyphen from the hyperlink, resulting in a broken or incorrect link.
    Now, the full URL, including the trailing hyphen, is preserved when pasted as plain text.
  • Table Formatting Consistency: Addressed inconsistent behavior with selection and clear formatting for tables, ensuring a uniform experience regardless of the presence of text after the table.
  • Ordered List Button Error: Fixed an error that occurred when clicking the Ordered List button, which previously threw a “querySelectorAll is not a function” error.
  • Shadow DOM Compatibility:
    Fixed an issue where tooltips were rendering outside the Shadow DOM scope, causing styles not to apply correctly.
    Moreover, resolved an issue where inputs were not editable when working inside a shadow DOM, making the editor more versatile in various environments.
  • Fixed console errors appeared after clicking the Ordered List button while htmlUntouched is true.
  • Addressed a problem where the image resize box would expand to full width when a caption was added with htmlUntouched: true, avoiding unexpected layout shifts.

Please find the complete changelog list here.

How Can I Update?

Don’t miss out on the benefits of the latest Froala 4.5.1 release. Update today and experience the enhanced editing features and improvements.

If you are using a plain JavaScript library or other framework, check the get started page to know how to download the latest Froala Editor release and how to include it in your project based on your preferred method.

If you are using a plain JavaScript library or other framework, follow the table below to learn how to download the latest Froala Editor release and include it in your project based on your preferred method.

Method How to download Include in your project
CDN
<!-- Include Editor stylesheet-->
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

<!-- Include Editor JavaScript file-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>
CDN (Always the latest version)
<!-- Include Editor stylesheet-->
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

<!-- Include Editor JavaScript file-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>
NPM
npm install froala-editor
<!--

Replace the {download-folder-path} in the following example with the path to the folder containing the stylesheet file e.g.

../css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js

-->

<link href="{download-folder-path}/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

<!--

Replace the {download-folder-path} with the path to the folder containing the JS file e.g.

../js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js

-->

<script type="text/javascript" src="{download-folder-path}/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>
bower
bower install froala-wysiwyg-editor
NO Package Manager Download Froala WYSIWYG Editor files using the download form here.
Integrated with a Framework Select your preferred framework from 17 different popular frameworks.
Other options Check here for other options for using Froala WYSIWYG Editor in your project.

For Froala Editor Version 2 Users:

Follow this migration guide for step-by-step instructions on upgrading from version 2.

Try The Latest Froala Editor

Explore a variety of examples that demonstrate the functionality of the Froala HTML Editor.

Support and Feedback

We are dedicated to always offering the best possible experience for all our users. We believe this release, meant to enhance Typescript support, is a stepping stone towards that commitment. We encourage you to try this improved Typescript support and give us your valuable feedback. Your input is crucial for delivering continuous enhancement and meeting your evolving needs. Thank you for being a valuable part of our vibrant and growing community.
We would like to hear what you think of the latest release! Join us on our GitHub Community to chat with our product manager, developers, and other members of the Froala team.

Change Log

Get Started

  • You can download and start using Froala in less than five minutes following our get-started guide.

Technical Questions

How Froala Can Assist In Building an AI SEO Writer 

Are you interested in building AI (artificial intelligence) writing tools? These AI-powered applications have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, allowing users to generate content, optimize it for search engines, and even personalize it for specific audiences.

One example of these AI article writer tools is Arvow. In this case study, we’ll explore how Arvow’s generate SEO articles feature works and how to create a complete article using a similar application, and how Froala can enhance such AI writing assistants.

Key Takeaways

  • AI writing tools can significantly boost content creation productivity by automating the generation of first drafts.
  • Froala integrates easily with AI algorithms to enhance content generation and editing.
  • AI-generated content requires human review and editing to ensure it meets quality standards and provides value to readers, as per Google’s guidelines on AI content.
  • Froala customization options allow users to tailor the editor to their specific needs and preferences.

The Arvow AI SEO Article Generator Concept

Arvow allows users to generate SEO-optimized articles. After signing in, users can access the “Generate Articles” feature from the left-side menu. This is the feature we will explore in our article.

AI assistants generating content

Clicking on “SEO Article” opens a popup where users can enter their target keyword and article title.

SEO content generation

Once the required data is entered, the article is listed with “Generate Article”, “Edit”, and “Delete” buttons.

ai platform

Clicking the “Edit” icon allows users to modify the information before generating the article, such as adding an outline and adjusting the word count .

AI writing tool settings

Additionally, users can configure various settings, including language, target country, tone of voice, point of view, and formality.

AI SEO Writing tool configuration

Moreover, you can configure the formatting, structure, meta descriptions, internal linking, external linking, images, and videos that the AI will generate.

After finalizing the settings, users can click the “Generate Article” button. The AI then creates content optimized for search engines. However, this initial AI-generated content often requires human editing for quality assurance.

Since AI-generated text may be hard to read and require adjustments, it requires further optimization and formatting before publication. Actually, Google’s policies suggest that AI content should be reviewed by humans to avoid being flagged as spam.

To address this, Arvow provides two modes for the generated content:

Arvow Generated Article Read-only Mode

In this mode, users can review the generated content. When they select text, a toolbar appears with the following options:

  • Ask AI
  • Rewrite
    • Simplify
    • Re-write
    • Make Longer
    • Make Shorter
    • Make List
    • Make Table
  • Add Keywords
  • Add Links

AI powered content creation

Users can use the “Ask AI” and “Rewrite” options to enhance the article with the help of the AI. The AI writer is doing that by sending prompts to the AI model and displaying the responses.

This toolbar can be easily implemented using Froala. Froala can be integrated with an AI model such as ChatGPT to do these functions. Check the following guides to see how you can do that:

Arvow Edit with AI Mode

In this mode, users can edit the article content using a rich-text editor. The Arvow toolbar has the following buttons:

  • Set Heading (H2)
  • Set Heading (H3)
  • Format in Bold (B)
  • Format Italic (I)
  • Create ordered list
  • Create unordered list
  • Add link
  • Remove link
  • Insert image
  • Add quote
  • Undo
  • Redo

The toolbar is kept sticky as I scroll down the page.

AI Editor toolbar

Building this type of rich text editor from scratch can be time-consuming and expensive. Instead, you can quickly create a similar interface using Froala with just a few lines of code. You will just need to do the following steps:

  • Add Froala script and stylesheet files
  • Add a <div> HTML element with a unique ID.
  • Get the article content from your database and insert it inside the <div> element.
  • Use the <div> id to initialize the Froala editor.
  • Configure the editor to customize the toolbar.

Here is a code example:

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

    <title>Froala WYSIWYG Editor</title>

    <!-- Include Froala CSS -->

    <link href="{{editor__download__folder}}/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet"

        type="text/css" />

</head>

<body>

    <!-- HTML element where the editor will be initialized -->

    <div id="editor">

      {{Article Content from the server}}

    </div>

    <!-- Add other page elements-->

    <!-- Add other page elements-->

    <!-- Include Froala Editor JS files -->

    <script type="text/javascript" src="{{editor__download__folder}}/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>

  <script>

FroalaEditor.DEFAULTS.paragraphFormat = {

      H2: 'Heading 2',

      H3: 'Heading 3',

      N: 'Normal',

    },

new FroalaEditor('div#froala-editor', {

      toolbarSticky: true,

      toolbarStickyOffset: 500,

     toolbarButtons: ["paragraphFormat","bold", "italic", "|", "formatOL", "formatUL", "|", "insertLink", "insertImage", "quote", "|", "undo", "redo"],

})

  </script>

</body>

</html>

 

The Role of Froala

As we see in our case study, Froala can play a crucial role in AI writing tools. As a rich text editor with advanced features like image editing and table creation, Froala enables users to create and edit content seamlessly within the AI writer tool.

Furthermore, Froala’s API integration capabilities allow developers to add custom toolbar buttons. These buttons can execute specific prompts powered by AI models. By incorporating Froala’s rich text editing capabilities and custom AI prompts, users would be able to seamlessly optimize and personalize the content generated by the AI writers.

This integration would allow users to:

  • Format the content with headings, images, and tables
  • Refine the writing through AI-powered rewriting, expansion, and summarization.
  • Ensure the final article is visually appealing and engaging for readers.
  • Maintain control over the content optimization process.

Benefits of Using Froala With AI Writing Tools

The ability to easily edit and refine the AI generated articles is a key benefit of Froala’s integration. Users can make customizations, optimize blog post content, and ensure a polished final product before publishing. Here are a few other benefits:

Boosting Productivity

Froala integrates with many other AI tools. By focusing on innovative solutions to simplify content editing, you could discover winning million-dollar business ideas. The idea of using an AI assistant to streamline tasks and increase overall productivity is appealing to people. Different subscription plans can be generated, based on the number of generated suggestions.

Streamlining Workflow

Integrating AI algorithms into Froala can really simplify content editing. It’s not just about adding cool features; it’s about making the whole process smoother. Think about automatically generating captions for images using AI. This saves time and effort, letting content creators focus on the bigger picture. It’s about making the workflow as efficient as possible.

Tailoring Features To Fit Needs

The beauty of Froala lies in its customizability. You aren’t stuck with a one-size-fits-all solution. Need specific buttons for AI content analysis? Want to streamline the interface for quick content generation? Froala lets you do it. Think of it as building your own cockpit, with every control exactly where you need it.

Utilizing Plugins For Enhanced Functionality

Plugins are where Froala really shines. Want to integrate a grammar checker powered by AI? There’s probably a plugin for that. Need a tool that suggests keywords based on real-time search data? Again, plugins are your friend. It’s like having an app store specifically for your text editor, allowing you to add features as needed.

Here’s a quick look at some plugin possibilities:

  • AI-powered grammar and spell check
  • SEO keyword suggestion tools
  • Readability score analysis
  • Content spinning and paraphrasing
  • Plagiarism detection

Benefits of the AI SEO Writer

It’s worth noting that AI SEO tools have become routine in the SEO industry, as content creators look to streamline their workflow and optimize their output for search engines. The AI SEO Writing tools offers several key benefits for content creators:

Time Savings

By automating the content generation process, the AI writers can significantly reduce the time and effort required to produce new articles. This allows writers to be more productive and focus on higher-level tasks.

SEO Research

One key advantage of the AI SEO Writer is its ability to leverage advanced SEO research capabilities to optimize the generated content. This includes:

Competitor Keyword Analysis

The AI can analyze the keywords and content strategies of top-ranking competitors, allowing it to identify content gaps and opportunities to outrank them in search.

Search Trend Monitoring

By monitoring real-time search trends and user queries, the AI can ensure the content is aligned with what users are actively searching for.Moreover, AI-powered tools offer insights on content length optimization compared to top-ranking pages.

These SEO research-driven features work seamlessly with Froala’s editing capabilities, giving content creators a powerful end-to-end solution for developing high-performing, search-optimized articles.

Optimize Content for Search Engines to Reach High SEO Score

The AI’s ability to incorporate target keywords, meta tags, and other SEO best practices ensures the generated content is optimized for search engines. This helps improve the article’s chances of ranking highly in relevant search results.

Additionally, the AI can help identify content gaps by analyzing competitor keywords and benchmarking your content against top ranking pages. This allows the AI SEO Writer to enhance the SEO effectiveness of the generated content.

By creating this SEO-rich content, the AI SEO Writer empowers users to publish articles that are primed for strong performance in search engine results pages.

Personalization

Advanced AI models can tailor the content to specific user preferences, such as tone, writing style, and target audience. This helps ensure the content resonates with the intended readers.

Outline Generation

AI tools can generate outlines for blog posts and articles, providing a helpful structure for the content and saving writers time on the ideation process.

High-Quality Content

The AI writer can produce well-structured, grammatically correct, and engaging content that meets high quality standards. This can help content creators save time on editing and revisions, while ensuring a polished final product.

Wrapping It Up

As AI writing assistants continue to evolve, tools like Froala will play an increasingly important role in the content creation and optimization workflow. By integrating Froala’s advanced editing features and customizable AI prompts, developers can create AI SEO writer applications that provide users with a comprehensive and user-friendly content optimization experience.

Whether you’re a small business or a big player, Froala gives you the tools to create high-quality content without the hassle. So, if you’re thinking about diving into the world of AI-driven writing, Froala is definitely worth checking out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Froala and how does it work?

Froala is a web-based editor that helps users create and edit content easily. It has many features that allow you to format text, add images, and more, all without needing to know how to code.

How can I use AI with Froala?

You can connect Froala with AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance your content creation. This can help with things like suggesting text or analyzing your writing.

Is Froala easy to customize?

Yes! Froala is designed to be user-friendly. You can change its settings and features to match what you need, making it suitable for different projects.

Can multiple people work on a document at the same time with Froala?

Absolutely! Froala supports real-time collaboration when integrated with Codox, which means that several users can edit the same document simultaneously.

What types of content can I create with Froala?

Froala allows you to create various types of content, from blog posts and articles to newsletters and marketing materials, making it very versatile based on your requirements.

What is SEO-Rich Content?

SEO-rich content refers to articles, blog posts, and other web content that is optimized for search engines. This includes features such as:

  • Strategically placed target keywords
  • Structured data markup (headings, subheadings, etc.)
  • Optimized media elements (images, videos)
  • Thoughtful internal and external linking

The goal of SEO-rich content is to make the information as accessible and valuable as possible for both human readers and search engine crawlers. By following the best SEO optimization techniques, AI writer helps improve the content’s visibility in search results and in the search console.

What AI model(s) are used by the AI SEO Writer?

The AI Writing tools leverages advanced language models developed by leading AI research organizations like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. These include models like:

  • ChatGPT (OpenAI)
  • Bard (Google)
  • Claude (Anthropic)

By integrating these powerful AI models, the AI Writer can generate high-quality, SEO-optimized content with features like:

  • Contextual understanding of topics and keywords
  • Generation of coherent, grammatically correct text
  • Optimization for search engine ranking factors

The specific AI models used may vary depending on the implementation, but the goal is always to provide users with the most advanced, capable AI writing assistant possible.

Can the AI-generated content be used in a WordPress website?

Yes, the content generated by the AI SEO Writer can be easily integrated into a WordPress website. The HTML output from the AI writer can be directly copied and pasted into WordPress posts or pages.

The key benefit of using the AI-generated content in WordPress is that it is already optimized for search engines. This means the articles will be primed to perform well in search results once published on your WordPress site.

What is Google’s stance on AI-generated content?

The SEO community is trying to figure out how Google treats AI content. Google has stated that they do not mind AI-generated content, as long as it provides value and a good user experience for people searching the web. The search engine giant has embraced AI-powered content creation, as long as the resulting articles and pages are high-quality and relevant to user queries.

The key is ensuring the AI-generated content brings genuine value, rather than being created solely for search engine optimization purposes. As long as the AI Writing tool produces informative, engaging content that meets user needs, Google is open to including it in search results. This means, leveraging AI can improve organic traffic significantly over time.

Boost, Automate, and Scale: How to Build Websites with APIs Such as DeepSeek

Building scalable websites with APIs (application programming interfaces) has become a necessity for modern businesses and developers. Through APIs, you can connect seamlessly with external or separate services, enable richer functionalities, and automate tasks behind the scenes.

Furthermore, you don’t always need to fully understand the inner workings of an API, especially external ones. Instead, you only have to determine the data that it needs, the functions that you’ll use, and how you will handle the result. Because of this, most, if not all, developers use some type of API in their workflow.

A visual representation of DeepSeek that shows a 3D whale and several data and dashboard elements, representing how DeepSeek helps developers build modern and scalable websites with APIs

DeepSeek API integration is one of the most popular topics recently, mostly because of the results of its commendable benchmarks and cheaper costs. So, there’s a lot to gain from exploring how you can integrate DeepSeek APIs into your websites. Read on below to get started!

Why APIs Matter

Without APIs, modern platforms like e-commerce stores, social media sites, and SaaS solutions would struggle to offer dynamic and rich UX. Developers also suffer without APIs, prolonging and complicating development.

On the other hand, there are numerous benefits of API integration. These include faster feature rollouts, easier automation, and the ability to expand your website functionality without starting from scratch.

Effective API Integration Examples

To understand how APIs help developers, let’s explore some API integration examples across different industries:

Third-party services

These are usually subscription-based SaaS solutions that abstract complex functionalities into easy-to-use components and methods. For example, payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal enable developers to facilitate financial transactions without handling sensitive card data directly.

Social media logins like Google OAuth or Facebook are another example of these services. They secure and simplify user onboarding by letting users authenticate via existing (yet external) accounts.

Content aggregation

This refers to a type of API that pulls information from multiple sources (e.g., news feeds, product reviews) into a single unified view. For example, if you’re building a travel blog, you might need travel and hotel aggregation APIs from Booking.com, Skyscanner, or TripAdvisor. Plenty of content aggregation APIs exist for news, product listings, real estate, financial data (stocks), and other types of data.

By using APIs to aggregate data, you can offer fresh, up-to-date content without manual updates, driving user engagement, SEO performance, and operational efficiency.

Workflow automation

This type of API allows websites to automatically trigger actions or complete processes with minimal manual or human involvement. Zapier is one such tool, with APIs that connect over 5000+ apps (e.g., Gmail, Slack, Salesforce, Trello, etc.). For instance, it can automatically send a message to a company’s Slack marketing channel when a new lead fills in a free trial form.

Workflow automation APIs reduce manual and repetitive tasks, improve consistency and reliability, and lessen the load for developers. Understanding them is critical for automating tasks with DeepSeek API, which we’ll discuss in the following sections.

DeepSeek API Overview

DeepSeek lends its power to developers using the DeepSeek API. In this section, you’ll learn more about what it is, how it improves your workflow and website’s quality, and its core functionalities.

What is DeepSeek API?

DeepSeek’s API provides capabilities like NLP*, text generation, and data analytics. Designed to empower developers and improve the user experience, it allows you to integrate conversational AI into your web projects.

With the DeepSeek API, you can offer intelligent responses, content generation, and task automation without worrying about the technology or scalability.

*NLP (natural language processing) refers to a subset of AI which deals with allowing computers to understand, process, and construct human language using machine learning or deep learning. Speech recognition, natural language generation (e.g., chatbots), and translation are typical usages of NLP.

How DeepSeek Helps

Through DeepSeek, developers can build smarter websites and apps that communicate naturally with users. Whether it’s for answering customer inquiries, generating content, or automating workflows, its API significantly enhances functionality while saving development time.

A visual representation of how AI like DeepSeek helps developers

This way, dev teams can focus on higher-level strategy and analysis instead of repetitive operations and complex programming. On the other hand, users have an easier time using your website or application.

Core Functionalities of DeepSeek

DeepSeek provides a rich set of features:

  • Conversational AI: Allows you to build websites with chatbots, virtual assistants, and helpdesk automation.
  • Content Generation: Allows your users to create articles, social media content, product descriptions, or even mathematical solutions.
  • Dynamic Data Interaction: Helps you retrieve or manipulate structured information (e.g., from databases) based on inputs and previous interactions. This is extremely helpful for business intelligence (BI*) or dashboard technologies.

These DeepSeek API features allow businesses, independent developers, and tech enthusiasts to refine their websites with interactive and dynamic experiences. Now that you have a good idea of DeepSeek’s API, it’s time to learn how you can integrate it.

*Business intelligence can refer to a process, system, or tool that uses data collection, data analysis and interpretation, data visualization, and more to help businesses make informed decisions. For instance, an organization can use a BI tool with a dashboard and real-time statistics and analyses for their strategies and operational decisions.

Choosing between DeepSeek and OpenAI

Both APIs offer powerful NLP capabilities and have almost the same features, but they cater to slightly different needs and priorities. Here are some key points to consider when choosing between these two popular AI APIs:

  • Compared to other APIs, DeepSeek might have a lower cost and a faster response time.
  • DeepSeek was able to outperform other AI models in some mathematical, coding, and even English benchmarks.
  • Being one of the first publicly available AI APIs, OpenAI offers broader model versatility and a more mature ecosystem.
  • OpenAI might suit use cases that require high degrees of contextual understanding or advanced reasoning.

You should use whichever is best for your use case, and you should always test out all available options if you have the time. But for now, let’s use DeepSeek.

How to Integrate DeepSeek into Your Projects

Integrating DeepSeek into your website or web app is actually easier than it seems. Here’s a hands-on guide to get started immediately. For this guide, you’ll use Node.js.

1. Setup Your Environment

First, create your project folder. Afterwards, using a CLI, navigate to the newly created folder and initialize a new Node.js project with

npm init -y

This creates a “package.json” file where you can track your project dependencies. In the same folder, create a file called “app.js” using VSCode or File Explorer.

2. Obtain Your DeepSeek API Key

You’ll need a secure API key to access DeepSeek’s features. To do so, go to DeepSeek’s website and sign up. Afterwards, log in and navigate to “API Keys.” Create a new API key using the button provided, name the API key, and copy it.

A screenshot of the DeepSeek dashboard

Note that after clicking “Done,” you’ll lose the ability to view the API key again for security. So be sure to paste the API key somewhere safe (preferably an env file).

3. Install Axios (HTTP Client)

To simplify sending HTTP requests from Node.js to APIs like DeepSeek, you’ll need Axios. In your project folder, using your preferred CLI, run the following command:

npm install axios

 This allows you to import and use Axios in your project.

4. Make the API Call

In your “app.js” file, paste the following code:

const axios = require('axios');

// Load your API key
// Be sure to replace this with your actual key (preferably in a secure directory/file)
const API_KEY = 'Your_API_Key_Here';
const DEEPSEEK_URL = 'https://api.deepseek.com/v1/chat/completions'; 

// Example usage
getDeepSeekResponse('Explain the concept of limits (math) in simpler terms.');

First, enable Axios using the “require” command. Afterwards, define your DeepSeek API key and DeepSeek URL. Ensure that you’re using the correct API key, you’re securing it, and you have enough balance in your DeepSeek account.

The DeepSeek URL part refers to the endpoint that you want to use. In this case, you want the chat completion endpoint of the API.

Afterwards, create a function that takes an input and logs either the response from DeepSeek or an error. Make an API call using “axios.post” with the payload (DeepSeek URL, model, and message) and headers. After receiving a response, get the desired result from the JSON object and log it to the console.

async function getDeepSeekResponse(userInput) {
    try {
        const response = await axios.post(
            DEEPSEEK_URL,
            {
                model: 'deepseek-chat',
                messages: [
                    { role: 'user', content: userInput }
                ]
            },
            {
                headers: {
                    'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
                    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
                }
            }
        );

        const assistantReply = response.data.choices[0].message.content;
        console.log('Assistant says:', assistantReply);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Error communicating with DeepSeek API:', error.response?.data || error.message);
    }
}

To use the code, add a line like “getDeepSeekResponse(‘Your command/question here’).”

5. Run the Application

Once you’re done with the code, open your CLI and type “node app.js” to run the sample application. After some loading, you should see the result of your command or inquiry. For instance, the code above asks DeepSeek for a simple explanation of mathematical limits. The following image shows the result:

In this sample DeepSeek API integration, the AI was able to generate a relevant, accurate, and easy-to-understand response. This allows for a better user experience when making websites with APIs.

In this example, DeepSeek was able to explain the concept of limits excellently, giving two real-life examples, simple descriptions, and key concepts.

Note that DeepSeek also asked if the user wants it to clarify the concept further. To handle this, you need to learn about maintaining context using multi-turn.

First, instead of passing a separate “role” and “content,” you need to create an array of objects. For each object, you’ll have the “role” and “content” properties. You’ll have to initialize it with the first role, “user” (like you have in your current code), and content, which is the initial prompt of the user.

Afterwards, append both the role “assistant” and content (whatever DeepSeek’s answer is) to the array of objects. Print the response, send or prompt the user to generate another response, and repeat the process to create a typical AI-powered chatbot experience.

DeepSeek API Use Cases and Optimization

The DeepSeek API fits into many workflows across different industries. In fact, businesses nowadays are starting to incorporate it into their infrastructure or workflow in some way.

For instance, you can integrate it into your website to handle customer support, automating FAQ responses and answering inquiries intelligently. You can also use it to personalize shopping suggestions in e-commerce platforms based on user preferences and behavior. If you’re developing or maintaining a BI tool or dashboard, you should use it for data processing and analysis.

That said, in most cases, you shouldn’t just plug and play AI into your applications without a little optimization, assessment, or study. For instance, batch multiple requests when possible to reduce latency and API call volume. Cache common results (e.g., repetitive queries or generic summaries) to save on usage costs. And most importantly, monitor your API usage and error logs to catch issues early.

You should also consider the rate limiting and quota policies. For high-traffic apps, hitting a rate limit mid-session can hurt UX, so build fallbacks or retry strategies into your code. If you’re just starting out, you should note that DeepSeek might not suit high-volume or real-time processing needs due to quota constraints. So, assess your estimated traffic and growth plans ahead of time. That way, you can build for scalability better.

So before you start, you should explore different DeepSeek API use cases from big or rising companies. This way, you can learn about how they saved resources, optimized performance, and delighted their clients with AI. Just as importantly, you can learn about what they experienced (e.g., the good parts, the issues, and solutions) with APIs like DeepSeek’s.

Which brings us to the next section…

API Integration Best Practices

APIs are excellent tools, but most tools really shine when wielded by an expert. Here are some best practices that you can use as a guide when integrating APIs:

  • Use modular code: keep API interaction logic isolated for easier updates.
  • Keep track of your API versions: avoid breaking changes from API updates. Learn which versions work with the current environment you have, especially if you’re using multiple APIs. Find alternatives to deprecated APIs, components, or methods.
  • Cache frequent responses: improve performance and reduce API usage costs.
  • Secure your API keys: never expose keys in client-side code. In the server, use .env files to store sensitive information.
  • Monitor API limits and performance: stay within quotas to maintain consistent service quality. Scale as needed.

Additionally, always follow these security considerations for API integration:

  • Use HTTPS to encrypt data in transit.
  • Authenticate using secure headers and tokens, and expire them periodically.
  • Regularly audit permissions and access logs.

Start Building Scalable Websites with APIs

Modern user experiences start from you learning how to make websites with APIs. Now that you’re done reading, you’ve hopefully learned more about the importance and relevance of APIs as well as how to integrate DeepSeek.

Integrating APIs helps you and your users automate complex tasks, deliver meaningful content, scale functionality efficiently, and a lot more. If you’re ready to take your websites to the next level, explore different APIs, integrate what you need, or even make your own! 

10 Projects to Improve Your Bootstrap Design Skills

170 Responsive Bootstrap Design Blocks Project Has Over 13000 GitHub Stars

With new frameworks dropping left and right, web developers have a lot of catching up to do. Although dragging and dropping content onto a web template has never been easier, learning about front-end libraries like Bootstrap still takes practice. 

Because many libraries are built on separate environments, developers often aren’t sure what frameworks to use for their web assets. That is why Bootstrap was launched, and its internal tools derived from the most common designs. 

If you’re truly stuck on a tricky design, then try Froala Design Blocks as a starting point to create something more dynamic. After that, you can experiment with the free WYSIWYG editor by importing the HTML between the <section> tags into your JavaScript environment for further testing.

1. Landing Page for a Marketing Firm

A specific feature or functionality within the Froala Editor.

One of the best components to practice on is a classic landing page. A lander is the sum of its elements–namely a logo, headline, and CTA, as well as social proof to encourage click-throughs. And it’s easy to achieve with Design Blocks using the Content template, where each section can be filled in with your images and text. You will learn how Bootstrap designs contribute to business marketing methods by making a landing page. 

Content Block: 

<section class="fdb-block">

<div class="container">

<div class="row justify-content-end">

<div class="col col-sm-10 col-md-8 text-left">

<p class="lead">Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far <a href="https://www.froala.com">World of Grammar</a>.</p>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</section>

2. Featured Images for a Restaurant

A specific feature or functionality within the Froala Editor.

Restaurant websites present another opportunity to sharpen your project Bootstrap design skills. Since people enjoy dining out, restaurants want to entice their patrons with photos of organic ingredients, meal combos, or a signature dish that reflects their theme. As a developer, you might be asked to edit images, upload reviews, and create a pickup/delivery page. You can use a Features block to transform a set of still images into an animated carousel. 

Feature Block:

          <div class="col text-center">

            <h1>Froala Design Blocks</h1>

          </div>

        </div>

        <div class="row-70"></div>    

        <div class="row text-center justify-content-sm-center no-gutters">

          <div class="col-12 col-sm-10 col-md-8 col-lg-7 col-xl-3 m-auto">

            <div class="fdb-box fdb-touch">

              <h2>Feature 1</h2>

              <p>Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia.</p>

              <p class="mt-4"><a href="https://www.froala.com">Learn More <i class="fas fa-angle-right"></i></a></p>

3. Pricing Table for Subscription Plans

A specific feature or functionality within the Froala Editor, focusing on user interface design.

A pricing table removes any doubt customers might have about things like the cost of their monthly streaming subscription. Pricing is essential for any service-based business to separate its customers into different tiers from professional to enterprise. In Froala, you have access to pricing templates such as the one shown. You can also use bullet points or tables to describe what each premium plan includes. 

Pricing Block:

              <h2>Hobby</h2>

              <p class="lead"><strong>$9 / month</strong></p>

              <p class="h3 font-weight-light">Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about.</p>

              <ul class="text-left mt-5 mb-5">

                <li>Item 1</li>

                <li>Item 2</li>

                <li>Item 3</li>

              </ul>

              <p><a href="https://www.froala.com" class="btn btn-outline-primary mt-4">Subscribe</a></p>

4. FAQs in the Footer

A particular aspect of web editing or development in Froala Editor.

A footer typically contains information about the company such as who to contact, and where it’s located. It is important to remember that Elements in the footer should be evenly spaced. This means that they are sorted into separate columns. You should also make the footer a helpful resource by adding a <div> container with <p> tags to prepare an FAQ section that answers questions from site users. Finally, Froala lets you display social icons and even another menu in the footer. 

Footer Block:

    <footer class="fdb-block footer-small">

      <div class="container">

        <div class="row align-items-center">

          <div class="col-12 col-md-6">

            <ul class="nav justify-content-center justify-content-md-start">

              <li class="nav-item">

                <a class="nav-link active" href="https://www.froala.com">Home</a>

              </li>

              <li class="nav-item">

                <a class="nav-link" href="https://www.froala.com">Features</a>

              </li>

              <li class="nav-item">

                <a class="nav-link" href="https://www.froala.com">About</a>

              </li>

            </ul>

          </div>

5. eCommerce Signup Form

A feature or element of the Froala Editor, emphasizing its design and usability.

eCommerce sites are the online equivalent of retail supply chains. They are also a side business that anyone can launch from home. Once you establish a brand identity, it works well as a web design project. For practice, use a Form block to obtain customer information (e.g. username and password) from a signup form, then direct the user to a check-out cart after they buy a product. The sample HTML for a subscription form is displayed below.  

Form Block:

            <h1>Subscribe</h1>

            <div class="input-group mt-4 mb-4">

              <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Enter your email address">

              <div class="input-group-append">

                <button class="btn btn-primary" type="button">Submit</button>

              </div>

            </div>

            <p class="h4">Find us on <a href="https://www.froala.com">Facebook</a> and 

            <a href="https://www.froala.com">Twitter</a></p>

          </div>

        </div>

      </div>

    </section>

6. Freelancer Portfolio with Testimonials

A specific functionality or design component within the Froala web development tool.

A creative portfolio is another popular idea to get behind. Many freelancers starting their careers will benefit from having a platform to showcase their expertise and increase the odds of landing better gigs. In addition, testimonials prove their credibility in front of potential clients. Testimonials are easy to set up on Froala, with a demo block that displays the text, icons, and person name as neatly-stacked columns.

Testimonials Block:

            <p class="lead">

              "Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean." </p>  

            <p class="lead"><strong>Person Name</strong> <em class="ml-4">Co-founder at Company</em></p>

          </div>

          <div class="col-8 col-sm-6 col-md-2 col-lg-3 col-xl-2 mt-4 mt-md-0 ml-auto mr-auto mr-md-0">

            <img alt="image" class="img-fluid rounded-circle" src="./imgs/people/1.jpg">

          </div>

7. Meet Our Team for a Consulting Group

A detailed feature or aspect of the Froala Editor, focusing on its capabilities.

Yet another creative use of  Bootstrap templates, is a  “Meet Our Team” page for a consulting group website. At some point, you’ll be in charge of designing one of these to fit in with the other elements. The first thing to remember is your goal is to introduce team members. You also want to show where they fit in to the organization. Froala’s Team block prepares default images and text for developers to upload employee headshots. 

Teams Block:

            <h1>Meet Our Team</h1>

          </div>

        </div>

        <div class="row-50"></div>

        <div class="row text-center justify-content-center">

          <div class="col-sm-3 m-sm-auto">

            <img alt="image" class="img-fluid rounded-circle" src="./imgs/people/4.jpg">    

            <h2>Sara Doe</h2>

            <p>Founder</p>

          </div>

8. Contact Us Page with the Company Location

A particular feature or function of the Froala Editor, highlighting its versatility.

Almost all websites have a contact page where customers can learn more about the products being sold. Although most contact pages inherit the same fields (e.g. name, email, subject, etc.), it doesn’t mean you should slap in a cookie-cutter form and call it a day. If you have Contact blocks installed, you can configure Google Maps to help users locate buildings, With the contacts block, you can also insert the company’s social media links. 

Form Block: 

            <h1>Subscribe</h1>

            <div class="input-group mt-4 mb-4">

              <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Enter your email address">

              <div class="input-group-append">

                <button class="btn btn-primary" type="button">Submit</button>

              </div>

            </div>   

            <p class="h4">Find us on <a href="https://www.froala.com">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.froala.com">Twitter</a>.</p>

9. Call to Action for a Healthcare Provider

A certain aspect of Froala Editor, emphasizing its user-friendly interface.

A call to action stands between your viewer and the next step in your sales funnel. One suggestion is to frame a call to action (CTA) around an essential industry like healthcare by making a web page for doctors and other practitioners. Think of including a CTA button or form that prompts patients to specify the type of treatment they need. Then import a CTA block for them to fill out their medical history. 

CTA Block:

    <section class="fdb-block">

      <div class="container">

        <div class="row justify-content-center">

          <div class="col-12 col-md-8 text-center">

            <p class="lead">

              "Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast."

            </p><p class="mt-5 mt-sm-4">

              <a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.froala.com">Download</a></p>

          </div>

        </div>

      </div>

    </section>

10. A Sticky Header Above the Hero Image

A minimalistic feature or interface element of a web editor or software application.

Lastly, you can add a sticky header navbar that follows the user as they scroll down a page. If you don’t like overlapping items in a header, the Header block has the answer. It is easy to customize a simple format by pasting lists and links between the <nav> tags. Finally, assign a navbar-fixed-top class to keep the menu fixed for the finishing touches. Sticky headers are one of the most common assets in web design. 

Header Block:

    <header>

      <div class="container text-center">

        <nav class="navbar">

          <a class="ml-auto mr-auto" href="https://www.froala.com">

            <img src="./imgs/logo.png" height="30" alt="image">

          </a>

      <li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" href="https://www.froala.com">Team</a> </li>

        </nav>

      </div>

    </header>

11. How do you configure Froala Design Blocks? 

You will need the skeleton for a simple HTML layout before you can begin designing templates and arranging assets to suit your fancy. See the code in action by pasting it into the demo builder where the compiled blocks are being stored. 

Be sure to download the latest version then clone the Froala repository. Lastly, install the npm package which has an HTML layout you can replicate for any building block as follows: 

  <!DOCTYPE html>

     <html>

       <head>

         <title>Froala Design Blocks - Skeleton</title>

         <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, height=device-height, initial-scale=1.0">

         <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.0.0-beta.2/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-PsH8R72JQ3SOdhVi3uxftmaW6Vc51MKb0q5P2rRUpPvrszuE4W1povHYgTpBfshb" crossorigin="anonymous">

         <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto:100,100i,300,300i,400,400i,500,500i,700,700i,900,900i" rel="stylesheet">

         <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.css">

         <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/froala-design-blocks/1.0.2/css/froala_blocks.min.css">

       </head>

       <body>

           <!-- Insert HTML for contents. -->

       </body>

     </html>   

This code loads minified CSS and font styles from the Bootstrap CDN. The next step is adding HTML between the body tags, depending on the functionality you want. A file directory is available if you need to review the documents on each group asset. 

Bootstrap projects are prized for their consistent look and feel. They also offer a shortcut to overcome site maintenance woes. But a trustworthy project should, at the bare minimum, have its use cases documented in order. 

It also needs to meet the following criteria: 

  • Shows the number of contributors
  • Pins posts of recurring issues
  • Has a well-defined project roadmap
  • Rates high on GitHub (3.5-5 stars)
  • Attempts to patch bug reports 
  • Has active community members

By these standards, Froala design blocks offer an exceptional collection of page templates whenever you need a skeleton to speed up your development process. Froala Design Blocks is an open-source workspace where users are given the tools to write their custom code.  For further reading, you can check out these bootstrap projects.

Try out the demo for yourself.

Easily Add Powerful Table Sorting with DataTables Plugin

Introduction to the Froala Editor Integration

Do you find the Froala editor the perfect rich text editor for your project, but require robust table sorting capabilities? No problem! The Froala editor is a highly extensible WYSIWYG HTML editor, making it remarkably easy for developers to add the specific table sorting functionality you need using a suitable plugin.

Many developers rely on the Froala editor for its powerful features and ease of use when constructing HTML pages. This editor simplifies the content creation experience.

This article demonstrate how straightforward it is to integrate a table sorting feature into the Froala editor. We’ll achieve this by leveraging the popular DataTables JavaScript library, acting as a powerful plugin. This example showcases how the flexibility of the Froala editor allows developers to enhance this excellent editor with the exact tools their project requires – even if a specific capability isn’t in the core editor.

This example should provide a clear path for many developers looking to add advanced table controls. We will provide essential code examples below, showing how developers can implement this feature. The editor becomes much more powerful with this plugin.

You’ll see how the Froala editor empowers users and developers to create sophisticated editable content. This specific example focuses on table manipulation within the editor, using external library code. The goal is to improve how users interact with table data within the editor.

Froala Table Sorting

Key Takeaways

  • Implementing Froala table sorting significantly improves data usability and the overall user experience for manipulating table data within the Froala editor.
  • Integrating the DataTables plugin enhances the core functionality of Froala editor tables, adding sorting to each column. This plugin is a great example for developers. Using this plugin requires including specific code.
  • Performance optimization is essential when the editor needs to handle tables with numerous rows and large data sets; developers must consider this when adding custom code.

The Power of Froala Tables in a WYSIWYG Editor

The Froala WYSIWYG editor already includes robust table editing functionality out of the box. People using the editor can easily create, modify, and format tables directly within the rich text editor.

Native capabilities like multi-cell selection, cell merging, and custom style options (even controlling border collapse or font family) make Froala tables a cut above many other editor solutions.

But the native table features in the Froala editor can be further enhanced by integrating with the powerful DataTables library integration. DataTables provides advanced sorting, filtering, paging (rows per page), and other table management capabilities that complement Froala’s built-in table edit tools within the editor.

This plugin adds significant ability through its JavaScript code. This plugin is a popular choice for developers working with tables in web applications and the Froala editor. The editor becomes a more complete tool for data presentation.

Importance of Table Sorting within the Rich Text Editor

Okay, so you’ve used the editor to create a table. Great! But what if users need to find specific data within its rows? That’s where sorting comes in. Table sorting is important because it lets users quickly organize data in a way that makes sense within the editor.

Imagine a table with a list of customers. Without sorting, users would have to manually scan all the rows to find someone. But with sorting enabled by the plugin, users can instantly arrange the table by name, order date, or whatever column they need. This saves a ton of time and makes your table data way more useful for anyone using the editor.

It’s not just about finding stuff faster, though. Sorting tables can also help users highlight trends and patterns in their data that they might otherwise miss inside the editor. For example, sorting a sales table by revenue could quickly highlight your top-performing products. The editor makes managing this table data easier for users.

Here are some reasons why sorting within the editor is important for developers and end-users:

  • Faster data retrieval from tables for users.
  • Improved data analysis within the editor by users.
  • Enhanced user experience for those interacting with the editable content in the Froala editor. This example clearly shows the benefit of adding this plugin code. The editor feels more interactive.

Froala Table Sorting – How it works

There are several ways developers can add table sorting support to the Froala editor using any JavaScript HTML table enhancing library or plugin. In this guide and code example, we’ll use the popular DataTables library.

DataTables provides advanced sorting, filtering, and pagination features that complement the Froala editor’s built-in table edit tools. We select this plugin due to its extensive features, good documentation for developers, and ease of integration with the editor via simple code additions.

This JavaScript library is a common choice for enhancing HTML tables. Its code is widely used by developers. It interacts directly with the table elements within the editor.

The approach or method we’ll take has the following key steps:

  1. Add a new custom button to the Froala editor table edit popup (menu) that initializes the DataTables plugin on the selected table. The necessary code is shown below.
  2. This will enhance the table, adding sorting buttons (visual signs) to each column header cell.
  3. Users can then click these buttons to sort the table data in ascending or descending order. The underlying code handles the table row manipulation directly in the editor.
  4. This tutorial serves as a good starting point example for integrating the Froala editor with the DataTables library plugin. However, developers may need to optimize the provided code further to handle certain scenarios, such as when a user adds new rows and columns to the table after initializing the DataTables on it. In this case, developers may need to re-initialization the DataTables on the modified table.

Adding the Froala Table Sorting Feature: A Code Example

Adding this table sorting capability via the DataTables plugin to your Froala editor setup is a straightforward process. Here are the key steps involved in this setup:

Step 1: Include the Required Libraries (CSS & JS Code)

To get started with this editor enhancement, developers must include the following CDN links in their web page:

  • Froala WYSIWYG Editor Stylesheet and JavaScript CDN links
  • DataTables JavaScript library (which requires jQuery)
  • Font Awesome stylesheet for custom button icons
 
<!-- Font Awesome library for icons -->
<link href='https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/5.5.0/css/all.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />

<!-- Froala editor stylesheet -->
<link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />

<!-- DataTables stylesheet -->
<link href='https://cdn.datatables.net/2.2.2/css/dataTables.dataTables.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />

<!-- jQuery script -->
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.7.1/jquery.min.js'></script>
<!-- DataTables script -->
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.datatables.net/2.2.2/js/dataTables.min.js'></script>
<!-- Froala script -->
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'></script>

Step 2: Create a New Custom Button For Froala

Let’s create a custom button within the Froala editor system to enable the sorting function on the selected table.

We will use the “filter” Font Awesome icon (font) to represent our button in the editor toolbar. Add this JavaScript code before initializing the Froala editor.

// Use Font Awesome icons
FroalaEditor.ICON_DEFAULT_TEMPLATE = "font_awesome_5" 

//Define icon for "advancedTable" buttton
FroalaEditor.DefineIcon("advancedTable", { NAME: "filter" })

This code tells the editor how to display the button icon using the specified font.

2.2 Define the Button Function (Command Code)

Now, let’s register one of the Froala editor commands that executes our table sorting logic using the DataTables plugin. This code defines the button’s action. Place this code before the editor initialization.

The following code block shows the command registration.

FroalaEditor.RegisterCommand("advancedTable", {   
   title: "Advanced Table",   undo: true,
   callback: function callback(cmd) {
     let table = this.$el.find(".fr-selected-cell").closest("table");
     if (table[0] && table[0].getElementsByTagName("thead").length > 0) {
       let advTable = new DataTable(table, {
         searching: false,
         paging: false,
       });
     } else {
       alert("You should add a table header first.");
     }
   },
 });

In the above JavaScript code:

  • We registered a new Froala editor button command with the name “advancedTable”.
  • The button will be represented by the font icon we defined in the previous step using separate code. It will appear on the table edit menu.
  • It has a title attribute shown as a tooltip in the editor.
  • The callback function contains the core logic. This function code runs when the button is clicked by a user in the editor.
  • It finds the parent table HTML element from the currently selected table cell within the editor. This part of the code uses jQuery selectors provided by the Froala editor.
  • Crucially, it checks if the selected table has a header row (<thead> tag). This is a requirement for the DataTables plugin code to identify columns for sorting.
  • If a header row exists, it initializes the DataTables plugin (new DataTable(…)) on the HTML table DOM element. Note the options object uses false for searching and paging in this specific code example. This code line activates the plugin. The boolean value false turns those features off.
  • If no header row is found, it displays an alert message. This ensures the DataTables plugin functionality works as expected.
  • This code provides the essential mechanism for developers to trigger the plugin. It’s the core integration code.

Step 3: Initialize the Froala Editor

Finally, developers need to setup the Froala Editor instance on their page. This usually involves targeting a textarea HTML element or a div. Add the new “advancedTable” button to the tableEditButtons array in the editor configuration options.

This code integrates our custom button into the editor’s table edit menu. The following code block shows the editor initialization. This code makes the editor appear on the page.

new FroalaEditor("#editor", {
  tableEditButtons: [
    "tableHeader",
    "tableRemove",
    "|",
    "tableRows",
    "tableColumns",
    "tableStyle",
    "-",
    "tableCells",
    "tableCellBackground",
    "tableCellVerticalAlign",
    "tableCellHorizontalAlign",
    "tableCellStyle",
    "|",
    "advancedTable",
  ],
})

This final block of code:

  • Creates the Froala editor instance, targeting an HTML element (e.g., <textarea id="editor"></textarea> or <div id="editor"></div>). This HTML element becomes the editor element where users edit content.
  • Crucially, advancedTable is added to the tableEditButtons array. This makes our custom button appear in the table edit menu within the editor.
  • Developers can add many other options to this initialization code to customize the editor (e.g., license key, height, available font size, font family options like sans serif, event handlers, other plugins). This example code shows only the essential part for adding the button. The Froala documentation lists all available code options.
  • This editor setup code should run after the page’s HTML body is loaded and the previous JavaScript code (icon and command definition) has executed. Ensure all prerequisite code is loaded.

Testing the Froala Table Sorting Feature

Once the Froala editor is set up with the new “Advanced Table” button using the provided code, users and developers can test it:

  1. Insert a new table into the editor’s editable content area using the toolbar.
  2. Add content to the table rows and columns. Make sure to add a header row using the editor’s table menu. Each table cell should contain appropriate data. The table needs a <thead> for the plugin code to work.
  3. Click inside any table cell of the table you want to sort within the editor.
  4. The table edit toolbar / popup menu should appear. Find and click the “Advanced Table” button (the one with the filter font icon).
  5. The DataTables plugin code will execute, enhancing the table. Users should see sorting icons (a visual sign) appear in each column header cell. These icons are often added via CSS defined in the plugin’s stylesheet code.
  6. Click these column headers to sort the table data within that column in ascending or descending order. The rows will rearrange directly within the editor, handled by the plugin’s code.


This integration allows Froala editor users to leverage the advanced table management features of the DataTables plugin while still maintaining the rich edit capabilities of the Froala WYSIWYG HTML editor. This enhances the content creation experience. Try pasting data into the table as well. Users can edit table cell content freely after sorting. The editor remains fully functional.

Advanced Configurations for Froala Table Sorting

While the default DataTables plugin integration (using the minimal code shown) provides a great baseline table sorting functionality, developers may want to further customize the experience. DataTables offers a wide range of configuration options in its code API.

Developers can modify the initialization code (example: the options object { searching: false, paging: false } passed to new DataTable(…) in the command’s code) to:

  • Implement pagination by setting paging to true instead of false and control the number of rows displayed per page. The plugin code handles this display logic.
  • Customize the applied CSS classes for different table states. Apply custom border styles or width controls using your own CSS code. The plugin adds specific CSS classes that developers can target.
  • Define custom sorting functions (function code) for specific data types (e.g., dates, currency) if the default plugin sorting isn’t sufficient. This involves writing more JavaScript code for the plugin.
  • Change the sorting mode (e.g., multi-column sorting). Requires different options in the initialization code.
  • Control the position of elements like the search box or pagination controls relative to the table using CSS code.

Leveraging these configurability options in the code requires more effort from developers but allows tailoring the table sorting experience within the Froala editor to perfectly fit the needs of your project and the people using the editor. Consult the DataTables plugin documentation for full details and more code examples. Many developers find the plugin very flexible. You can find many code examples online for this plugin.

Handling Dynamic Table Changes (Developer Considerations for Table Columns and Cells)

One potential challenge for developers when integrating the Froala editor and the DataTables plugin using the provided code is handling scenarios where the user adds, removes, or modifies table rows, table columns, or table cell content after the DataTables plugin initialization code has run. The sorting state might become inconsistent with the actual table data in the editor.

To address this, developers must implement more sophisticated code:

  1. Store References: Keep track of the DataTables instances initialized on each table within the editor. Developers could use JavaScript code to manage this, perhaps using a Map keyed by table IDs.
  2. Listen to Froala Events: Use the Froala editor’s event system (like contentChanged, table.inserted, commands.after, etc.) by adding event handlers in the editor initialization code. These editor events signal changes to the HTML. Developers need to write listener code.
  3. Update or Re-initialize DataTables: When relevant editor events fire for a specific table, get the corresponding DataTables instance using your tracking code. Developers might need to write code to:
  • Destroy the existing DataTables instance (table.destroy()) and re-initialize the plugin on the modified HTML table structure using the original initialization code. This is often the simplest method for developers to ensure the plugin sees all HTML changes, including new rows or changes affecting border or width. This requires careful execution of code.

Developers must test these scenarios thoroughly in different browser environments. Look for code examples online or in documentation for handling these dynamic updates in the editor.

Frequently Asked Questions about the WYSIWYG HTML Editor and Plugin

What is Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor?

Froala is a powerful, front-end WYSIWYG HTML editor (a type of rich text editor) that allows people (users) to easily create and edit HTML content directly in a web page, often replacing a standard textarea. It’s known for its clean interface and extensive API (code methods and events) for developers. It provides a great content creation experience. The editor renders HTML tags visually.

Why use DataTables with the Froala Rich Text Editor?

Using the DataTables plugin with the Froala editor adds powerful features for managing HTML tables, like sorting by column, filtering data, and pagination across multiple rows. This makes it much easier for people using the editor to work with large amounts of table data. It enhances the core editor functionality via external code. This plugin makes the editor more suitable for data-heavy content.

How do I integrate DataTables into my Froala editor setup?

Developers can integrate the DataTables plugin by including the necessary DataTables CSS and JavaScript library code (https links) in their project’s HTML page (often in the <head> or before the </body> tag).

Then, write JavaScript code (like the example in this article) to initialize the plugin on specific HTML table elements within the Froala editor’s editable content area, usually triggered by a custom button defined with editor API code.

Does Froala integrate with DataTables in Inline Editor mode?

Yes, the Froala-DataTables integration can also be used in Froala’s Inline Editor mode. The inline editor mode is used when the user wants to minimize the disruptions and maintaining the page layout during the editing process.

Does Froala support multiple table cell editing?

Yes, Froala does support multiple cell table editing. Users can select multiple cells and apply formatting, styles, or other operations across the selected range. This enables powerful table management capabilities within the Froala WYSIWYG editor. By leveraging DataTables sorting alongside Froala’s multi-cell editing, users can efficiently organize and structure tabular data to meet their specific requirements. The combination of these features provides a robust and flexible table editing experience within the Froala editor.

Does Froala support image uploads within tables?

Yes, Froala allows users to insert images directly within table cells, providing a seamless way to incorporate visual elements alongside tabular data. This flexibility enables content creators to build rich and visually engaging tables that blend text, numbers, and imagery. The integration of image uploads within Froala’s table editing capabilities empowers users to create more dynamic and informative tabular content, enhancing the overall presentation and effectiveness of the information being conveyed.

How to modify table cell font family and size?

To modify the font family and size of table cells in the Froala WYSIWYG editor, you can use the editor toolbar. Moreover, you can set a specific font family and size in a CSS class and apply that class to the desired cell using the “tableCellStyles” button.

Conclusion

Integrating the Froala editor with the DataTables JavaScript library plugin is an excellent method for developers to provide a comprehensive table management experience for users. Froala’s built-in table edit capabilities, combined with the advanced sorting provided by the DataTables plugin, create a powerful solution for content-rich web applications needing sophisticated table interactions within a rich text editor. The ability to sort rows by column is crucial for data analysis within the editor.

By following the simple steps and the code examples outlined in this article, and further customizing the integration code and CSS style to meet your specific needs, developers can quickly add this valuable feature to their projects using the Froala editor. This empowers people using the editor with a best-in-class table editing and data exploration experience, improving the overall content creation experience.

Elevate Your Delphi Web Application with Seamless Rich Text Editing: Mastering Froala TMS Web Core Integration

As a Delphi developer, you know the importance of building modern, responsive web applications with a great user experience. The TMS WEB Core framework is a powerful tool for creating such apps, but what if you need a robust WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) editor for your content management features?

No worries, the TMS WEB Core framework has a WEB Component for integrating Froala, a powerful WYSIWYG Editor, allowing Delphi web applications to seamlessly incorporate rich text editing capabilities and enhance user experience.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the simple process of integrating the Froala editor into your TMS WEB Core Delphi applications. By leveraging the power of Froala and the flexibility of TMS WEB Core, you can deliver a high-quality content management solution within your Delphi web projects.

Why Use the TMS WEB Core Framework?

The TMS WEB Core framework is the foundation of an exciting new and modern way for creating web client applications from Delphi using a component-based framework. Some key benefits of using TMS WEB Core include:

  • Cross-platform compatibility: TMS WEB Core allows you to create web applications that can run on a variety of platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Rapid development: The framework provides a wealth of pre-built components and tools, enabling you to quickly build and deploy feature-rich web applications.
  • Seamless integration: TMS WEB Core integrates seamlessly with other Delphi technologies, such as the Froala WYSIWYG Editor, allowing you to create a cohesive and efficient development ecosystem.
  • Modern web standards: The framework is built on the latest web technologies, ensuring your applications are up-to-date and provide an optimal user experience.
  • The TMS WEB Core web client application is open to work with different server technologies. This includes but is not limited to Embarcadero RAD Server, Node.js, ASP.NET Core microservices.

Why Integrate Froala Editor with TMS WEB Core?

The Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor is a lightweight WYSIWYG HTML editor. However, it is a feature-rich, customizable editor that allows users to easily format text, insert images, and more, all without needing to write HTML code.

Some key benefits of this integration include:

  • Intuitive WYSIWYG editing experience for your users
  • Extensive customization options to match your app’s branding and design
  • Robust feature set including table manipulation, responsive video embedding, and more
  • Seamless integration with the TMS WEB Core framework for a cohesive user experience

Froala TMS Web Core Integration Guide

The TMS WEB Core offers the TMSwebFroalaEditor WEB Component that simplifies the Froala Editor integration with TMS WEB Core framework. The integration process is straightforward, allowing you to quickly set up the Froala editor, saving a lot of development time and effort.

Integrate the Froala WYSIWYG Editor into your TMS WEB Core Delphi application using the TMSwebFroalaEditor component by following these steps:

Step 1: Install the RAD Studio IDE

As a Delphi developer, you may already be using RAD Studio. If not, we recommend installing it. RAD Studio is an advanced IDE for rapidly and visually building high-performance platform-native apps for Windows, Linux, iOS, macOS and Android from a single codebase.

Step 2: Install the TMS WEB Core Framework

The TMS WEB Core is a framework for creating modern web applications in Delphi. You can download and install the latest version of the framework from the official TMS Software website. Download the version compatible with your RAD Studio. The integration requires TMS WEB Core version 1.2.3.0 or newer.

Step 3: Install the TMSwebFroalaEditor Component

    1. Download and install the TMSwebFroalaEditor component from the TMS Software website.Froala Editor TMS WEB Core component
  1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file: it contains the following folders:
    • The “Component Library Source” folder,
    • The “Core Source” folder.
    • The “Demo” folder.
  2. Add the Library path: Add the “Core Source” folder path to the TMS WEB library path (RAD Studio: Tools > Options > TMS WEB > Library Path). Restart RAD Studio afterwards to ensure changes are applied.
  3. Install the package file “TMSWEBFroalaEditor”:
    1. Open the "Component Library Source/TMSWEBFroalaEditor.dpk" package file in the Rad Studio.
    2. This package requires the TMSWEBCorePkgLibDXE11.dcp library. Update this line if you are using a different TMS WEB Core version.
    3. Compile the package: Right-clicking on the package in the Project Manager and selecting “Compile”.
    4. Install the package: Right-clicking on the package in the Project Manager and selecting “Install”. Now you are ready to use the component in your project.

Step 4: Play with the Demo

The demo illustrates displaying the Froala Editor within your TMS WEB Core Delphi application. To run it, you need to do the following steps:

    1. Open the Demo Project: Locate the "Demo/FroalaEditor.dpk" package file in the downloaded ZIP folder and open it in your RAD Studio IDE.
    2. Include Froala Editor: Open “Index.html“ file. Note, the code assumes you will download the Froala Editor files and host them on your server. However, you can replace the local Froala stylesheet and JavaScript links with CDN links so we don’t need to download it. 
      <link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />
      
      <script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'></script>

       

    1. Understand the Demo Structure: The demo project likely consists of several files, including:
      • FroalaEditor.dpr: The main project file.
      • FroalaEditorForm.pas: The main form file, which contains the Froala Editor component and other UI elements.
    2. Run the Demo: To run the demo application, simply click the “Run” button in your RAD Studio IDE. This will compile and launch the demo, allowing you to interact with the Froala Editor integrated into the TMS WEB Core application.
    3. Inspect the Code: Once the demo is running, you can inspect the code to understand how the TMSWEBFroalaEditor component is being used. This can provide valuable insights and help you integrate the Froala Editor into your own TMS WEB Core projects.

Understanding the Source Code

By exploring the demo, you’ll get a better understanding of how to use the TMSWEBFroalaEditor component and integrate the Froala Editor into your own TMS WEB Core Delphi applications. The demo serves as a helpful starting point and reference for your own implementation.

For instance, to setup your own Froala Editor, do the following

  • Declare an external function so we can use Object Pascal to create the Editor Object.
  • Create an object that links the Froala Editor events with the WEB Core event handlers.
  • Initialize the Froala Editor
var  
  FEvents: TJSObject;  
  FFroalaEditor: TJSObject;  
  function froalaEditor(s: string; jsObject: TJSObject): TJSObject; overload; external name 'new FroalaEditor';  
  
begin  
    FEvents := new([  
     'contentChanged', @HandleChanged,  
     'initialized', @HandleLoaded,  
     'focus', @HandleStartEdit,  
     'blur', @HandleEndEdit  
     ]);  
  
    FFroalaEditor := froalaEditor('div#' + ElementID,   new([  
      'toolbarInline', false,  
      'events', FEvents  
      ]));  
end;

Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor Modes

Note the demo offers two ways to use the Froala Editor:

Classic: This is the default behavior.

Froala classic editor

Inline: Show the Editor toolbar upon content selection.

Connect any TWebLabel to the TWebFroalaEditor component to instantly make it editable in the browser.

WebLabel1.EventStopPropagation := [];  
WebFroalaEditor1.Visible := False;  
WebFroalaEditor1.InlineEditing := True;  
WebFroalaEditor1.Editor := WebLabel1;

Froala inline editor

By now, you have learned how to easily add a powerful, customizable WYSIWYG editing experience to your TMS WEB Core Delphi applications, providing your users with an intuitive and efficient way to manage content.

Live Demo

A live demo of the Froala editor integration is available at https://download.tmssoftware.com/tmsweb/demos/froalaeditor/. Explore the editor’s rich text editing capabilities and view the corresponding HTML code and triggered web core event handlers below the editor.

Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve walked through the seamless process of integrating the Froala Editor into your TMS WEB Core Delphi applications. By leveraging the powerful TMSwebFroalaEditor component, you can quickly add rich text editing capabilities to your web applications.

Integrating Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor with TMS WEB Core allows Delphi developers to create modern, responsive web apps with an intuitive WYSIWYG interface for managing content. With features like inline editing, table manipulation, and responsive video embedding, the Froala Editor provides a top-notch user experience that will delight your end-users.

With the steps outlined in this guide, you now have the knowledge and tools to integrate the Froala Editor into your own TMS WEB Core Delphi projects. By incorporating this powerful integration, you can deliver exceptional content management capabilities and take your Delphi web applications to new heights.

Get started today and elevate your Delphi web development with the TMS WEB Core Froala Editor integration

Froala vs. VisualEditor: Best WYSIWYG HTML Editor Comparison

WYSIWYG HTML editors, such as Froala Editor and VisualEditor, have revolutionized content creation and editing since their emergence. With features like rich text editing, drag and drop, file uploads, and more, they make creating content faster and easier. But how do they differ?

Nowadays, we have numerous WYSIWYG editors appearing in content management systems (CMS), blogs, and even social media platforms. Their functions also range from regular rich text editors to full-blown productivity or content management platforms. Wherever you go on the internet, as long as you see content, you’re most likely interfacing with a WYSIWYG editor.

This variety is great, but for developers like you, choosing the right WYSIWYG editor can sometimes lead to confusion. Many of these editors are better suited for solving specific needs. Others offer a complete package.

To help you choose the WYSIWYG editor for you, this article explores Froala vs. VisualEditor, a comparison between two popular editors. Froala is lightweight and feature-rich, while VisualEditor is an open-source rich text editor. Let’s start comparing!

A sample visual of a WYSIWYG HTML editor.

What is Froala Editor?

Froala is a modern WYSIWYG editor designed for developers seeking a lightweight, robust, and customizable solution. With an intuitive interface and over 100 features, Froala allows its users to create rich text, Markdown, HTML code, and entire blogs or web pages easily. Additionally, it provides seamless integration with most modern and popular languages and frameworks.

History and Development of Froala

Launched in 2014, Froala Editor is more than a JavaScript rich text editor. It is aimed towards providing excellent UX (User Experience) and DX (Developer Experience).

A sample image of Froala Editor's demo.

Today, it is popular among developers for its modular architecture and ease of integration, having 50,000+ customers and millions of end users. Additionally, this advanced rich text editor also managed to enter G2’s “Top 10 WYSIWYG Editors Software” rankings multiple times.

Key Features

  • Rich Text Editor Features: Supports basic and advanced text formatting, including Markdown support and real-time collaboration.
  • Media Management: Allows users to upload and manage files. As of version 4.3, Froala comes with a built-in Filestack integration, providing access to advanced file management features like OCR, SFW (safe for work) detection, and workflow automation. Note that to use this feature, you will also need to create a free Filestack account.
  • Code View: Integrates with CodeMirror for directly editing or viewing the HTML code equivalent of the editor’s contents.
  • Plugins: Offers different plugins for extended functionalities like spell check, emoticons, and more. You can also customize and reuse plugins.
  • Responsive Design and Accessibility: Optimized to look consistent across different devices and browsers. It’s also compliant with various accessibility guidelines like Section 508 and WCAG 2.0.
  • Security: Implements robust measures against XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks.

User Interface and Experience

Froala offers a modern, polished, and responsive user-friendly interface. Its design focuses on providing a clean experience that doesn’t overwhelm users with too many controls at once. It’s also highly customizable, allowing you to control which features you want on the toolbar as well as themes and editor behavior.

Supported Platforms and Integrations

Froala Editor is cross-platform and works across all major browsers and multiple operating systems. Its JavaScript core ensures compatibility with popular web development frameworks, such as Angular, React, Vue, .NET, Django, and Laravel. Plugins and APIs make customizing and scaling easier.

What is VisualEditor?

VisualEditor is an open-source rich-text editor developed by the Wikimedia Foundation for the MediaWiki platform. It aims to provide a user-friendly editing experience, especially for collaborative environments like Wikipedia.

A sample implementation of how collaboration works in VisualEditor.

History and Development of VisualEditor

Introduced in 2012, VisualEditor stemmed from the need to simplify the editing process on Wikipedia. Throughout the years, it has allowed users to edit web pages without needing to understand wikitext markup.

Key Features

  • Rich Text Editor Features: Provides basic formatting options suitable for wiki content.
  • Linking and Citation Tools: Simplifies adding internal and external links, as well as citations.
  • Template Editing: Allows users to edit templates (and use ready-made templates) with a visual interface.
  • Collaborative Editing: Designed for multi-user environments with real-time collaboration.

User Interface and Experience

VisualEditor provides a simpler UI with minimalist characteristics. It prioritizes ease of use, especially for contributors who are unfamiliar with code. While it may not offer the same level of control or customization as other editors, it fits wiki-like websites and needs perfectly.

Supported Platforms and Integrations

VisualEditor is primarily designed for MediaWiki, making its integration options narrower. While you can adapt it for use outside MediaWiki, doing so requires significant setup and familiarity with the codebase. Its lack of seamless integration with common web development tools limits its flexibility for broader use.

Froala vs. VisualEditor: In-Depth WYSIWYG Editor Comparison

Now that you know some vital details about Froala Editor and VisualEditor, it is time to compare the two. In this comparison, the criteria will revolve around the UI, features, performance, integration and support, and pricing.

User Interface

Feature Froala VisualEditor
Intuitive Interface Excellent Moderate
Customizable UI Yes Yes (Limited)
Responsive Design Yes Yes
Toolbars and Themes Full control Predefined

Froala excels in UI flexibility and aesthetics, providing a user-friendly interface suitable for a wider range of website building tasks.

On the other hand, VisualEditor’s UI suits simplified environments, such as wikis, better.

Features

Feature Froala VisualEditor
Rich Text Editing Yes Yes
Markdown Yes No
Media and File Manager Yes (Even better for v4.3 and up) Limited
Code View/Source Code Yes Limited
Real-Time Collaboration Via Codox.io integration Limited
Plugins Yes No

Froala offers more advanced features like Markdown support, a file manager, image upload tools, and code editing capabilities. VisualEditor sticks to the basics, which may be ideal for certain users but limiting for others.

Performance

Froala is known for its speed and responsiveness. It loads fast (less than 40 ms), is lightweight (50 KB core), and performs efficiently across browsers. Using websites with Froala on mobile devices retains the fast and intuitive experience.

VisualEditor can sometimes lag on larger pages and complex wiki entries due to its heavier dependencies.

Integration and Development Support

Froala WYSIWYG editor comes with seamless integration with both major frameworks and programming languages. It has strong developer support, including comprehensive documentation, a helpful community, a YouTube tutorial channel, and commercial support.

VisualEditor, on the other hand, currently doesn’t specify a list of integrations with modern web frameworks.

It also has limited documentation outside MediaWiki and requires a steep learning curve for those looking to use it elsewhere. This is because of its open-source or free software characteristics. Additionally, it’s difficult to find relevant video tutorials for VisualEditor.

Pricing and Licensing

Froala's pricing chart, which includes the WYSIWYG editor's free trial, professional ($899/year), and enterprise ($1599/year) plans..

Froala is a commercial product with tiered pricing. Its cost is backed by its features, support, and ongoing development. It does come with a fully featured free trial.

VisualEditor is free and open source, which is attractive to budget-conscious users but comes with fewer features and less flexibility.

Froala vs. VisualEditor: Pros and Cons

While both WYSIWYG editors are great, they also come with their own pros and cons:

Froala WYSIWYG Editor

Advantages

  • Modern interface with full control over features; works well with UI frameworks like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS
  • Integration with multiple platforms
  • Advanced features like Markdown, file management, and code editing
  • Excellent developer documentation and support
  • SEO-friendly, responsive, and accessible

Disadvantages

  • Paid license required

VisualEditor

Advantages

  • Free and open source
  • Very simple and accessible UI
  • Great for wikis and collaborative content

Disadvantages

  • Basic rich text editor features only
  • Minimal integration support outside MediaWiki
  • Difficult to customize

Use Cases and Recommendations

Now, let’s discuss when and how you should use these WYSIWYG editors.

When Should You Choose Froala Editor?

An image showing the various elements of Froala's customizable UI.

If you’re a web developer, web designer, or product manager looking to create scalable websites, social media platforms, LMS, or blogs, Froala is a great option. It suits content-heavy applications and client-facing platforms where users expect a seamless, user-friendly editing experience.

Froala has the right tools for maximum control over the editor experience, whether you’re integrating real-time collaboration, making the next Instagram, or just need a powerful text editor.

When Should You Choose VisualEditor?

VisualEditor is ideal if you’re building a wiki, educational site, or knowledge base where multiple contributors need a simple, consistent, and open-source way to edit content. If you’re already working within the MediaWiki ecosystem, it’s the natural and obvious choice.

Tip: Choose the Right WYSIWYG Editor Based on Your Project Needs

Choosing the right rich text editor tools depends on your specific use case.

Do you need an entire arsenal of rich text editor capabilities or just a few? Are you considering accessibility, scalability, simplicity, and ease of use? How about integration with different programming languages?

For instance, Froala is a WYSIWYG editor that’s geared toward creating websites where customization and performance matter. It’s also a solid choice for creating content for a wide user base.

VisualEditor, while limited, shines in collaborative and documentation-heavy environments.

Whichever WYSIWYG editor you are eyeing, be sure to always check your project needs first. Pay only for what you’re sure you’ll use. More importantly, pay for the one that gives you the least amount of headache, especially when it comes to integration and maintenance.

Which WYSIWYG Editor is Better?

So there you have it: a detailed run-through of the background, features, strengths, weaknesses, and use cases of two popular WYSIWYG editors.

In terms of features, documentation, compliance, and usability, Froala Editor takes the lead. On the other hand, if you’re building a wiki or looking for a simple rich text editor for a small project, then you might want VisualEditor.

In the end, “better” refers to the HTML editor that best suits your project or website needs. So, why not try both of these editors and play around with their features?

Download Froala today to discover its various WYSIWYG editor features.

FAQs

Is Froala Editor free?

Froala has a free trial, but it is a commercial WYSIWYG editor product with different pricing tiers based on features and usage.

Is VisualEditor easy to set up outside MediaWiki?

Not exactly. VisualEditor is primarily designed for MediaWiki, and while it can be adapted, it requires more effort than using it within its native environment.

Can you use Froala with Bootstrap 5 or Tailwind CSS?

Yes, you can integrate Froala with projects that use Bootstrap, Tailwind, or regular CSS codes, giving you design consistency across your app or website.

Which rich text editor is better for real-time collaboration?

You can easily integrate Codox.io with Froala for collaboration in real time, whereas VisualEditor offers basic collaborative features out of the box.

Which one is better for developers?

Froala, due to its robust documentation, easy integration with modern frameworks, and developer-friendly tools like code editing and Markdown.

Which rich text editor is better for building informative pages?

If you’re looking to build some wiki pages for your interests or organization, then you could go with VisualEditor.

How to Get Content and Set Content in HTML Editor Software

getter and setter Text Thumbnail

Content manipulation is the central core of a web application that involves text editing. Regarding apps, two functions are essential for good performance in this software engineering area: get content and set content for the HTML editor software.

To see how this works, you must understand how the mechanics of these functions are elementary.

  1. App users want their content saved in a database when interacting with the editor. However, the editor must obtain the content to enable this saving process. This behavior is the function of the getContent() method.
  2. The other function the user may need is to edit previously saved content in a database. The setContent() method does this.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to harness the content manipulation capabilities of Froala  WYSIWYG Editor to accomplish these tasks effectively.

Key takeaways

  • html.get() retrieves the HTML content inside the Froala Editor instance.
  • Passing false to html.get(false) returns plain text without HTML tags.
  • html.set() allows you to populate the editor with HTML content programmatically.
  • For dynamic updates, use event-based triggers like button clicks or data loading.
  • Always initialize the editor before calling content methods to avoid errors.
  • Use arrays or identifiers to manage multiple editor instances efficiently.
  • Leverage Froala’s clean API and event hooks to create responsive content workflows.

The Froala editor get-content and set-content methods

Froala provides developer-friendly methods to manipulate content inside the editor. Let’s start with the basics: getting and setting content.

How to use the get-content and set-content methods

To get content from Froala Editor, use the html.get() method. This allows you to retrieve the HTML content within the editor instance.

 

new FroalaEditor('.selector', {}, function () {

  const content = this.html.get();   

console.log(content);

});

Here is the complete example:

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang="en">

<head>

  <meta charset="UTF-8">

  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

  <title>Froala Get Content Example</title>

  <!-- Froala Editor CSS -->

  <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

</head>

<body>

  <!-- Editor Container -->

  <div id="froala-editor">

    <p>Edit this content. Check the console after it loads.</p>

  </div>

  <!-- Froala Editor JS -->

  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>

  <!-- Custom Script -->

  <script>

    // Initialize Froala Editor

    new FroalaEditor('#froala-editor', {}, function () {

      // Get content on initialization

      const content = this.html.get();

      console.log('Initial editor content:', content);

    });

  </script>

</body>

</html>

get a content example in Froala html editor software - input text

get-content example in Froala html editor - output

To set content, use the html.set() method. This lets you dynamically populate the editor with HTML.

<!-- HTML -->

<div class="selector"></div>

<!-- JavaScript -->

<script>

  new FroalaEditor('.selector', {}, function () {

    this.html.set('<p>Welcome to Froala Editor!</p>');

  });

</script>

Here is the complete example:

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang="en">

<head>

  <meta charset="UTF-8" />

  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/>

  <title>Froala Set Content Example</title>

  <!-- Froala Editor CSS -->

  <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

</head>

<body>

  <!-- Editor Container -->

  <div class="selector"></div>

  <!-- Froala Editor JS -->

  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>

  <!-- Custom Script -->

  <script>

    // Initialize Froala Editor and set content

    new FroalaEditor('.selector', {}, function () {

      this.html.set('<p>Welcome to Froala Editor!</p>');

    });

  </script>

</body>

</html>

When you open this file in your browser, you’ll see Froala Editor with the content:

“Welcome to Froala Editor!”

set-content example in Froala editor an html editor software

These methods are essential for loading saved content or exporting editor data to a backend database.

How to set content dynamically in Froala

When building responsive and interactive applications, you often need to dynamically update the content inside your HTML editor software. Whether it’s loading saved drafts, switching between templates, or reacting to user input—Froala Editor makes this process seamless using the html.set() method.

Use Case:

Imagine you’re building a blogging platform. When a user clicks “Load Template,” you want the editor to instantly populate with a predefined blog structure. This is a perfect case for using html.set() dynamically.

Example: Set content on button click

Here’s how you can dynamically insert content into Froala Editor in response to a user interaction like clicking a button.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang="en">

<head>

  <meta charset="UTF-8" />

  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/>

  <title>Froala Dynamic Set Content Example</title>

  <!-- Froala Editor CSS -->

  <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

</head>

<body>

  <!-- Froala Editor Container -->

  <div id="froala-editor"></div>

  <!-- Button to Insert Dynamic Content -->

  <button onclick="insertTemplate()" style="margin-top: 20px; padding: 10px 20px;">Load Blog Template</button>

  <!-- Froala Editor JS -->

  <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>

  <!-- Custom JS -->

  <script>

    let editor;

    // Initialize Froala Editor

    editor = new FroalaEditor('#froala-editor', {}, function () {

      console.log('Editor is ready.');

    });

    // Set content dynamically on button click

    function insertTemplate() {

      const templateHTML = `

        <h2>My Blog Title</h2>

        <p>Welcome to my blog! This is a dynamic template loaded into Froala Editor.</p>

        <p>Feel free to customize it as you like.</p>

      `;

      editor.html.set(templateHTML);

    }

  </script>

</body>

</html>

What’s happening here?

  • The editor is initialized with a target element (#froala-editor)
  • A button is provided to trigger the insertTemplate() function
  • When the button is clicked, Froala dynamically replaces the current content with the predefined HTML

Output

It will load the template when you click the button.

set content dynamically example in Froala editor - output

Real-World Applications

  • Draft loaders in CMS platforms
  • Template switchers for emails, blogs, or reports
  • Live previews of form-generated content
  • AI-generated text insertion based on user selections

By integrating dynamic content-setting capabilities using html.set(), you enhance the flexibility and user experience of your HTML editor software—making Froala Editor a powerful choice for interactive web applications.

How to set content with multiple editors

When your application uses multiple Froala Editor instances on a single page—such as in forums, CMS dashboards, or multi-input forms—managing them efficiently is key. Fortunately, Froala Editor makes it simple to initialize and set content individually for each instance.

In this section, you’ll learn how to loop through multiple editors, manage them in a list, and dynamically insert content into a specific one when needed.

Example: Multiple Froala editors with individual content setters

Let’s say you have three editable sections on your page, each needing its own Froala Editor instance. You also want to insert unique content into one of them dynamically.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang="en">

<head>

  <meta charset="UTF-8" />

  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/>

  <title>Froala Multiple Editors Example</title>

  <!-- Froala Editor CSS -->

  <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

  <style>

    .editor {

      margin-bottom: 20px;

    }

    button {

      margin-right: 10px;

      margin-bottom: 20px;

    }

  </style>

</head>

<body>

  <!-- Editor Containers -->

  <div class="editor" id="editor-1"></div>

  <div class="editor" id="editor-2"></div>

  <div class="editor" id="editor-3"></div>

  <!-- Control Buttons -->

  <button onclick="setEditorContent(0)">Set Content in Editor 1</button>

  <button onclick="setEditorContent(1)">Set Content in Editor 2</button>

  <button onclick="setEditorContent(2)">Set Content in Editor 3</button>

  <!-- Froala Editor JS -->

  <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js"></script>

  <!-- Custom Script -->

  <script>

    const editors = [];

    // Initialize Froala Editor on all .editor divs

    document.querySelectorAll('.editor').forEach((el, index) => {

      editors[index] = new FroalaEditor(el, {}, function () {

        console.log(`Editor ${index + 1} initialized.`);

      });

    });

    // Function to dynamically set content in a specific editor

    function setEditorContent(index) {

      const contentTemplates = [

        "<p>This is content for <strong>Editor 1</strong>.</p>",

        "<p>Welcome to <em>Editor 2</em>. Here's your dynamic text!</p>",

        "<p>Editor 3 has <u>fresh content</u> just for you.</p>"

      ];

      if (editors[index]) {

        editors[index].html.set(contentTemplates[index]);

        console.log(`Content set in Editor ${index + 1}`);

      }

    }

  </script>

</body>

</html>

What’s happening here?

  • We select all .editor elements and loop through them with forEach.
  • Each element gets initialized with a Froala Editor instance, stored in an array called editors.
  • When a button is clicked, it calls setEditorContent(index), which sets unique HTML content in the corresponding editor instance.

Real-world use cases

  • Content management systems (CMS) with multiple editable blocks
  • Admin dashboards managing multiple article or section inputs
  • Interactive forms with rich text input in different areas
  • E-learning platforms for instructors writing multiple responses or feedback fields

By storing each Froala Editor instance in an array and referencing them by index or ID, you gain full control over setting content dynamically across a multi-editor interface—enhancing both user experience and application flexibility.

Output

Set content in multiple editors - after clicking the buttons

See the output when you click 3 buttons:

Froala setContent not working: Common fixes

You might run into a situation where the setContent() method just… doesn’t work. Maybe you see the frustrating Cannot read properties of undefined (reading ‘set’) or nothing appears in the editor at all.

This is a common issue in HTML editor software when the script tries to call html.set() before the Froala Editor instance is fully initialized.

Fix it with these steps:

  • Check the initialization order. Make sure you’re calling html.set() inside the Froala init callback or after the editor has finished loading.
  • Avoid calling set() on a null or undefined editor instance. This happens when you’re referencing the editor too early in the page lifecycle.

NOTE: The best practice is to only run editor.html.set() inside the initialization callback or after the editor is ready via Froala editor events like initialized.

new FroalaEditor('#editor', {}, function () {

  this.html.set('<p>This works perfectly!</p>');

});

If you’re using multiple editors or setting content dynamically, make sure:

  • You’re referencing the correct editor instance from your array
  • The DOM is fully loaded before initializing
  • You handle re-renders if you’re using frameworks like React or Vu

How to set Froala content on initialization

If you need to preload content as soon as the editor starts, either use the html.set() method in the callback, or set it as the default HTML using the editor config.

new FroalaEditor('#editor', {

  html: {

    default: '<p>Preloaded content</p>'

  }

});

Following these simple practices will ensure you avoid the common “Froala setContent not working” errors and keep your content flowing smoothly.

How to get plain text content from Froala (No HTML tags)

Sometimes, you just need the text content without any HTML—especially for search indexing, summaries, or plain-text exports. Froala makes this simple with a small tweak to the html.get() method.

Use the following code:

const plainText = editor.html.get(false);

console.log(plainText); // Outputs content without any HTML tags

By passing false to html.get(), the method returns clean text without formatting tags—perfect for lightweight processing or storage.

Best practices for managing content in Froala editor

When it comes to working with HTML editor software, mastering how to get and set content effectively is crucial for building intuitive and flexible web applications. Froala Editor simplifies this with clean, developer-friendly methods that can be adapted for everything from simple blogs to enterprise-level platforms.

Here’s a summary of the key points we covered:

  • Use html.get() to retrieve content from the editor. Pass false if you need a plain text with no HTML tags.
  • Use html.set() to inject or update content within the editor, whether on page load or user interaction.
  • Always ensure you’re calling these methods after the editor is initialized. The safest approach is to use them inside the editor’s initialized callback or through Froala Editor events.
  • For multiple editors, store instances in an array and manage content individually with index-based referencing.
  • Handle edge cases and errors by checking for null references and ensuring the DOM is fully loaded.

Whether you’re building a CMS, a documentation editor, or an e-learning tool, understanding how to get and set content properly ensures your Froala integration is seamless, dynamic, and powerful.

Now that you’ve learned how to control content flow with Froala, you’re ready to build smarter, cleaner, and more flexible editing experiences.

FAQs

Q1: How do I get only the text from Froala without HTML?

 Use editor.html.get(false). This returns a plain text version of the content.

Q2: Why isn’t my html.set() working?

Make sure the editor is fully initialized. Use the method inside the init callback or after the initialized event fires.

Q3: Can I use Froala Editor in multiple elements on one page?

Yes! Just initialize each instance separately and manage them in an array for easy access and control.

Q4: Can I load content into the editor from a database?

Absolutely. Fetch the content via an API or backend call, then use html.set() to populate the editor dynamically.

Q5: Is it safe to use html.set() repeatedly?

Yes, but ensure the editor is still active and not destroyed. For React or Vue apps, re-check initialization after each render.

Got Questions?

If you have more questions about working with Froala Editor or want us to cover a specific topic, feel free to reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you—and who knows? Your question might inspire our next blog post!

Happy editing!

Discover the Best HTML Code Generator for Web Development

HTML code generators have helped web developers speed up their development cycles since their emergence. By providing a user-friendly interface to generate HTML code, they are able to significantly lessen manual coding. Many of these tools function as a WYSIWYG editor, allowing users to create and edit web pages visually without needing to write extensive code.

A visual representation of an HTML code generator.

Thus, businesses, developers, and even non-technical hobbyists have chosen to rely on these HTML generators or integrate them into their workflow.

If you’re planning to find the best HTML code generator that suits your needs, then read on below. In this guide, you’ll see some key features to look for in these generators, as well as a list featuring the best of them. Additionally, you’ll explore how you can quickly integrate one in your projects.

What is an HTML Code Generator?

Whenever we build webpages, we write HTML code using text editors and view the result through a browser. Let’s call this “traditional coding.”

HTML code generators, on the other hand, allow developers to use a visual or text-based interface to generate code.

For example, a user can type on the generator’s text editor, select the text, and click some buttons (e.g., bold and italics). Afterwards, the generator will convert the editor’s contents (e.g., <strong><em>Some text</em></strong>) into HTML code. The way generators display the HTML code might differ, but the end result should be the same.

With these features, HTML generators help developers reduce or skip some basic coding, allowing them to focus on other important parts like optimization, security, and analysis.

Key Features to Look for in an HTML Code Generator

Nowadays, code generators come with plenty of features. Most of these are standard and essential, while others have more niche or specific uses. Here are four important features that the best HTML code generators should contain:

User-friendly Interface

This might appear obvious or simple at first glance, but the truth is that some generators prioritize other things over a polished user interface. Without proper layouts, organization, accessibility, customization, and a clean, modern look, a feature-rich code generator would turn into a difficult, counterintuitive tool.

So, for efficiency (and for not straining your eyes), choose a generator that looks and feels intuitive and seamless.

Auto-completion and Syntax Highlighting

Auto-completion and syntax highlighting are integral parts of every development process because of how they reduce issues, ensure clean code, and provide convenience.

The former automatically suggests code when you type in the editor, possibly reducing human errors (such as typos). Additionally, it helps cut time when writing repetitive code. On the other hand, syntax highlighting helps you identify syntax errors or inconsistencies in the editor.

Code Snippets and Templates

The code snippets feature contributes greatly to the rapid development of web pages. It allows developers to use pre-written codes and insert or paste them directly into projects.

Templates provide developers with a fixed yet customizable web page design and features. They serve as a good foundation for a project, especially for those who want a quick start.

In case you’re looking for ways to visualize code snippets or animate them in various ways, you can look at tools like Snappify.

Cross-browser Compatibility

Browsers may display HTML code differently. That’s why you usually test the look and feel of your web pages across different browsers before deploying them.

The same goes for HTML generators. When looking for the right one for your use case, you should pick that which already has cross-browser compatibility.

Top HTML Code Generators Available Today

There are many HTML generators available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a list of some of the best options you can consider:

1. Froala Editor

Froala, a WYSIWYG editor that also functions as an HTML code generator. The image shows two screens, one with the user interface and the other with the generated HTML code from the editor's code view feature.

Froala is a WYSIWYG editor (think drag-and-drop, rich-text editing, and image handling) that also contains code generation features. With over 100 features, it’s a tool that you can use for code generation, blog sites, web content creation, and more.

Features

  • Rich text and formatting features (e.g., Markdown, basic styling, tables, etc.)
  • Code Mirror integration for converting visual elements into code
  • Integration with Codox.io for collaboration and real-time editing features
  • Advanced file uploading and transformations
  • Lightweight (50 KB gzip core) and fast (about 40 ms initialization)

Pros

  • High degree of customization
  • A responsive, accessible, cross-browser, and cross-platform WYSIWYG editor that also supports SEO optimization
  • Easy integration with different front-end frameworks like React and server-side tools like PHP
  • Free trial with full features

Cons

  • No code templates exist at the moment.

Suitable for: Professionals and businesses that need a powerful, customizable, and light HTML editor and generator

2. Bootstrap Studio

An sample image that shows Bootstrap Studio's HTML code generator and IDE.

This is a desktop application that leverages the Bootstrap framework to create responsive web pages. It primarily offers several drag-and-drop components to assemble these web pages. Compared to other generators, this feels like more of a full-fledged IDE for web design.

Features

  • Bootstrap framework support (several versions are available)
  • Drag-and-drop editing for rapid development
  • Real-time preview of web page designs across different devices and screen widths (like a hot reload for page design)
  • Pre-made templates and components
  • Fonts and icons are available

Pros

  • Great for responsive web design
  • A good degree of customization
  • Easy to learn
  • Intuitive and clean IDE UI

Cons

  • Might seem too heavy for simpler or specific HTML code generation requirements

Suitable for: Web page designers or developers who feel more comfortable with drag-and-drop IDEs

3. CoffeeCup HTML Editor

This image shows the UI of CoffeeCup's HTML editor, particularly the tag highlighting feature.

CoffeeCup’s HTML editor offers dozens of useful tools for building web pages, prioritizing development speed and convenience.

Features

  • Code completion for convenience and reducing typographical errors
  • Tag highlighting for knowing where each tags (e.g., div) start and end
  • Template downloader
  • Components library
  • Free trial is available

Pros

  • Good syntax highlighting and auto-completion features
  • Lets you get started easily
  • Good file structure organization
  • Great for developers and designers who are already familiar with non-visual IDEs

Cons

  • The IDE’s UI looks clean but might seem less modern compared to others
  • There’s a free trial, but there’s no online HTML code generator demo available

Suitable for: Developers who are more comfortable with manual coding but want a little automation features and convenience

A table of comparison that summarizes the information above.

How to Choose the Right HTML Code Generator for Your Needs

With many available options to generate HTML code, you should consider the following factors:

Project Requirements

Are you building a full website, or are you looking to quickly generate HTML code? Do you need many features or just specific ones? Are compliance, security, clean layouts, SEO, and performance important for you? How about scalability?

Team Size

If you’re working solo, you can opt for a simple, easy-to-use, and possibly free tool to generate HTML code. On the other hand, small and larger teams might benefit from more robust tools, especially those with collaboration features.

Budget

Some HTML code generators are free or have a perpetual plan option. Others require a subscription. Better ones offer all of the aforementioned. Choose a tool that aligns with your budget constraints.

Remember that before you fully commit, you should test out the tools with either a free trial or a live demo. You can then gauge whether the features align with your needs and workflow.

Integrating an HTML Code Generator into Your Workflow

You can use HTML code generators in several ways. Here are some examples that demonstrate how you can integrate them into your workflow:

Online HTML code generators

If you just need a quick and accessible start to your projects, you can use online HTML generators. These include online HTML editor demos and even AI-powered LLMs like ChatGPT. To get started, visit the site of your preferred online editor.

Web app integration

You can also integrate these generators into applications (e.g., internal apps or apps for your users). For example, you can install Froala Editor by either downloading its files as a ZIP, using the CDN, or using package managers like NPM.

After you have the editor’s files (or if you’re using CDN), you can then import them into your project directly like the following lines:

<!--Import via CDN-->
<link href='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/css/froala_editor.pkgd.min.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@latest/js/froala_editor.pkgd.min.js'></script>

Once you have them, you’re ready to initialize the editor and enable your application’s users to generate HTML.

As separate desktop applications

Lastly, you can download or purchase full IDEs with code generation features. This method would probably require the most effort and resources but might also come with the most features. Hence, you must ensure that you can maximize the use of these features should you get such a code generator.

Conclusion

In web development, you can supplement your current tech stack with a tool that can generate HTML code. This speeds up the layout design and development process while possibly reducing errors.

Before you start implementing, it is worth noting that neither traditional coding nor HTML generators is better than the other. Furthermore, you should always review generated code to be safe.

To find the best one for you, check each of the best HTML code generators out (demos, free trials, etc.). In the end, the answer will depend on your project needs, development style, pacing, and budget.