How to Get Content and Set Content in HTML Editor Software
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.
- 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.
- 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>
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!”
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.
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
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!
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