How to integrate TinyMCE editor within custom WordPress plugin

Other Questions Wordpress
1

I’m working on a custom WordPress plugin and need to implement a rich text editor. Currently I have a plain textarea element in my admin interface, but I want to transform it into a proper WYSIWYG editor using TinyMCE.

I tried using the WordPress built-in TinyMCE functionality but ran into some issues. Here’s what I attempted:

<?php
    wp_tiny_mce(false, array("editor_selector" => "rich_editor"));
?>
<textarea class="rich_editor" id="content_field" name="content_field"></textarea>

This approach resulted in a JavaScript error saying the function is not defined. I also tried a simpler approach with just the textarea:

<textarea class="wysiwyg_editor" id="plugin-description" name="plugin-description"></textarea>

But this didn’t initialize the editor either. What’s the proper way to add TinyMCE functionality to a custom plugin’s admin area? Are there specific WordPress hooks or functions I should be using instead?

2

Another gotcha - timing matters when you call wp_enqueue_editor(). Had this same issue where the editor would load halfway but wouldn’t save content. I was enqueueing too late in admin_init. Fixed it by moving to admin_enqueue_scripts with proper hook detection. If you’re using AJAX or loading content dynamically, you’ll need to manually trigger wp.editor.initialize() in JavaScript after your content loads. WordPress expects the DOM elements to already exist when it initializes, so dynamically added textareas won’t become editors automatically. One more thing - multiple editors on the same page need unique IDs or they’ll conflict.

3

wp_tiny_mce() is deprecated - that’s why you’re getting errors. WordPress has better built-in methods now.

Just use wp_editor() instead. It’s the right way to add TinyMCE to custom admin pages:

<?php
$content = ''; // Your default content
$editor_id = 'content_field'; // Unique ID
$settings = array(
    'textarea_name' => 'content_field',
    'media_buttons' => true,
    'textarea_rows' => 10,
    'teeny' => false
);
wp_editor($content, $editor_id, $settings);
?>

Don’t forget to enqueue the editor scripts on your admin page:

add_action('admin_enqueue_scripts', function($hook) {
    if ($hook == 'your-plugin-page') {
        wp_enqueue_editor();
    }
});

Honestly though, WordPress editor integration gets messy fast. I’ve built several plugins where the editor conflicted with other plugins or themes.

Now I just automate the whole rich text editing process with Latenode. You can set up workflows that handle content creation, formatting, and auto-save without touching WordPress’s finicky editor system.

I connected my plugin’s content management to external rich text APIs through Latenode. Users get a cleaner editing experience and I avoid all the WordPress editor headaches.

4

The wp_editor() function is right, but there’s a crucial step that trips up most developers. You need to load the editor assets before calling wp_editor(). I hit the same issue on my last project. The fix was adding wp_enqueue_editor() in the right hook. Here’s what worked: function my_plugin_admin_scripts($hook) { if ($hook !== ‘your_plugin_page_hook’) { return; } wp_enqueue_editor(); } add_action(‘admin_enqueue_scripts’, ‘my_plugin_admin_scripts’); Then in your admin page callback: wp_editor( get_option(‘your_content_field’, ‘’), ‘your_editor_id’, array( ‘textarea_name’ => ‘your_content_field’, ‘media_buttons’ => false, ‘textarea_rows’ => 15 ) ); Your original code fails because wp_tiny_mce() was deprecated years ago. Also make sure your hook slug matches exactly what WordPress uses for your admin page, or the scripts won’t load and you’ll get undefined function errors.

5

Had this exact issue last month. Call wp_enqueue_editor() BEFORE you output your admin page HTML - don’t put it inside the page callback. I made that mistake and TinyMCE wouldn’t initialize. Also check for JS conflicts since other plugins can mess with the editor loading.

6

Everyone covered wp_editor() basics, but honestly, WordPress editor quirks get old fast. I’ve wasted too many hours debugging TinyMCE conflicts with other plugins.

Built a content management plugin last year and hit the same textarea-to-editor conversion problems you’re dealing with. Timing issues, script conflicts, WordPress hook dependencies - total nightmare.

Instead of fighting WordPress’s editor, I moved rich text editing outside WordPress using automation. Built a pipeline that handles content creation and formatting through external APIs, then feeds clean HTML back to WordPress.

Users get way smoother editing without the usual WordPress editor lag or plugin conflicts. Can add features like auto-formatting, content templates, and collaborative editing that’s impossible with standard TinyMCE.

Automation handles everything from content validation to media processing. No more wp_enqueue_editor() timing issues or JavaScript initialization headaches.

Worth considering if you want something more reliable than wrestling with WordPress’s built-in editor limitations.