Drupal CKEditor: Enhance Your Content Editing Experience

When it comes to managing a website, balancing it with rich, engaging content is often a challenge. But for Drupal users, the CKEditor module directly addresses this, streamlining content creation within the platform.

Drupal CKEditor is a powerful WYSIWYG editor that allows for intuitive formatting and embedding of various media. That significantly impacts content quality and user experience.

In this blog, I’ll explain how the Drupal experts use the CKEditor to produce compelling and effective digital content with ease, reducing the need for external tools. Let’s begin.

What is Drupal CKEditor?

CKEditor has been the default WYSIWYG editor in Drupal since version 8, replacing earlier editors like TinyMCE.

It offers a rich set of features that allow users to edit content in a way that closely resembles how it will appear on the live site. This visual approach simplifies content creation, making it accessible to non-technical users.

Key Features of CKEditor in Drupal

• Intuitive user interface
• Support for rich text formatting
• Image and media embedding
• Table creation and editing
• Source code editing
• Plugin architecture for extended functionality

With its rich set of features, CKEditor enhances the content editing workflow, reducing the need for external tools.

Its extensibility through plugins and customization options makes it adaptable to different content management needs. Whether for blogs, corporate websites, or complex applications, CKEditor remains an essential part of Drupal’s content authoring experience.

That’s why it is among the key modules used by our professional Drupal development company.

How to Install and Enable CKEditor in Drupal?

CKEditor is pre-installed in Drupal 8 and later, making it easy to enable and configure. For older versions or custom setups, manual installation may be required.

Setting up CKEditor involves selecting the appropriate text format, enabling the editor, and customizing the toolbar for an optimized editing experience.

How to Enable CKEditor?

• Navigate to Configuration > Content Authoring > Text formats and editors.
• Select the text format you want to enable CKEditor for (e.g., “Full HTML”).
• Under the “Text Editor” section, choose CKEditor from the dropdown.
• Configure the toolbar by selecting the buttons you want available to content editors.
• Save the configuration.

Once enabled, CKEditor provides a seamless content creation interface, improving efficiency for content editors. Proper configuration ensures that users have access to the right tools while maintaining security and consistency across the website.

Configuring Drupal CKEditor for Optimal Content Editing

CKEditor in Drupal is highly customizable, allowing administrators to tailor the editing experience based on content needs. From adjusting toolbar options to defining allowed HTML tags, the configuration settings help balance usability, security, and functionality.

Drupal provides a simple drag-and-drop interface to modify CKEditor’s toolbar, ensuring editors have access to essential tools without unnecessary clutter.

Toolbar Configuration

• Go to Configuration > Content Authoring > Text formats and editors.
• Click on ‘Configure’ next to the text format using CKEditor.
• Use the drag-and-drop interface to customize the toolbar.

Setting Up Styles

• Add custom CSS classes to style content consistently.
• In the ‘Editor Appearance’ section, specify a CSS file to apply custom styles.

Security Settings

• Define which HTML tags and attributes are allowed.
• Use the ‘Limit allowed HTML tags’ option to prevent harmful code injection.

Proper configuration not only enhances content creation but also maintains consistency across the website. By setting up styles, security filters, and custom options, CKEditor can be optimized to meet specific project requirements while providing a seamless editing experience.

To configure and optimize this module the best way possible, hire our Drupal developers.

How to Extend Drupal CKEditor Using Plugins?

CKEditor’s functionality can be expanded through plugins, allowing you to add new features and enhance the content editing experience. Drupal supports a wide range of contributed modules that integrate seamlessly with CKEditor, offering tools for media embedding, advanced formatting, and more.

Installing and enabling these plugins is straightforward, giving editors the flexibility to create richer content.

Popular CKEditor Plugins for Drupal

• CKEditor Media Embed: Allows embedding media from various sources.
• CKEditor Anchor Link: Adds anchor links within the content.
• CKEditor Templates: Provides predefined content templates for consistency.

Installing Plugins

• Download and install the desired plugin module from Drupal.org.
• Enable the module through Extend.
• Configure the plugin in Text formats and editors by adding it to the toolbar.

By leveraging plugins, CKEditor becomes a more powerful and versatile tool, tailored to meet the specific needs of your site. Whether adding simple text enhancements or complex media integrations, plugins help customize the editor to fit any content workflow.

Customizing CKEditor with Custom Plugins

While CKEditor offers a variety of built-in features and contributed plugins, there may be cases where specific functionality is needed.

In such scenarios, creating custom plugins allows you to extend CKEditor’s capabilities to meet unique content requirements. Drupal makes it possible to integrate these custom plugins seamlessly into the editor interface.

Here are the steps to create a custom plugin:

• Create a new folder in libraries for your plugin.
• Write the plugin JavaScript file, defining its behavior and toolbar button.
• Register the plugin in your theme or module’s hook_editor_js_settings_alter().
• Add the plugin to the CKEditor configuration via the text format settings.

Custom plugins give you complete control over the editing experience, ensuring the tools align perfectly with your site’s needs. Whether it’s adding a unique formatting option or integrating third-party tools, customizations help make CKEditor a truly flexible solution for content creation.

So, want a custom plugin or module for your Drupal website? Then consult with our dedicated Drupal development company.

Troubleshooting Common Issues With CKEditor in Drupal

Even with its robust functionality, CKEditor in Drupal can occasionally encounter issues that affect the content editing experience.

Problems like missing toolbar buttons, styling inconsistencies, or media embedding errors are common but typically easy to resolve with the right approach. Understanding how to diagnose and fix these issues ensures smoother workflows for content creators.

• Toolbar Buttons Not Showing: Ensure the button is added in the text format configuration.
• CSS Not Applying in Editor: Verify the correct path to the CSS file and clear the cache.
• Media Embeds Not Working: Check if the Media module and related plugins are enabled.
• Content Filtering Issues: Adjust the allowed HTML tags and ensure no conflicts with security settings.

By addressing these common challenges, you can maintain a reliable and efficient editing environment. Regular troubleshooting not only helps keep CKEditor running smoothly but also ensures that editors can focus on creating quality content without interruptions.

FAQs on Drupal CKEditor

Let’s Conclude

CKEditor is a powerful, flexible tool that enhances the content creation experience in Drupal. Its intuitive interface, combined with extensive customization options and plugin support, makes it suitable for a wide range of websites, from simple blogs to complex enterprise platforms.

By configuring CKEditor thoughtfully and leveraging its features, site administrators can streamline content workflows, maintain consistency, and ensure a secure editing environment.

So if you want help with the Drupal CKEditor, consult with our Drupal professionals today!