Bubble Plugin Development: Creating a Custom Rich Text Editor

Creating a custom rich text editor plugin for Bubble requires an editor integration, clear data-binding rules, and a plan for validation and maintenance. Define the supported formatting and behaviors before writing code, then test each workflow before publishing.

Plan the editor integration

Start by listing what the editor must support, such as:

• Formatting controls
• Links and images
• Placeholder text
• Read-only mode
• Content-change notifications
• Selection-change notifications
• External content updates

Choose the editor library that best fits your requirements. You can evaluate tools such as Quill, TinyMCE, or Tiptap, but confirm that each one supports the behavior you need.

Set up the development workspace

Create separate folders for the plugin code, tests, and documentation. Keep the editor library, configuration, and application-specific code organized so that changes are easy to review.

Before implementation, check the current plugin documentation and vendor requirements. Confirm:

• The supported plugin structure
• How properties are declared
• How element behavior is initialized and updated
• How actions and events are exposed
• How external scripts or bundled dependencies are loaded
• What validation is required before submission

Use a local development environment to reproduce the editor behavior without changing production data.

Define plugin properties

Keep the property set small and purposeful. Possible properties include:

• content: the rich text value
• placeholder: helper text for an empty editor
• toolbar_config: which controls appear
• read_only: whether editing is disabled

Document the purpose, expected value, and default behavior of each property. Decide whether each property accepts a fixed value, a data binding, or an expression.

Also define the events your workflow needs. A content-change event can notify Bubble when the editor value changes, while a selection-change event can support contextual controls.

Initialize the editor

During element initialization:

1. Create a container for the editor.
2. Add the container to the plugin’s designated page area.
3. Create the editor using the library’s supported initialization method.
4. Apply the toolbar and placeholder settings.
5. Load the current content.
6. Register change and selection handlers.
7. Store references to the editor and its event handlers.

Keep each editor reference tied to its own element instance. Avoid global variables that could cause one editor to affect another.

Synchronize content in both directions

Define how content moves between Bubble and the editor.

When a user edits the text:

1. Read the editor’s current content.
2. Normalize it if your library requires a specific format.
3. Update the plugin’s content value.
4. Notify the workflow through the appropriate event.

When Bubble supplies new content:

1. Compare it with the editor’s current value.
2. Update the editor only when the values differ.
3. Preserve the cursor position when practical.
4. Avoid resetting the editor unnecessarily.

Test empty content, ordinary text, formatting changes, pasted content, and updates made by workflows.

Build the toolbar

Create controls only for the formatting you intend to support. Keep the toolbar consistent with the rest of your Bubble interface.

A useful implementation checklist is:

• Bold and italic controls
• Headings
• Lists
• Links
• Images
• Undo and redo
• Read-only mode

Connect each control to the editor command supported by your chosen library. Use a configuration property when you want users to show or hide controls. Keep toolbar state synchronized with the current selection, and avoid applying an action when the editor has no active selection.

Handle rich text safely

Treat editor output as untrusted input. Before saving or displaying rich text, validate the HTML and remove unsupported tags, attributes, scripts, event handlers, and unsafe URLs.

Create an allowlist of permitted tags and attributes. Test the result with:

• Pasted content
• Malformed HTML
• Links containing unsafe protocols
• Embedded images
• Script-like markup
• Event-handler attributes

Do not assume that a visually correct editor also produces safe stored content.

Add advanced features carefully

Mentions, embeds, images, and collaborative editing each require separate design decisions.

For mentions, query only the records users should be able to select. Validate the selected record before inserting it.

For embeds, allow only supported providers and URL patterns. Render embeds through a controlled component rather than accepting arbitrary markup.

For collaborative editing, decide whether the feature is necessary before adding it. Locking, presence indicators, and conflict handling can complicate the data model and require deliberate testing.

Test the plugin

Create test pages that cover the complete workflow. Include:

• Empty content
• Initial content
• Toolbar commands
• Changes made in the editor
• Changes made by Bubble workflows
• Read-only mode
• Multiple editor elements
• Paste operations
• Invalid or unsafe HTML
• Images and links
• Page navigation and cleanup

Log errors during development, but remove or disable debug logging before release. Check that event listeners and editor instances are cleaned up when an element is removed.

Publish and maintain the plugin

Prepare a clear submission package with:

• A concise description
• Setup instructions
• Screenshots or a demonstration page
• Supported formatting details
• Known limitations
• Privacy and security notes

After publication, review feedback, reproduce reported problems, and update documentation when behavior changes. Keep a changelog for releases and breaking changes. Recheck the editor library and Bubble integration requirements periodically so that compatibility problems are addressed early.

FAQ

How should image uploads be handled?

Use a controlled upload handler that checks the file type, validates the upload path, and inserts only the resulting stored reference or approved URL. Do not accept unrestricted file content or arbitrary HTML.

Can a page contain multiple editors?

Keep each editor’s state, DOM references, and event handlers separate. Test several instances on the same page to confirm that commands, updates, and cleanup do not affect another editor.

How should rich text HTML be sanitized?

Use a maintained sanitization library with an explicit allowlist of tags and attributes. Remove scripts, event handlers, unsafe URLs, and unsupported embedded content before storage or rendering.

How can existing rich text content be migrated?

Export the content in a documented format, inspect its tags and attributes, convert unsupported elements to an approved representation, and validate the result before loading it into the editor. Create a backup before changing stored content.