Custom HTML Modules: Content Editor (WYSIWYG) FAQs
How do I replace placeholder ("lorem ipsum") or unwanted text content?
The content editor can be finicky. To replace placeholder or unwanted text, we recommend that you first click the “BLOCKS” button in the toolbar to reveal outlines surrounding block-level elements. Then, select the text you wish to replace and type in your desired text. Or, you can place your cursor at the end of the text you want to replace, add your desired text, and then select and delete the placeholder text preceding it. We do NOT recommend selecting all placeholder text in the editor and deleting it before you add your desired content. As a result you may accidentally erase necessary markup that the content depends on. It is always best to edit text elements one at a time rather than deleting everything you don’t want from the start.
Can I copy/paste from other sources?
Be very careful when copy/pasting text content from other sources into a Custom HTML module's content editor. When copying from an external document, take steps to ensure the text you are copying is plain text (as opposed to rich text.) When copying from a web page, make sure you are ONLY including text and not actual HTML tags (<p>, <br>, etc.) as this could result in unintended styling/format inconsistencies.
How do I change the appearance of text content (color, font size, etc)?
The "STYLE" dropdown in the toolbar can be used to edit the styling/appearance of content. Keep in mind that when you add a style from the dropdown, it does not overwrite other styles previously applied to the element. This allows greater flexibility in cases where you may need more than one style applied, but you will need to remember to uncheck undesired styles after applying them.
Please refer to Style Management for examples of classes/styles you may apply.
Keep in mind that changing the appearance or styles of text should be done SPARINGLY - for the sake of consistency across pages, it is best to stick with the module's default styling whenever possible.
How do I add/edit a link?
The "insert/edit link" button in the toolbar is used to create and modify links:
To create a new link, type your desired link text within the content editor, select it, and then click the "insert/edit link" button. This may be tricky if you're creating a new link next to an already-existing link. To do this, place your cursor at the end of the existing link's text and then press the right arrow key, so your cursor is outside the existing link. Then, type the new link's text, select it and click the "insert/edit link" button.
To modify an existing link, click into the middle of the link text within the content editor, then click the "insert/edit link" button.
Note: Using proper link text is very important. For more details, see "Does it matter what I use for [clickable] link text?" in General Advice & FAQs.
How do I add/edit an image?
The "asset picker" button in the toolbar allows you to add images into the content editor. To modify an existing asset, click the asset and then click the "asset picker" button. Not all custom HTML modules were made with the intent to have an image placed in them. (Tip: If your default placeholder content did not contain an image, you should probably avoid adding one with this tool.)
Note: If you're including an image in a Custom HTML module, remember to consider the image alt text (which is editable through the "asset picker" button), and include a value when necessary. For more details, see "Do I need to update/include alt text for every image?" in General Advice & FAQs.
How do I add a code snippet?
The "insert code snippet" button in the toolbar adds pre-made snippets of code into the content editor. Note that code snippets are often (but not always) used as a way to revert either the entire content of a Custom HTML Module to its default state, or to revert a part of its content to its original state. In many cases you will not need to use code snippets unless you're attempting to "fix" a module (i.e. bring back original content which was since removed.)
Additionally, code snippets are used as a way to add specific html into your content editor that is either difficult or impossible to achieve without editing the actual source code.
IMPORTANT: Be very careful to only use code snippets that are intended for use in the specific module you’re editing. In most cases the name of the code snippet should partially or exactly match the name of the module you’re editing. A list of all code snippets that are intended for use within a module will appear in that module's parent section's documentation in the Section Guide. Do not use a code snippet when the section name in the title of the code snippet does not match the section you are currently editing. For example, if you're editing a section created from a section template labeled as "Section 1" you should only be using code snippets whose titles include "Section 1."
I've messed up my edits and would like to revert to the original "lorem ipsum" placeholder content. Is there a way to do that?
Check to see if the module you're editing has a default code snippet available. The name of the snippet should match the name of your module (minus the given section name prefix.) If so, you may delete the entire content and then insert the appropriate code snippet. Some modules don't have default code snippets available, but they may have other snippets which could replace specific portions of your content.
Does it matter which levels of headings (H1, H2, etc) I use in my content?
Yes. For SEO and accessibility purposes, it is important that your page’s heading structure is hierarchical. This means that your page’s top heading needs to be an h1 heading.
You should also be careful to avoid skipping heading levels (i.e. using an h3 heading before an h2 has been used, etc.) If you need to change the appearance of a heading without changing the level, apply one of the heading classes from the content editor's "STYLE" dropdown (see Style Management for a list of these heading style classes.)