Syncfusion React Block Editor in React
Component Overview
The Syncfusion React BlockEditorComponent is a powerful block-based rich text editor that allows users to create, edit, and format content using a modern block architecture. Each piece of content (paragraphs, headings, lists, tables, code snippets) is a discrete, manageable block.
Key Capabilities
The BlockEditorComponent provides:
- Block-based architecture - Content structured as discrete, reorderable blocks
- Built-in block types - Paragraphs, headings, lists, tables, code, callouts, quotes, collapsible sections
- Intuitive menus - Slash commands, context menus, inline toolbars
- Drag-and-drop - Reorder blocks easily with visual handles
- Content export - Export as JSON, HTML, or plain text
- Accessibility - WCAG 2.1 compliant with keyboard navigation and screen reader support
- Customization - Custom styling, themes, RTL support, globalization
Documentation Navigation Guide
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- Installation and npm package setup
- Basic component implementation
- CSS imports and theme configuration
- Creating your first block editor
- Setting initial content with blocks
Built-in Block Types
📄 Read: references/built-in-blocks.md
- Block type reference (Paragraph, Heading, List, Table, Code, Quote, Callout)
- Nested block types (CollapsibleHeading, CollapsibleParagraph)
- Block indentation and CSS class styling
- Content configuration and properties
Menus and Commands
📄 Read: references/block-editor-menus.md
- Slash command menu customization
- Context menu configuration
- Inline toolbar setup
- Menu events and filtering
- Block actions and shortcuts
Drag-Drop and Content Management
📄 Read: references/drag-drop-and-content.md
- Drag-and-drop block reordering (
enableDragAndDrop) - Content insertion and nesting
- Drag events (
blockDragStart,blockDragging,blockDropped) - Programmatic block movement
Mentions and Labels
📄 Read: references/mentions-and-labels.md
usersprop andUserModelinterface for@mentionfeaturelabelSettingsprop andLabelItemModelinterface for label featureContentType.Mention/ContentType.Labelinline contentIMentionContentSettings/ILabelContentSettings
Methods and API
📄 Read: references/methods-and-api.md
- Block management methods (add, remove, update, move)
- Selection and cursor control
- Data export/import (JSON, HTML)
- Content formatting and rendering
Styling and Appearance
📄 Read: references/styling-and-appearance.md
- CSS theming and imports
- Block styling with custom CSS classes
- Typography and formatting options
- Dark mode and responsive design
Advanced Features
📄 Read: references/advanced-features.md
- Paste cleanup and content sanitization
- Undo/redo functionality
- Keyboard shortcut customization
- Read-only mode configuration
- XSS protection and HTML sanitization
- RTL support and internationalization
Accessibility
📄 Read: references/accessibility.md
- WCAG 2.1 compliance
- Keyboard navigation patterns
- Screen reader support and ARIA attributes
- Focus management
- Color contrast and visual indicators
Quick Start Example
import { BlockEditorComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-blockeditor';
import { BlockModel, ContentType } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-blockeditor';
import '@syncfusion/ej2-react-blockeditor/styles/material.css';
function App() {
// Define initial blocks
const blocksData: BlockModel[] = [
{
id: 'block-1',
blockType: 'Heading',
properties: { level: 1 },
content: [
{
contentType: ContentType.Text,
content: 'Welcome to Block Editor'
}
]
},
{
id: 'block-2',
blockType: 'Paragraph',
content: [
{
contentType: ContentType.Text,
content: 'This is your first paragraph. Click the "+" button to add more blocks.'
}
]
}
];
return (
<BlockEditorComponent
id="block-editor"
blocks={blocksData}
/>
);
}
export default App;Common Patterns
1. Add a Block Programmatically
const editorRef = React.useRef<BlockEditorComponent>(null);
const addNewBlock = () => {
const newBlock: BlockModel = {
blockType: 'Paragraph',
content: [
{
contentType: ContentType.Text,
content: 'New paragraph block'
}
]
};
editorRef.current?.addBlock(newBlock);
};2. Handle Menu Item Selection
const commandMenuSettings = {
itemSelect: (args) => {
console.log('Selected command:', args.command.label, args.command.id);
// Handle custom actions based on selected command
}
};3. Export Content as JSON
const exportContent = () => {
const jsonContent = editorRef.current?.getDataAsJson();
console.log('Exported content:', jsonContent);
};4. Enable Read-Only Mode
<BlockEditorComponent
id="block-editor"
blocks={blocksData}
readOnly={true}
/>Key Props
⚠️ PropstoolbarSettings,containerCssClass, andshowBlockHandledo not exist in the BlockEditor API and must not be used.
| Prop | Type | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
id | string | Unique identifier for the component | |
blocks | BlockModel[] | Array of block objects defining content | |
readOnly | boolean | Enable read-only mode (default: false) | |
width | `string \ | number` | Width of the editor container (default: '100%') |
height | `string \ | number` | Height of the editor container |
commandMenuSettings | CommandMenuSettingsModel | Customize slash command (/) menu | |
contextMenuSettings | ContextMenuSettingsModel | Configure right-click context menu | |
inlineToolbarSettings | InlineToolbarSettingsModel | Configure inline text selection toolbar | |
blockActionMenuSettings | BlockActionMenuSettingsModel | Configure block action (⋮) menu | |
transformSettings | TransformSettingsModel | Configure block type transform menu | |
imageBlockSettings | ImageBlockSettingsModel | Configure image upload and rendering | |
codeBlockSettings | CodeBlockSettingsModel | Configure code block languages | |
pasteCleanupSettings | PasteCleanupSettingsModel | Control paste sanitization behavior | |
users | UserModel[] | User list for @mention feature | |
labelSettings | LabelSettingsModel | Label items and trigger char for label feature | |
enableDragAndDrop | boolean | Enable/disable drag-and-drop reordering (default: true) | |
undoRedoStack | number | Max number of undo/redo history steps | |
keyConfig | {[key: string]: string} | Custom keyboard shortcut mappings | |
locale | string | Localization language code (default: 'en-US') | |
blockChanged | EmitType<BlockChangedEventArgs> | Fires when block content changes |
Common Use Cases
Content Management System - Build a CMS with block-based editing, custom block types, and content export
Document Editor - Create a collaborative document editor with formatting, templates, and version control
Note-Taking App - Implement a personal notes app with nesting, tagging, and search capabilities
Blog Editor - Enable blog authors to write with rich formatting, media embeds, and preview
Knowledge Base - Build internal documentation with organized blocks, search, and linked references
Survey/Form Builder - Create dynamic surveys with conditional blocks and response capture