WordPress And The Quick Tag Customization

The classic editor includes quick tags for inserting common HTML. The default quick tags include basic elements; custom quick tags can add site-specific shortcuts.

For sites still using the classic editor, custom quick tags can speed up editorial work.

The default quick tags

WordPress provides: b, i, link, blockquote, code, more, ins, del, lists.

The defaults handle common formatting needs.

The custom quick tags

Add custom quick tags via JavaScript in the admin area. The tags appear in the classic editor's button row.

Examples of useful custom tags: shortcode inserts for common patterns, specific div classes used in templates, table structure for tabular content.

The implementation

Use the quicktags JavaScript API. Register tags via admin scripts:

QTags.addButton('mybutton', 'Custom', '<div class="callout">', '</div>');

The button appears; clicking inserts the tags around the selection.

The block editor alternative

The block editor (Gutenberg) doesn't have quick tags in the same form. Custom blocks or patterns serve similar purposes.

For sites that have moved to the block editor, the equivalent customization is block patterns (covered in earlier post).

The honest framing

Quick tag customization is a niche feature for sites still using the classic editor. As block editor adoption grows, the feature becomes less relevant.

For specific classic-editor workflows, the customization saves repetitive typing. The investment is moderate; the return is small but recurring.