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Tiptap overview

1.1 Tiptap Overview

When to Use

You need to choose a rich text editor framework for a React/Next.js application or headless CMS integration.

Decision

If you need... Use... Why
Headless editor built on battle-tested foundation Tiptap Built on ProseMirror (13+ years mature), headless architecture, framework-agnostic
Full control with minimal dependencies Lexical Meta-built, React-first, no external dependencies, excellent performance
Maximum customization flexibility Slate React-first, completely customizable schema, ideal for unique use cases
Drop-in WYSIWYG editor CKEditor/TinyMCE Traditional WYSIWYG, batteries-included, lower learning curve
Modern decoupled Drupal Tiptap Best integration with JSON API, strong community, extensive extension ecosystem

Pattern

import { Editor } from '@tiptap/core'
import StarterKit from '@tiptap/starter-kit'

const editor = new Editor({
  element: document.querySelector('.editor'),
  extensions: [StarterKit],
  content: '<p>Hello World</p>',
  autofocus: true,
})

Common Mistakes

  • Using Tiptap for simple textarea needs → Use native HTML textarea or Quill for simpler requirements
  • Expecting WYSIWYG features out-of-box → Tiptap is headless; UI components are separate
  • Ignoring schema validation → Schema mismatch silently breaks content sync; always enable enableContentCheck: true in production
  • Not understanding ProseMirror foundation → Read ProseMirror docs for advanced usage; Tiptap is a wrapper, not a replacement
  • Choosing based on GitHub stars alone → Lexical has 21K+ stars but lacks 1.0 release; Tiptap is production-ready now

See Also

  • → 1.2 Editor Comparison | Detailed feature matrix
  • Reference: https://tiptap.dev/docs/editor/getting-started/overview