Are you frustrated with those mysterious characters that appear when adding new lines in your TYPO3 Rich Text Editor? You're not alone. This common issue plagues many TYPO3 developers and content editors, but fortunately, there's a straightforward solution. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk through exactly why this happens and how to eliminate these unwanted characters across different TYPO3 versions.
When working with the Rich Text Editor (RTE) in TYPO3, you might notice that pressing Enter to create a new line adds unwanted   ; characters to your HTML output. This happens because of how the RTE transformation processes your content.
These extra non-breaking spaces can cause:
- Inconsistent spacing in your rendered content
- SEO issues with unnecessary markup
- Styling problems across different devices
- Headaches for developers and content editors alike
Understanding RTE Transformations in TYPO3
Before diving into the solution, it's important to understand what's happening behind the scenes. The TYPO3 RTE uses transformation modes to process content before saving it to the database and before rendering it on the frontend.
The default transformation includes the css_transform mode, which is often the culprit behind those pesky characters.
Overriding RTE Transformation Mode
The core solution involves modifying the transformation mode used by the RTE. Let's explore how to implement this fix across different TYPO3 versions.
For TYPO3 v11
In TYPO3 v11, you can modify your TypoScript setup to override the default transformation mode:
RTE.default.proc.overruleMode = detectbrokenlinks,ts_linksThis configuration removes the problematic css_transform mode while preserving other important functionality like link detection.
Alternatively, for a more radical approach:
RTE.default.proc.overruleMode = noneNote: Using none disables all transformations, which might not be suitable for all use cases.
For TYPO3 v12
TYPO3 v12 introduced some changes to the RTE handling, but the approach remains similar:
page.RTE.default.proc.overruleMode = detectbrokenlinks,ts_linksYou can also define this in your site configuration YAML file:
RTE:
default:
proc:
overruleMode: 'detectbrokenlinks,ts_links'For TYPO3 v13
In the latest TYPO3 v13, the configuration can be defined in your site configuration:
RTE:
config:
processing:
mode: 'detectbrokenlinks,ts_links'
For backward compatibility, the TypoScript approach still works:
RTE.default.proc.overruleMode = detectbrokenlinks,ts_linksImplementation in Different Contexts
For a Single Content Element Type
If you only want to modify the behavior for specific content elements, you can target them directly:
# Only for text elements
tt_content.text.RTE.default.proc.overruleMode = detectbrokenlinks,ts_linksFor Specific RTE Configurations
If you have custom RTE configurations:
RTE.config.myCustomRTE.proc.overruleMode = detectbrokenlinks,ts_linksAdvanced Configuration Options
For more granular control, TYPO3 offers additional configuration options:
Preserving Specific HTML Tags
- RTE.default.proc.preserveTags = br,ul,ol,li,p
Custom Processing Rules
- RTE.default.proc.entryHTMLparser_db.tags.p.allowedAttribs = class,style
Pro Tips for Testing TYPO3 Setup & Configuration
When implementing these changes, always test thoroughly in a development environment before deploying to production. The behavior can vary depending on your specific TYPO3 setup, extensions, and content requirements.
Add this useful debug snippet to verify your RTE transformation settings:
config.debug = 1
config.contentObjectExceptionHandler = 0Compatibility with CKEditor in TYPO3
Since TYPO3 v8, CKEditor is the default RTE implementation. The solutions above work with CKEditor, but there are some additional considerations:
For TYPO3 v11 and v12 with CKEditor 5:
editor:
config:
enterMode: CKEDITOR.ENTER_P
shiftEnterMode: CKEDITOR.ENTER_BR
For TYPO3 v13:
imports:
- { resource: "EXT:rte_ckeditor/Configuration/RTE/Default.yaml" }
editor:
config:
enterMode: 1
shiftEnterMode: 2Conclusion
By adjusting the transformation mode of your TYPO3 RTE, you can eliminate those frustrating characters once and for all. This not only improves the cleanliness of your HTML output but also ensures more consistent rendering across different devices and browsers.
Remember that the specific solution might vary slightly depending on your TYPO3 version and setup, so don't hesitate to test different approaches to find what works best for your specific use case.
Need more help with TYPO3 RTE configurations or other TYPO3 development challenges? Feel free to explore our other TYPO3 guides or reach out to our expert team for personalized assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The TYPO3 RTE adds these characters during the css_transform process to preserve formatting and spacing in the HTML output. While intended to help maintain visual consistency, it often leads to unwanted extra spaces.
It depends on which mode you choose. Using detectbrokenlinks,ts_links preserves link handling while removing unwanted spaces. Using none disables all transformations, which might affect other features.
Yes, you can apply this solution to any RTE configuration in TYPO3, including custom ones you've defined for specific content types.
View the HTML source of your rendered page and check for characters between paragraph elements. They should be gone after implementing this solution.
CKEditor is the specific implementation of the Rich Text Editor used in modern TYPO3 versions. The RTE is the concept, while CKEditor is the actual tool implementing it.
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