Title: Preserve Code Formatting Author: Scott Reilly Published: April 14, 2005 Last modified: August 15, 2025 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/preserve-code-formatting/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=837010) ![](https://ps.w.org/preserve-code-formatting/assets/icon-128x128.png?rev=1110029) # Preserve Code Formatting By [Scott Reilly](https://profiles.wordpress.org/coffee2code/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/preserve-code-formatting.5.0.zip) * [Details](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/preserve-code-formatting/#description) * [Reviews](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/preserve-code-formatting/#reviews) * [Installation](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/preserve-code-formatting/#installation) * [Development](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/preserve-code-formatting/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/) ## Description This plugin preserves formatting of code for display by preventing its modification by WordPress and other plugins while also retaining whitespace. NOTE: This plugin does **NOT** handle posts containing blocks. For such posts, use the built-in code or preformatted blocks to format your code for display. However, this plugin would still be needed if you have text-based posts from before using the blocks-based editor. NOTE: Use of the visual text editor will pose problems as it can mangle your intent in terms of `code` tags. I strongly suggest you not use the visual editor in conjunction with this plugin as I have taken no effort to make the two compatible. Notes: Basically, you can just paste code into `code`, `pre`, and/or other tags you additionally specify and this plugin will: * Prevent WordPress from HTML-encoding text (i.e. single- and double-quotes will not become curly; “–” and “—” will not become en dash and em dash, respectively;“…” will not become a horizontal ellipsis, etc) * Prevent most other plugins from modifying preserved code * Prevent shortcodes from being processed * Optionally preserve whitespace (in a variety of methods) * Optionally preserve code added in comments Keep these things in mind: * ALL embedded HTML tags and HTML entities will be rendered as text to browsers, appearing exactly as you wrote them (including any `br` tags). * By default this plugin filters ‘the_content’ (post content), ‘the_excerpt’ (post excerpt), and ‘get_comment_text (comment content)’. Example: A post containing this within `code` tags: ``` $wpdb->query(" INSERT INTO $tablepostmeta (post_id,meta_key,meta_value) VALUES ('$post_id','link','$extended') "); ``` Would, with this plugin enabled, look in a browser pretty much how it does above, instead of like: ``` $wpdb->query(— INSERT INTO $tablepostmeta (post_id,meta_key,meta_value) VALUES ('$post_id','link','$extended') ―); ``` Links: [Plugin Homepage](https://coffee2code.com/wp-plugins/preserve-code-formatting/) | [Plugin Directory Page](https://wordpress.org/plugins/preserve-code-formatting/) | [GitHub](https://github.com/coffee2code/preserve-code-formatting/) | [Author Homepage](https://coffee2code.com) ## Screenshots * [[ * A screenshot of the plugin’s admin options page. ## Installation 1. Whether installing or updating, whether this plugin or any other, it is always advisable to back-up your data before starting 2. Install via the built-in WordPress plugin installer. Or download and unzip `preserve- code-formatting.zip` inside the plugins directory for your site (typically `wp- content/plugins/`) 3. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ admin menu in WordPress 4. Go to the `Settings` -> `Code Formatting` admin settings page (which you can also get to via the Settings link next to the plugin on the Manage Plugins page) and customize the settings. 5. Write a post with code contained within opening and closing `code` tags. If you are using the block editor (aka Gutenberg), then this plugin is only useful for maintaining code formatting for posts written before WP 5.0 (or whenever you started creating posts with the block editor). You should be using the built-in code or preformatted blocks when including code into the block editor. Otherwise, if you are actively using the classic editor, be sure to use the HTML (aka “Text”) editor and not the “Visual” editor or you’ll encounter formatting issues. ## FAQ ### Why does my code still display all funky (for instance, I’m seeing `&` in places where I expect to see `&`)? Are you using the visual editor? The visual editor has a tendency to screw up some of your intent, especially when you are attempting to include raw code. This plugin does not make any claims about working when you create posts with the visual editor enabled. How to tell if you’re using the visual editor: you’re using what is now referred to as the Classic Editor (the editing experience in WordPress that pre-dates the block editor since WordPress 5.0). Above the post content field and to the right, there is a tab labeled “Visual” and another labeled “Text”. If you’re writing code, you want to use “Text” for such posts and not switch back to “Visual”. ### Can I put shortcode examples within code tags and not have them be evaluated by WordPress? Yes, shortcodes within code tags (or any tag processed by this plugin) will be output as pure text and not be processed as shortcodes by WordPress. ### Is this plugin compatible with the code block in the block editor? Yes, in the sense that it doesn’t do anything at all. The code and preformatted blocks in the block editor should preserve code formatting without the need for this plugin. In short, the plugin will completely skip processing posts containing blocks. Use the code or preformatted blocks to format and display your code. ### Does I still need this plugin if I now use blocks to write my posts and format my code ? Only if you have older posts written in the text editor from before you began using the block editor. If so, then you would still want this plugin to be enabled so that those older posts have their code formatting preserved. This plugin being active will not interfere with posts created with blocks, all of which will be ignored by the plugin. ### Are there any notable shortcomings of the plugin? Asides from its intentional incompatibility with the block editor or classic visual editor, the main known issue with the plugin is its inability to properly recognize( and thus preserve) nested tags that match the tag being preserved. So within, for example, a `tag, the first` encountered will be treated as its closing tag even if technically that closing tag belongs to a nested ‘code’ tag, e.g. “This `example`` with nested code tags` will be rendered as if that first/inner closing tag belonged to the first/outer ‘code’ tag. It was a choice between either supporting the above scenario (which seems pretty rare overall) or supporting having multiple adjacent preserved tags in a post (which is much more common). A more robust solution is being pursued. ### Does this plugin include unit tests? Yes. The tests are not packaged in the release .zip file or included in plugins. svn.wordpress.org, but can be found in the [plugin’s GitHub repository](https://github.com/coffee2code/preserve-code-formatting/). The tests are expecting to be run with PHPUnit 9 and you’ll likely experience errors if running them under another version. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/be4cfe68dbe0f03eb33e32c3bfa25d4e64386ab1343c74035dd94b147050a6fd? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[codesynch.com is now looking better](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/codesynchcom-is-now-looking-better/)󠁿 [codesynch](https://profiles.wordpress.org/codesynch/) September 3, 2016 Brilliant. I don’t know what it did in the background, but this plugin works like a charm. Wish it had more options to change the font and things like that for the. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/97bbe4fe76251bd8de789468d4e055a2a38da2615beb64caba53e5aff6c24084? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Fantastic](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fantastic-1107/)󠁿 [General Seed](https://profiles.wordpress.org/autocultivo/) September 3, 2016 This plugin help me, works fine, thanks for it. Plase keep updated when need it. Regards [ Read all 3 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Preserve Code Formatting” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Scott Reilly ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/coffee2code/) [Translate “Preserve Code Formatting” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/preserve-code-formatting) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/preserve-code-formatting/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/preserve-code-formatting/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/preserve-code-formatting/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/preserve-code-formatting/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 5.0 (2025-08-10) Highlights: This major release significantly improves security, performance, and compatibility. The plugin framework updates to version 070 for enhanced security and features. Block editor content is now properly excluded (the plugin was designed for text view), and compatibility extends through WordPress 6.8+ while dropping support for versions older than 5.5. Additional improvements include better error handling, enhanced documentation, and the addition of CSS classes for styling processed code blocks. Details: * Security and hardening: - Hardening: Prevent regex pattern injection vulnerability - Hardening: Prevent object injection vulnerability. Props Patchstack. - Hardening: Prevent bypassing preprocessor by removing any explicit pseudo- tags from content - Hardening: Prevent processing of excessively large content - Hardening: Prevent unintended markup in translated strings before display - Hardening: Prevent content-native usage of token string used internally to chunk data * Performance: - Change: Improve performance of processing tags to be preserved - Change: Bail early if there are no tags configured to be preserved - Change: Skip tags that have no content - Change: Centralize regex patterns in new `get_preprocess_regex_pattern()` and `get_postprocess_regex_pattern()` - Change: Use more efficient `preg_replace_callback()` for tag extractions * Block editor and content handling: - New: Prevent processing of all block editor content (plugin was designed for text view, not block editor) - Fix: Prevent unintended greediness when multiple instances of a tag are present * UI and styling: - New: Output class of “preserve-code-formatting” for all tags that were processed - Change: Output example ‘code’ and ‘pre’ tags within ‘code’ tags within setting page description * Framework and compatibility: - Change: Update plugin framework to 070 - Change: Note compatibility through WP 6.8+ - Change: Drop compatibility with versions of WP older than 5.5 - Change: Note compatibility through PHP 8.3+ - Change: Update copyright date (2025) * Code quality and documentation: - New: Add FAQ entry explaining nested tag deficiency - Change: Update `get_c2c_string()` to add new strings - Change: Improve some docblock documentation - Change: Tweak some `README.md` formatting - Change: Tweak installation instructions - Change: Reduce number of tags defined in readme.txt - Change: Note removal of development and testing related files from release packaging - Change: Add missing release dates for earlier releases, as well as add an omitted release #### 4.0.1 (2021-04-14) * Fix: Update plugin framework to 061 to fix a bug preventing settings from getting saved #### 4.0 (2021-04-03) Highlights: * This recommended release prevents potential conflicts with other plugins (such as SyntaxHighlighter), updates the plugin framework, and notes compatibility through WP 5.7+. Details: * Change: Use `{!{` and `}!}` instead of `[[` and `]]` to prevent interpretation as shortcodes, fixing conflict with SyntaxHighlighter. Props azito122. * Change: Update plugin framework to 060 - 060: - Rename class from `c2c_{PluginName}_Plugin_051` to `c2c_Plugin_060` - Move string translation handling into inheriting class making the plugin framework code plugin-agnostic * Add abstract function `get_c2c_string()` as a getter for translated strings * Replace all existing string usage with calls to `get_c2c_string()` - Handle WordPress’s deprecation of the use of the term “whitelist” * Change: Rename `whitelist_options()` to `allowed_options()` * Change: Use `add_allowed_options()` instead of deprecated `add_option_whitelist()` for WP 5.5+ * Change: Hook `allowed_options` filter instead of deprecated `whitelist_options` for WP 5.5+ - New: Add initial unit tests (currently just covering `is_wp_version_cmp()` and `get_c2c_string()`) - Add `is_wp_version_cmp()` as a utility to compare current WP version against a given WP version - Refactor `contextual_help()` to be easier to read, and correct function docblocks - Don’t translate urlencoded donation email body text - Add inline comments for translators to clarify purpose of placeholders - Change PHP package name (make it singular) - Tweak inline function description - Note compatibility through WP 5.7+ - Update copyright date (2021) - 051: - Allow setting integer input value to include commas - Use `number_format_i18n()` to format integer value within input field - Update link to coffee2code.com to be HTTPS - Update `readme_url()` to refer to plugin’s readme.txt on plugins.svn.wordpress. org - Remove defunct line of code * Change: Move translation of all parent class strings into main plugin file * Change: Note compatibility through WP 5.7+ * Change: Update copyright date (2021) _Full changelog is available in [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/coffee2code/preserve-code-formatting/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md)._ ## Meta * Version **5.0** * Last updated **8 months ago** * Active installations **400+** * WordPress version ** 5.5 or higher ** * Tested up to **6.8.5** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/preserve-code-formatting/) * Tags * [code](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/code/)[content](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/content/) [escape](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/escape/)[formatting](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/formatting/) [post](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/post/) * [Advanced View](https://sa.wordpress.org/plugins/preserve-code-formatting/advanced/) ## Ratings 4.7 out of 5 stars. * [ 2 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 1 4-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 0 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/?filter=1) [Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Scott Reilly ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/coffee2code/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/preserve-code-formatting/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6ARCFJ9TX3522)