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Troubleshooting Common TinyMCE Advanced Issues: From Missing Buttons to Failed Activation

54 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Advanced editor tools

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Advanced Editor Tools (formerly TinyMCE Advanced) is a powerful plugin that enhances the WordPress editing experience. However, like any software, users can occasionally encounter problems. This guide compiles common issues and their solutions based on community reports and developer responses.

1. Plugin Fails to Activate or Buttons Are Missing

A frequent issue is the plugin activating but not displaying its enhanced toolbar buttons in the editor.

  • First Step: Navigate to Settings → TinyMCE Advanced and simply click 'Save Changes'. This often reinitializes the settings and restores the toolbar.
  • Plugin Conflict Test: If saving settings doesn't work, a plugin conflict is likely. Deactivate all other plugins. If TinyMCE Advanced works now, reactivate your other plugins one by one to identify the culprit. Common conflicts have been reported with page builders like Avada's Fusion Builder and booking plugins.
  • Clean Reinstall: As a last resort, delete the plugin completely and perform a fresh install.

2. The Visual Tab Disappears or Doesn't Switch

If the Visual editor tab is missing, inaccessible, or doesn't switch to the Text tab, it's often due to a JavaScript error preventing TinyMCE from initializing.

  • Check Browser Console: Open your browser's developer tools (F12) and look at the 'Console' tab for any red error messages. These errors are the key to diagnosing the problem.
  • Common Causes: Errors often point to a specific script failing to load. This can be caused by an outdated plugin that adds its own TinyMCE components (like a booking calendar) or issues with the media modal not loading correctly, especially if used on the front-end.
  • Solution: Update all plugins. If the error mentions a specific plugin, contact its author for support or temporarily deactivate it.

3. Settings Won't Save or Reset Themselves

Some users report that certain settings, like disabling the 'Hybrid Paragraphs' feature, revert after saving.

  • This is typically a bug specific to a plugin version. The 'Advanced Editor Tools' team is generally quick to address these issues. Check the plugin changelog and ensure you are running the latest version.

4. Installation Fails: "Could not create directory"

This error is almost never a problem with the TinyMCE Advanced plugin itself.

  • Cause: It indicates a file permissions issue on your WordPress hosting server. The web server user does not have write permissions to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
  • Solution: You will need to use an FTP client or your hosting provider's file manager to check and correct the file permissions for the plugins folder, or contact your hosting provider's support for assistance.

5. Compatibility with WordPress and Gutenberg

Users often wonder about the plugin's role after the introduction of the Gutenberg block editor.

  • Classic Block & Classic Editor: The plugin remains highly relevant for enhancing the Classic Block within Gutenberg and for sites using the Classic Editor plugin. It adds numerous buttons and formatting options not available by default.
  • WordPress Version Warning: If you see a message that the plugin is not tested with your version of WordPress, it usually means you are running a very old WordPress version. The plugin is maintained and compatible with recent versions. Updating WordPress is the best solution. If you cannot update, you can download older, compatible versions of the plugin from the 'Advanced' view on its WordPress.org page.

6. HTTPS/SSL Administration Issues

After moving a site's admin area to HTTPS, the TinyMCE Advanced menu might disappear.

  • Cause: This is caused by 'mixed content,' where some resources (JavaScript files) are still being loaded over insecure HTTP.
  • Solution: Check your browser's console for warnings about insecure scripts. Use a plugin like "Better Search Replace" or a database query to ensure your site URL is updated to HTTPS everywhere in the database. A full-site caching plugin may also need to be purged.

By methodically working through these steps—saving settings, checking for conflicts, reviewing browser errors, and ensuring your software is up to date—you can resolve the vast majority of issues encountered with the Advanced Editor Tools plugin.

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