Through our extensive experience with WordPress websites, we have discovered that minor formatting adjustments can significantly enhance the professional appearance of your content.
Two formatting features that can greatly impact your content are underlining important text and justifying paragraphs for a neat and refined look.
WordPress offers a straightforward editor by default, but sometimes you need additional tools to achieve your desired aesthetic.
In this guide, we will demonstrate easy methods to incorporate underline and justify buttons into your WordPress editor.
💡 Quick Tip: How to Add Underline and Justify Buttons in WordPress
If you’re pressed for time, here are the three methods we will explore in this guide:
- Keyboard Shortcuts:Press
Ctrl+Uto underline text. UseShift+Alt+Jto justify text (available only in Classic Editor). - Block Editor: Install the EditorsKit plugin to add these features to the block toolbar.
- Classic Editor: Install the Advanced Editor Tools plugin to easily add these buttons to your visual editor.
Why Should You Add Underline and Justify Text Buttons in WordPress?
Many users wish to add underline and justify buttons to regain the familiar formatting options that were removed in WordPress 4.7.
Keep in mind that underlined text may be mistaken for hyperlinks, which can lead to user frustration if they don’t function as expected. Additionally, justified text can reduce readability, particularly on smaller screens.
Now, let’s explore how to add underline and justify text buttons in WordPress, if you find them necessary.
- Method 1: Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Underline and Justify Text
- Method 2: Incorporating Underline and Justify Text Buttons into the Block Editor
- Method 3: Integrating Underline and Justify Text Buttons into the Classic Editor
- Bonus: How to Highlight Text in WordPress
Method 1: Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Underline and Justify Text
You don’t need any plugins or toolbar icons to underline or justify text in WordPress. You can easily accomplish this with a keyboard shortcut.
To underline text, select the desired text in WordPress and press Ctrl+U on Windows or Command+U on Mac. This keyboard shortcut works in both the block and classic editor.
There is also a keyboard shortcut for justifying text. Simply select the text and press Shift+Alt+J on Windows or Command+Option+JOn Mac, your text will be aligned properly.
Please note that the keyboard shortcut for justifying text is only compatible with the classic editor.
The block editor has removed built-in support for justified text to enhance readability. If you’re using the block editor, you will need to follow the plugin method outlined below.
Method 2: How to Add Underline and Justify Text Buttons to the Block Editor
If you’re looking to incorporate underline and justify text buttons in the block editor, this method is perfect for you.
First, install and activate the Gutenberg Block Editor Toolkit – EditorsKit plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Important:Please note that this plugin has not been tested with the latest version of WordPress. However, it worked well during our testing. Check our guide on using outdated plugins for more information.
Once activated, the plugin will automatically enable underline, justify, and other formatting options in the WordPress block editor.
These additional icons cannot be added directly to the block editor’s toolbar. However, you can access the extra options by clicking the down arrow icon on the toolbar.
To underline text, first select it with your mouse. Then, click the down arrow labeled ‘Displays more block tools’ and choose ‘Underline’ from the dropdown menu.
To justify a paragraph, ensure your cursor is positioned within that paragraph. Then, click the down arrow labeled ‘Displays more block tools’ and select ‘Justify’ from the dropdown menu.
Method 3: How to Add Underline and Justify Text Buttons to the Classic Editor
If you are using the Classic Editor, this method is for you.
You will need to install and activate the Advanced Editor Tools plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activation, go to theSettings » Advanced Editor Toolspage in your WordPress admin sidebar. Then, click on the ‘Classic Editor (TinyMCE)’ tab located at the top of the page.
You will see a preview of the WordPress Classic Editor. Below the preview, all unused buttons will be displayed.
Now, drag and drop the underline and justify text buttons from the ‘Unused Buttons’ box into the post editor.
Once you are done, click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the top of the screen to apply the new settings.
When creating or editing a blog post or page in WordPress, you will now find the new formatting buttons available in the toolbar of the classic editor.
Bonus: How to Highlight Text in WordPress
Unlike the hidden buttons for underline and justify, the text highlight feature is readily accessible in the toolbar. This is a simple way to emphasize key points in your content.
To highlight text, open the block editor and select the text you wish to highlight using your mouse.
Next, click the ‘More’ icon in the block toolbar to reveal a dropdown menu where you can choose the ‘Highlight’ option.
This action will display a color picker on your screen. Switch to the ‘Background’ tab to select a color for highlighting text, and click the ‘Custom’ option to access the ‘Eyedropper’ tool.
Finally, click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to save your changes. Visit your website to see the highlighted text in action. For additional guidance, refer to our tutorial on highlighting text in WordPress.
We hope this tutorial has helped you learn how to add underline and justify text buttons in WordPress. You may also want to explore our beginner’s guide on hiding blocks from specific users in the WordPress editor or check out our list of frequently asked questions about Gutenberg.
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