Build Custom Tools
Overview
Custom tools are drag-and-drop content blocks you create for the Unlayer editor. Each tool needs:
- A renderer (what users see in the editor)
- Exporters (HTML output — must be table-based for email)
- Property editors (the settings panel)
Complete Example: Product Card
This is a fully working custom tool with an image, title, price, and buy button:
unlayer.registerTool({
name: 'product_card',
label: 'Product Card',
icon: 'fa-shopping-cart',
supportedDisplayModes: ['web', 'email'],
options: {
content: {
title: 'Content',
position: 1,
options: {
productTitle: {
label: 'Product Title',
defaultValue: 'Product Name',
widget: 'text', // → values.productTitle = 'Product Name'
},
productImage: {
label: 'Image',
defaultValue: { url: 'https://via.placeholder.com/300x200' },
widget: 'image', // → values.productImage.url = 'https://...'
},
price: {
label: 'Price',
defaultValue: '$99.99',
widget: 'text', // → values.price = '$99.99'
},
buttonText: {
label: 'Button Text',
defaultValue: 'Buy Now',
widget: 'text',
},
buttonLink: {
label: 'Button Link',
defaultValue: { name: 'web', values: { href: 'https://example.com', target: '_blank' } },
widget: 'link', // → values.buttonLink.values.href = 'https://...'
},
},
},
colors: {
title: 'Colors',
position: 2,
options: {
titleColor: {
label: 'Title Color',
defaultValue: '#333333',
widget: 'color_picker', // → values.titleColor = '#333333'
},
buttonBg: {
label: 'Button Background',
defaultValue: '#007bff',
widget: 'color_picker',
},
},
},
},
values: {},
renderer: {
Viewer: unlayer.createViewer({
render(values) {
return `
<div style="text-align: center; padding: 20px;">
<img src="${values.productImage.url}" style="max-width: 100%;" />
<h3 style="color: ${values.titleColor};">${values.productTitle}</h3>
<p style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">${values.price}</p>
<a href="${values.buttonLink.values.href}"
style="display: inline-block; background: ${values.buttonBg};
color: #fff; padding: 12px 24px; text-decoration: none;
border-radius: 4px;">
${values.buttonText}
</a>
</div>
`;
},
}),
exporters: {
web(values) {
return `
<div style="text-align: center; padding: 20px;">
<img src="${values.productImage.url}" alt="${values.productTitle}" style="max-width: 100%;" />
<h3 style="color: ${values.titleColor};">${values.productTitle}</h3>
<p style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">${values.price}</p>
<a href="${values.buttonLink.values.href}" target="${values.buttonLink.values.target}"
style="display: inline-block; background: ${values.buttonBg};
color: #fff; padding: 12px 24px; text-decoration: none;">
${values.buttonText}
</a>
</div>
`;
},
email(values) {
// Email MUST use tables — divs break in Outlook/Gmail
return `
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr><td align="center" style="padding: 20px;">
<img src="${values.productImage.url}" alt="${values.productTitle}"
style="max-width: 100%; display: block;" />
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="padding: 10px;">
<h3 style="color: ${values.titleColor}; margin: 0;">${values.productTitle}</h3>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">
<p style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; margin: 5px 0;">${values.price}</p>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="padding: 15px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr><td style="background: ${values.buttonBg}; border-radius: 4px;">
<a href="${values.buttonLink.values.href}" target="${values.buttonLink.values.target}"
style="display: inline-block; color: #fff; padding: 12px 24px;
text-decoration: none;">
${values.buttonText}
</a>
</td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
</table>
`;
},
},
head: {
css(values) {
return `#${values._meta.htmlID} img { max-width: 100%; height: auto; }`;
},
js(values) { return ''; },
},
},
validator(data) {
const { values, defaultErrors } = data;
const errors = [];
if (!values.productTitle) {
errors.push({
id: 'PRODUCT_TITLE_REQUIRED',
icon: 'fa-warning',
severity: 'ERROR',
title: 'Missing product title',
description: 'Product title is required',
});
}
if (!values.productImage?.url) {
errors.push({
id: 'PRODUCT_IMAGE_REQUIRED',
icon: 'fa-warning',
severity: 'ERROR',
title: 'Missing product image',
description: 'Product image is required',
});
}
return [...errors, ...defaultErrors];
},
});Register it at init time with the custom# prefix:
unlayer.init({
tools: {
'custom#product_card': { // REQUIRED: custom# prefix
data: {
apiEndpoint: '/api/products', // Custom data accessible in renderer
},
properties: {
// Override default property values or dropdown options
},
},
},
});Widget Value Access Reference
How to read each widget type's value in your renderer:
| Widget | Default Value | Access in render(values) |
|---|---|---|
text | 'Hello' | values.myField → 'Hello' |
rich_text | '<p>Hello</p>' | values.myField → '<p>Hello</p>' |
html | '<div>...</div>' | values.myField → '<div>...</div>' |
color_picker | '#FF0000' | values.myField → '#FF0000' |
alignment | 'center' | values.myField → 'center' |
font_family | {label:'Arial', value:'arial'} | values.myField.value → 'arial' |
image | {url: 'https://...'} | values.myField.url → 'https://...' |
toggle | false | values.myField → false |
link | {name:'web', values:{href,target}} | values.myField.values.href → 'https://...' |
counter | '10' | values.myField → '10' (string!) |
dropdown | 'option1' | values.myField → 'option1' |
datetime | '2025-01-01' | values.myField → '2025-01-01' |
border | {borderTopWidth:'1px',...} | values.myField.borderTopWidth → '1px' |
Dropdown options — pass via unlayer.init() under the tool's properties config:
unlayer.init({
tools: {
'custom#product_card': {
properties: {
department: {
editor: {
data: {
options: [
{ label: 'Sales', value: 'sales' },
{ label: 'Support', value: 'support' },
],
},
},
},
},
},
},
});Custom Property Editor (React)
For controls beyond built-in widgets:
const RangeSlider = ({ label, value, updateValue, data }) => (
<div>
<label>{label}: {value}px</label>
<input
type="range"
min={data.min || 0}
max={data.max || 100}
value={parseInt(value)}
onChange={(e) => updateValue(e.target.value + 'px')}
/>
</div>
);
unlayer.registerPropertyEditor({
name: 'range_slider',
Widget: RangeSlider,
});
// Use in your tool:
borderRadius: {
label: 'Corner Radius',
defaultValue: '4px',
widget: 'range_slider',
data: { min: 0, max: 50 },
},Validator Return Format
Each error must include id, icon, severity, title, and description:
validator(data) {
const { values, defaultErrors } = data;
const errors = [];
if (!values.productTitle) {
errors.push({
id: 'PRODUCT_TITLE_REQUIRED', // Unique error ID
icon: 'fa-warning', // FontAwesome icon
severity: 'ERROR', // 'ERROR' | 'WARNING'
title: 'Missing product title', // Short label
description: 'Product title is required', // Detailed message
});
}
if (values.price && !values.price.startsWith('$')) {
errors.push({
id: 'PRICE_MISSING_CURRENCY',
icon: 'fa-dollar-sign',
severity: 'WARNING',
title: 'Missing currency symbol',
description: 'Price should include currency symbol',
labelPath: 'price', // Optional — highlights the property in the panel
});
}
return [...errors, ...defaultErrors]; // Merge with built-in errors
}Email-Safe HTML Patterns
Email clients (Outlook, Gmail) require table-based HTML. Copy-paste these patterns:
Button:
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr><td style="background: #007bff; border-radius: 4px;">
<a href="URL" style="display: inline-block; color: #fff; padding: 12px 24px; text-decoration: none;">
Button Text
</a>
</td></tr>
</table>Two columns:
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding: 10px;">Left</td>
<td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding: 10px;">Right</td>
</tr>
</table>Safe CSS properties: color, background-color, font-size, font-family, font-weight, text-align, padding, margin, border, width, max-width, display: block/inline-block.
Unsafe (avoid in email): flexbox, grid, position, float, box-shadow, border-radius (partial support), calc().
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
Missing custom# prefix | Tools MUST use custom#my_tool in tools config at init |
| Div-based email exporter | Email exporters MUST return table-based HTML |
Forgetting _meta.htmlID | Scope CSS: #${values._meta.htmlID} {...} |
| Hardcoded values in renderer | Use values object — let property editors drive content |
| Wrong dropdown options format | Pass options via unlayer.init() under tools['custom#name'].properties.prop.editor.data.options |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Tool doesn't appear in editor | Check supportedDisplayModes includes current mode |
| Properties panel is empty | Check options structure — needs group → options nesting |
| Custom editor doesn't update | Ensure updateValue() is called with the new value |
| Exported HTML looks different | Check both Viewer.render() and exporters.email/web() |