The Evolution of WYSIWYG Editors

This evolution reflects broader changes in web development: 

• the rise of responsive design 

• the mobile-first era 

• platform consolidation 

• the shift toward API-driven, headless architectures. 

While modern tools offer greater accessibility and often better performance, they have sacrificed the structural control and HTML transparency that characterised the original WYSIWYG editors. The closest modern equivalents to the classic HTML-building WYSIWYG experience can be found in email template builders, specialised web development platforms like Webflow, and some enterprise documentation tools — though these remain niche solutions rather than mainstream web development approaches. 

The search for true WYSIWYG HTML builders highlights a broader market gap and a shift in philosophy: from tools that gave users full control over HTML structure to systems that prioritize content consistency, scalability, and cross-platform delivery. 

The Fundamental Shift in WYSIWYG Philosophy 

The term "What You See Is What You Get" has undergone a profound transformation since its early adoption in web development. Originally conceived as tools for building complete HTML webpages with visual precision, modern WYSIWYG editors have evolved into rich text composition tools that prioritize content formatting over structural HTML generation. 

This shift represents not just a change in technology, but a fundamental reimagining of what "WYSIWYG" means in today’s web ecosystem. 

The Golden Age of HTML-Centric WYSIWYG Editors (1995-2005) 

Origins and Early Pioneers 

The story of WYSIWYG HTML editors begins with Vermeer FrontPage, released in November 1995 and later acquired by Microsoft in January 1996 for $133 million. Microsoft FrontPage became the archetypal example of a true HTML building tool—one that allowed users to visually construct web pages while maintaining direct coupling with the underlying HTML structure. 

However, the first WYSIWYG HTML editor was WebMagic, developed by Silicon Graphics and launched a year before Microsoft’s acquisition of Vermeer. This early editor set the foundation for the standard paradigm: visual page construction with direct HTML output. 

The Desktop Application Era 

During this period, WYSIWYG editors were primarily desktop applications for HTML webpage construction. These included: 

• Microsoft FrontPage (1995-2003): The market leader that made web development accessible to non-programmers 

• Macromedia Dreamweaver (1997): Combined WYSIWYG editing with powerful code-editing capabilities 

• Adobe PageMill: Apple’s early visual web design tool 

• Arachnid (1995): One of the earliest Mac-based WYSIWYG HTML editors 

These editors shared key characteristics: 

• Direct visual manipulation of webpage layouts 

• Real-time preview of final HTML output 

• Automatic generation of standards-compliant HTML 

• Integration with web servers for direct publishing 

• Focus on the complete webpage and site construction rather than content snippets 

The Technical Foundation: Browser Innovation 

The technical groundwork for modern web-based WYSIWYG editors was laid by Microsoft with Internet Explorer 5.5's introduction of contentEditable and designMode. These browser APIs enabled rich text editing within web pages and became the backbone of all browser-based WYSIWYG editors. 

The Paradigm Shift: From Page Builders to Content Editors (2005-2015) 

The Rise of Browser-Based Editing 

The major shift began when WYSIWYG editing transitioned from desktop applications to browser-based implementations. This evolution coincided with several technological and cultural changes: 

1. Content Management System Proliferation: Platforms like WordPress (2003) required inline editing capabilities. 

2. Web 2.0 and User-Generated Content: Tools for non-technical users to create formatted content became essential. 

3. The Decline of Static Websites: Dynamic, database-driven sites became standard. 

JavaScript Libraries and the New Architecture 

New-generation WYSIWYG editors emerged as JavaScript libraries rather than standalone applications. TinyMCE (2004) and CKEditor dominated the space, shifting focus from HTML-building to content management within predefined structures. 

• TinyMCE: Focused on content management integration. 

• CKEditor: Emphasized collaboration and document-style editing. 

• Quill (2014): Prioritized lightweight, form-friendly rich text editing. 

These editors worked within existing webpage frameworks instead of generating full HTML documents. 

The Modern Reality: Rich Text Composition Over HTML Building (2015-Present)

The Content-First Philosophy 

Modern editors like Gutenberg (WordPress), Notion, and similar systems focus on: 

• Block-based content creation 

• Semantic structure over visual control 

• Responsive, template-driven output 

• Cross-platform compatibility 

The Technical Constraints 

Factors that accelerated this evolution include:   

1. Browser Inconsistencies: Different contentEditable implementations hindered precise HTML generation. 

2. Mobile-First Design: Made pixel-perfect editing impractical. 

3. Security Concerns: Direct HTML manipulation increased XSS and injection risks. 

4. Performance Considerations: Lightweight implementations took precedence. 

The Rise of Structured Content 

Modern content management favors structured content models that separate content from presentation:  

• Headless CMS Architecture: Decouples content creation and presentation. 

• API-First Approaches: Enables cross-platform content reuse. 

• Component-Based Design Systems: Replace free-form layouts with prebuilt components. 

The Email Template Exception 

The closest modern analogy to the original WYSIWYG philosophy persists in email template builders.  Tools such as Tabular, Topol.io, and MJML continue to prioritize HTML structure and visual control: 

• Direct manipulation of layout 

• Clean HTML suitable for email clients 

• Template-based reusable components 

• Focus on the final HTML output 

Those tools are fundamentally different in both design and features from WYSIWYG, as they cover a very specific scenario with a very specific expected output and constraint. Those tools are per-scenario crafted and need to be to provide the best value/time ratio for everyone involved, from the developers maintaining the tools to the final user using them to craft templates for emails. 

Trying to squeeze and force a fundamentally different in scope and feature piece of software like a modern WYSIWYG editor has, is, and will be generating issues for everyone involved. 

The Current Landscape: Fragmented Solutions

Modern Categories 

Today’s editors fall into distinct categories: 

1. Rich Text Editors: TinyMCE, CKEditor, Quill 

2. Page Builders: Elementor, Beaver Builder 

3. Website Builders: Wix, Squarespace 

4. Block Editors: Gutenberg, Notion 

5. No-Code Platforms: Webflow, Framer 

The Search for True WYSIWYG 

The market currently lacks a truly modern equivalent of the original WYSIWYG HTML builder. Closest analogues include: 

• Email template builders 

• Legacy desktop applications 

• Webflow’s Designer 

• Enterprise documentation systems 

The Underlying Causes of This Evolution 

Market Forces 

1. Democratization of Web Development: Shift from individual empowerment to managed content creation. 

2. Platform Consolidation: Platforms like WordPress and Shopify absorbed the site-building market. 

3. Mobile-First Design: Rendered fixed-layout WYSIWYG impractical. 

4. Performance Optimization: Prioritized efficiency over design flexibility. 

Technical Evolution 

1. CSS Grid and Flexbox: Enabled advanced layouts without visual HTML construction. 

2. Component-Based Frameworks: React and Vue emphasized reusability. 

3. Build Tools and Preprocessors: Introduced compilation workflows incompatible with direct HTML output. 

4. Progressive Web Apps: Blurred lines between sites and apps, requiring different editing paradigms. 

Want to learn more or have a question for our consultants? Reach out to us.

References and interesting reads to dive deeper:

• https://www.tiny.cloud/blog/history-of-cms-wysiwyg/ 

• https://html-online.com/articles/evolution-of-html-editors/ 

• https://www.writtenpixel.com/into-the-abyss-frontpage-the-tool-that-shaped-the-web/ 

• https://therealmccrea.com/2014/12/26/webmagic-the-untold-and-rather-improbable-story-behind-the-first-wysiwyg-html-editor/