Browser generates inconsistent HTML output for same editing actions
OS: Any Any · Device: Desktop or Laptop Any · Browser: Chrome Latest · Keyboard: US
Open case →Scenario
The same DOM edited in contenteditable may serialize to different markup strings in Safari vs Chrome—attribute order, implied tags, and span wrappers for styles.
The same DOM edited in contenteditable may serialize to different markup strings in Safari vs Chrome—attribute order, implied tags, and span wrappers for styles.
Visual view of how this scenario connects to its concrete cases and environments. Nodes can be dragged and clicked.
Each row is a concrete case for this scenario, with a dedicated document and playground.
| Case | OS | Device | Browser | Keyboard | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ce-0299-browser-html-output-inconsistency | Any Any | Desktop or Laptop Any | Chrome Latest | US | draft |
Open a case to see the detailed description and its dedicated playground.
OS: Any Any · Device: Desktop or Laptop Any · Browser: Chrome Latest · Keyboard: US
Open case →Other scenarios that share similar tags or category.
In Chromium, programmatic DOM updates (normalization, wrapping, React reconciliation) while the user is typing can move the caret to the end of the contenteditable or to an unexpected boundary—especially when the mutation happens between keystrokes.
Using the HTML drag-and-drop API inside or alongside contenteditable regions often diverges from behavior on plain elements: default actions, `contenteditable` hit-testing, and `beforeinput`/`drop` ordering differ by browser. Custom editors must reconcile native DnD with their own selection model.
Dragging selected content inside a contenteditable region on Firefox can duplicate nodes or leave ghost fragments—different from Chrome's behavior.
Browsers disagree on how empty blocks are represented (<p><br></p>, <p></p>, <div><br></div>) and how Backspace merges them. Editors that normalize on every keystroke can fight the user or create nested spans.
Firefox may hide or misplace the caret when moving across contenteditable=true/false boundaries—widgets and embeds inside editors are affected.
Have questions, suggestions, or want to share your experience? Join the discussion below.