Creation Flow

Use this decision tree before writing a plugin:

Need a new plugin?
|
+- Does the behavior matter without React?
|  |
|  +- yes -> author `packages/*/src/lib`
|  |   |
|  |   +- Need explicit public contract control?
|  |   |   +- yes -> `createTSlatePlugin`
|  |   |   +- no  -> `createSlatePlugin`
|  |   |
|  |   +- Need a React/Plate layer later?
|  |       +- yes -> `toPlatePlugin` / `toTPlatePlugin`
|  |       +- no  -> keep it Slate-only
|  |
|  +- no -> stay in `packages/*/src/react`
|      |
|      +- Is it a bundle of existing Plate plugins?
|      |   +- yes -> `createPlatePlugin`
|      |
|      +- Does it need explicit typed options/api/transforms?
|          +- yes -> `createTPlatePlugin`
|          +- no  -> `createPlatePlugin`
|
+- Need docs?
   +- hand off to `docs-plugin`

Default Paths

Semantic base plugin

Use this for document semantics, transforms, parsers, injected rules, and shared behavior contracts.

Good fits:

• BaseCommentPlugin
• BaseCodeBlockPlugin
• HtmlPlugin

Plate/React wrapper

Use this when the semantic base already exists and you only need component binding, hooks, or Plate-only wrapper config.

Good fits:

• CommentPlugin
• CodeBlockPlugin
• MentionPlugin

React-native exception

Use direct Plate authoring only when the plugin has no meaningful Slate-only base.

Good fits:

• EventEditorPlugin
• PlaywrightPlugin
• CopilotPlugin

Bundle plugin

Use createPlatePlugin({ plugins: [...] }) when the job is composition, not new semantics.

Good fits:

• BasicBlocksPlugin

Named Exceptions

Breaking the Slate-first law is fine only when one of these is true:

1. The plugin is fundamentally hook-driven or useHooks-driven.
2. The plugin only exists to wire DOM/editor events in the Plate layer.
3. The plugin is a bundle of already-authored Plate plugins.
4. The plugin's useful behavior only exists through React node props or components.