Intro to plugins
Plugins for Builder Content help you integrate a third-party service and customize nearly every part of Builder Content's Visual Editor and Models.
Plugins are a powerful tool for customizing the Visual Editor to make it easier for users to manage and create content.
Plugins help you:
- Create custom types.
- Extend the Visual Editor's user interface.
Types of plugins
There are three types of plugins in Builder Content:
- Built-in plugins: On the Plugins page in Builder Content, use these ready-made plugins to help you integrate with e-commerce platforms and external data providers with minimal configuration. Built-in plugins are available to every Organization.
- Community plugins: You code these, publish to
npm, and then submit your information via this form to request addition to the built-in integrations page. Community plugins are not supported by Builder Content engineers, but are maintained and updated by the community via a public repo. Anyone can submit a community plugin. Once a plugin is listed, every Organization can use it. Before it's listed, you can only load it fromlocalhost. - Private plugins: You code these but they do not become part of the Builder Content ecosystem because you maintain them privately. Private plugins are included with paid plans, and Builder enables them for each Organization. If you don't see private plugins in your Space, contact your Builder account team. Plugins with your own branding are available as an add-on.
The table below summarizes these points:
| Built-in | Community | Private | |
Availability | Every Organization | Every Organization, once the plugin is listed | Included with paid plans; enabled for each Organization |
Where to find them | On the Plugins page in Builder Content | Within the Builder GitHub repository | Maintained privately by your own team |
Pros | Available to everyone and already accessible within Builder Content | Access to a wide range of tools thanks to our community | You have complete control over the plugin details and implementation |
Use cases for plugins
Built-in plugins
Use built-in plugins for integrating your Builder Content Space with e-commerce platforms and external data providers.
Built-in plugins include everything on the Plugins page, such as:
For a full list, visit the Plugins page and for further documentation, refer to Overview of Built-in Plugins.
Community plugins
Use community plugins when you want to customize the Builder Content Visual Editor UI and you are willing to share your plugin with others. Common use cases for community plugins are:
- Adding your own custom types for a Model, such as a rich text editor
- Customizing the Builder Content Visual Editor
- Targeting content based on what users have in their cart
- Customizing Symbol inputs
- Creating an action plugin to trigger events in Google Analytics
- Adding an image management plugin
- Integrating with Shopify
For more details and instructions on creating plugins, visit Extending the Builder Content UI with Plugins and Making a Plugin.
Private plugins
Create private plugins when you have needs specific to your company that you need to keep accessible only within your organization. Examples include:
- Customizing the look and feel of Builder with your own branding
- Adding custom flows for creating e-mail campaigns
What's next
Using and creating plugins opens up countless possibilities. For more info on plugins, check out the following documents:
- Overview of Built-in Plugins—an introduction to the plugins already available in Builder.
- Making a Plugin—a tutorial on how to create your own plugin.
- Builder plugin examples on GitHub
