---
title: "Rich text editors in the TYPO3 backend"
manual: "TYPO3 Explained"
version: "14.3"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:rte-backend-introduction@14.3"
source: "ApiOverview/Rte/InTheBackend/Index.rst"
rendered: "2026-10-01T15:20:05+00:00"
---

# Rich text editors in the TYPO3 backend {#rte-backend-introduction}

When you configure a table in `$GLOBALS['TCA']` and add a field of the
type `text`, which is edited by a `<textarea>`, you can choose to use a
rich text editor (RTE) instead of the simple form field. An RTE enables
editors to use visual formatting aids to create bold and italic text,
paragraphs, tables and more.

![](../../../Images/ManualScreenshots/Rte/RteBackend.png)

For full details about setting up a field to use an RTE, please refer to the
chapter labeled 'special-configuration-options' in older versions of the
TCA Reference.

The short story is that it's enough to set the key `enableRichtext` to true.

**packages/my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_table.php**

```php
<?php

return [
  //...
  'columns' => [
    'rte_5' => [
      'label' => 'RTE Example',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'text',
        'enableRichtext' => true,
        'richtextConfiguration' => 'full',
      ],
    ],
  ],
];

```

This works for FlexForms too:

**packages/my_extension/Configuration/FlexForms/MyPlugin.php**

```xml
<poem>
  <label>RTE Example (Flexform)</label>
  <config>
    <type>text</type>
    <enableRichtext>true</enableRichtext>
    <richtextConfiguration>full</richtextConfiguration>
  </config>
</poem>

```

> [!TIP]
> **Hint**
>
> If the Rich Text Editor is not displayed, it might be turned off in
> **User Settings > Edit and Advanced functions > Enable Rich Text Editor**.