KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - A Guide to using DIV and SPAN
The document is describing a recurring TinyMCE/KB design choice: whether a custom feature should be inserted as an inline element or a block-level
element.
Span and Div
<span> = Inline content
A <span> stays within the flow of existing text. It does not start a new line and is intended for words, phrases, or small portions of content inside a paragraph.
<div> = Block content
A <div> creates a separate block of content. It typically begins on a new line and can contain multiple paragraphs, lists, tables, images, and other larger content structures.
How the KB uses them
Content Restriction Tags
The KB's content restriction feature lets you choose:
- Block DIV
- Inline SPAN
when applying restrictions such as Internal Only, External Only, Owner Group Only, etc.
Use SPAN when:
- Restricting a few words
- Restricting part of a sentence
- Nesting restrictions inside other restrictions
- Keeping content inline with surrounding text
KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - KB Custom Class Names specifically notes that nested restriction tags should typically use an Inline SPAN to avoid formatting problems.
Use DIV when:
- Restricting an entire section
- Restricting several paragraphs
- Restricting lists, tables, images, or large content blocks
Use this as a Guide
| If you're inserting | Use |
|---|---|
| A word or phrase | <span> |
| Part of a sentence | <span> |
| A whole paragraph | <div> |
| Several paragraphs | <div> |
| A list, image, or table | <div> |
| Nested restriction tags | Usually <span> |
Rule of thumb
- SPAN = inline marker or small piece of content
- DIV = standalone section or content block
Keywords:
div span inline content block content restriction tags nest inside other restrictions nested
Doc ID:
161230
Owned by:
Teresa A. in KB User's Guide
Created:
2026-05-11
Updated:
2026-08-12
Sites:
KB User's Guide
