Empty P Tag keeps your front-end markup clean when WordPress, themes, builders, or editors insert unwanted empty <p> / <br> tags that create awkward spacing.

The problem

Empty paragraphs and stray breaks often appear after pasting content, mixing classic and block markup, or using WYSIWYG fields. They push layouts apart and are hard to spot in the visual editor.

What it does

Removes empty paragraph tags (including whitespace-only and   paragraphs)
Optionally disables WordPress wpautop on content, excerpts, and text widgets
Cleans comments, term descriptions, and Advanced Custom Fields (optional)
Limits cleanup by post type or excluded post IDs
Lets you skip cleanup on a single post/page
Optional per-post clean-on-save for permanent database cleanup (off by default)
Live Before After HTML preview on the settings screen
One-click presets: Recommended (safe), Classic, or Aggressive

Safety first

Front-end cleanup is non-destructive: the plugin filters rendered output and does not rewrite post content in the database unless you explicitly enable clean-on-save on a post.

Useful when

Classic editor / mixed content leaves empty paragraphs behind
Comment systems or WYSIWYG fields add extra vertical space
You want wpautop off in some places, but normal paragraphs elsewhere
You need ACF WYSIWYG output without empty spacer paragraphs

Page builders

Plugins like Elementor often render outside the_content. Empty P Tag cleans WordPress content filters (posts, excerpts, widgets, comments, terms, ACF). It does not rewrite every builder canvas.

Privacy

This plugin does not collect, store, or send personal data. There is no telemetry.

Developers

Filters include:

haq_empty_p_tag_settings
haq_empty_p_tag_should_clean
haq_empty_p_tag_before_clean
haq_empty_p_tag_clean_pattern
haq_empty_p_tag_cleaned_content

Release Notes — Version 6.0.0

This release turns Empty P Tag into a clearer, safer, more flexible cleanup tool while keeping older sites stable.

What’s new

One-click presets: Recommended (safe), Classic Empty P Tag, and Aggressive spacing fix
Live Before After HTML preview on the settings screen
Cleanup for comments, category/term descriptions, and optional ACF fields
Limit cleanup by post type or excluded post IDs
Per-post Skip cleanup control (classic editor + block editor sidebar)
Optional per-post clean-on-save (off by default — only rewrites the database when you choose it)
Safer cleaner: optional HTML tag balancing, configurable filter priority
Multisite-aware uninstall and updated WordPress.org documentation/assets
Requires PHP 7.4+, WordPress 5.8+, tested up to WordPress 7.1

Upgrade notes

Existing sites keep classic defaults for missing settings so layouts should not suddenly change
New installs get the Recommended (safe) preset: empty-tag cleanup on, wpautop left alone
After updating, open Settings Empty P Tag and review the active preset