editor.read.selection() returns the active Slate-shaped range. Plate owns the
complete serializable selection state: text selection or one directional exact
node selection. Plugins cannot add selection kinds.
type EditorSelection = TextSelection | NodeSelection;
type Selection<TSelection extends SelectionValue = SelectionValue> =
| TSelection
| null;type EditorSelection = TextSelection | NodeSelection;
type Selection<TSelection extends
SelectionApi is frozen. Compose a custom helper around it instead of
mutating the namespace.
Read the active range or null. The same callable is available as
state.selection() and tx.selection() inside read and update callbacks. The
returned object contains only anchor and focus; it has no selection-kind tag
or plugin payload.
Use it directly wherever a Slate Range is expected.
import { RangeApi } from "platejs";
const selection = editor.read.selection();
if (selection) {
const { anchor, focus } = selection;
const expanded = RangeApi.isExpanded(selection);
}import { RangeApi } from "platejs";
const selection = editor.read.selection();
if (selection) {
const { anchor, focus } = selection;
const expanded = RangeApi.isExpanded(selection);
}For a node selection, selection() returns the directed representative range
between its anchor and focus nodes. Read exact disjoint membership with
selection.nodes() and one exact range per node with selection.ranges().
Range predicates such as selection.isExpanded(), isWithinBlock(), and
isAcrossBlocks() inspect that same representative range. Use nodes() for
exact node-selection membership instead of treating those predicates as a
selection-kind test.
Read every exact range in the current selection. Text selections return one
range and node selections return one range per selected path. Each result is a
plain Range. A missing selection returns an empty array.
Use state.selection.ranges() or tx.selection.ranges() inside a read or
update callback.
Select live nodes by Path, NodeKey, or live descendant. The editor resolves
every target in one root, sorts and deduplicates the paths, and drops descendants
of selected ancestors. An empty collection clears the selection. A missing or
foreign target rejects the whole update.
Pass { anchor, focus } when gesture direction matters. Both endpoints must be
members of the exact selected targets. Omit the options for deterministic
document-order endpoints.
Use tx.selection.setNodes(targets) when earlier writes in the same transaction
create or move the targets.
Compare complete text or node selection values.
Strictly check either built-in serializable selection shape. This predicate does not verify whether its points or paths exist in a document.
Strictly check the built-in text-selection shape. Insertion marks are valid only on a collapsed text selection.
Strictly check the built-in node-selection shape and canonical path membership.
Read the named root declared by a text or node selection. A primary-root
selection returns undefined.
Create a text selection from a range and optional affinity or insertion marks.
Create a detached multi-node selection. Paths are non-empty, deduplicated, and
sorted in document order. Descendants of selected ancestors are removed.
anchorPath and focusPath preserve direction and must both be exact members.
Live editor code uses selection.setNodes(targets, { anchor, focus }) instead.
Read exact selected entries with editor.read.selection.nodes() or
tx.selection.nodes(). Use editor.read.nodes.blocks() to project the active
selection to schema blocks. ranges() projects one range per selected node,
while contains and intersects evaluate those exact projections.
Validate a complete built-in selection against the current document. The direct read form is
editor.read.selection.isValid(value).
if (editor.read.selection.isValid(input)) {
editor.update.selection.set(input);
}if (editor.read.selection.isValid(input)) {
editor.update.selection.set(input);
}This check accepts null, rejects unknown kinds, and verifies every text point
or exact node path against its document root.
In Plate React, node selection is model-only: selection() still exposes its
active model range while the editor remains focused and the native browser
selection has no range. See
Keyboard-Selectable Content
for asset focus, child-content navigation, and deletion.
Plate React apps can render selected-block highlights and blank-space drag selection with the Node Selection components.