Rich text: allow disabling formats per-block basis

docs/reference-guides/data/data-core-rich-text.md

@@ -6,6 +6,19 @@ Namespace: `core/rich-text`.
 
 <!-- START TOKEN(Autogenerated selectors|../../../packages/rich-text/src/store/selectors.js) -->
 
+### getDisabledFormatTypesForBlock
+
+Returns the list of format type names disabled for a specific block type.
+
+_Parameters_
+
+-   _state_ `Object`: Data state.
+-   _blockName_ `string`: Block name (e.g. 'core/heading').
+
+_Returns_
+
+-   `string[]`: Disabled format type names for the block.
+
 ### getFormatType
 
 Returns a format type by name.

packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/index.js

@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ export function RichTextWrapper(
 		__unstableDependencies: [ tagName ],
 		allowedFormats: adjustedAllowedFormats,
 		withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+		blockName,
 		__unstableFormatTypeHandlerContext: useMemo(
 			() => ( {
 				richTextIdentifier: identifier,

packages/rich-text/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### New Feature
+
+-   Add `unregisterFormatTypeInBlock( blockName, formatName )` to disable a format type for a specific block type without affecting other blocks ([#77687](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/77687)).
+
 ## 7.44.0 (2026-04-15)
 
 ## 7.43.0 (2026-04-01)

packages/rich-text/README.md

@@ -454,6 +454,29 @@ _Returns_
 
 -   `WPFormat|undefined`: The previous format value, if it has been successfully unregistered; otherwise `undefined`.
 
+### unregisterFormatTypeInBlock
+
+Disables a format type for a specific block type. Unlike `unregisterFormatType`, which removes the format globally, this function hides the format only when editing a particular block type.
+
+_Usage_
+
+```js
+import { unregisterFormatTypeInBlock } from '@wordpress/rich-text';
+
+// Disable italic and bold formatting in heading blocks.
+unregisterFormatTypeInBlock( 'core/heading', 'core/italic' );
+unregisterFormatTypeInBlock( 'core/heading', 'core/bold' );
+```
+
+_Parameters_
+
+-   _blockName_ `string`: The name of the block type (e.g. 'core/heading').
+-   _formatName_ `string`: The name of the format type to disable (e.g. 'core/italic').
+
+_Returns_
+
+-   `WPFormat|undefined`: The format settings if successfully disabled; otherwise `undefined`.
+
 ### useAnchor
 
 This hook, to be used in a format type's Edit component, returns the active element that is formatted, or a virtual element for the selection range if no format is active. The returned value is meant to be used for positioning UI, e.g. by passing it to the `Popover` component via the `anchor` prop.

packages/rich-text/src/hook/index.js

@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ function useRichTextBase( {
 export function useRichText( {
 	allowedFormats,
 	withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+	blockName,
 	onChange,
 	__unstableDependencies = [],
 	__unstableFormatTypeHandlerContext,
@@ -253,6 +254,7 @@ export function useRichText( {
 	} = useFormatTypes( {
 		allowedFormats,
 		withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+		blockName,
 		__unstableFormatTypeHandlerContext,
 	} );
 

packages/rich-text/src/hook/use-format-types.js

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import { useSelect, useDispatch } from '@wordpress/data';
  */
 import { store as richTextStore } from '../store';
 
+const EMPTY_ARRAY = [];
+
 function formatTypesSelector( select ) {
 	return select( richTextStore ).getFormatTypes();
 }
@@ -63,20 +65,36 @@ function getPrefixedSelectKeys( selected, prefix ) {
  * @param {Object}  options                                    Options
  * @param {Array}   options.allowedFormats                     Allowed formats
  * @param {boolean} options.withoutInteractiveFormatting       Whether to clean the interactive formatting or not.
+ * @param {string}  [options.blockName]                        Optional block type name used to filter out format
+ *                                                             types disabled for that block via `unregisterFormatTypeInBlock`.
  * @param {Object}  options.__unstableFormatTypeHandlerContext Context object passed to experimental format type methods.
  */
 export function useFormatTypes( {
 	allowedFormats,
 	withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+	blockName,
 	__unstableFormatTypeHandlerContext,
 } ) {
 	const allFormatTypes = useSelect( formatTypesSelector, [] );
+	const disabledFormatsForBlock = useSelect(
+		( select ) =>
+			blockName
+				? select( richTextStore ).getDisabledFormatTypesForBlock(
+						blockName
+				  )
+				: EMPTY_ARRAY,
+		[ blockName ]
+	);
 	const formatTypes = useMemo( () => {
 		return allFormatTypes.filter( ( { name, interactive, tagName } ) => {
 			if ( allowedFormats && ! allowedFormats.includes( name ) ) {
 				return false;
 			}
 
+			if ( disabledFormatsForBlock.includes( name ) ) {
+				return false;
+			}
+
 			if (
 				withoutInteractiveFormatting &&
 				( interactive || interactiveContentTags.has( tagName ) )
@@ -86,7 +104,12 @@ export function useFormatTypes( {
 
 			return true;
 		} );
-	}, [ allFormatTypes, allowedFormats, withoutInteractiveFormatting ] );
+	}, [
+		allFormatTypes,
+		allowedFormats,
+		disabledFormatsForBlock,
+		withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+	] );
 	const keyedSelected = useSelect(
 		( select ) =>
 			formatTypes.reduce( ( accumulator, type ) => {

packages/rich-text/src/index.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export { toDom as __unstableToDom } from './to-dom';
 export { toHTMLString } from './to-html-string';
 export { toggleFormat } from './toggle-format';
 export { unregisterFormatType } from './unregister-format-type';
+export { unregisterFormatTypeInBlock } from './unregister-format-type-in-block';
 export { createElement as __unstableCreateElement } from './create-element';
 
 export { privateApis } from './private-apis';

packages/rich-text/src/store/actions.js

@@ -35,3 +35,43 @@ export function removeFormatTypes( names ) {
 		names: Array.isArray( names ) ? names : [ names ],
 	};
 }
+
+/**
+ * Returns an action object used to disable a format type for a specific block type.
+ *
+ * Ignored from documentation as unregisterFormatTypeInBlock should be used instead from @wordpress/rich-text
+ *
+ * @ignore
+ *
+ * @param {string} blockName  Block name (e.g. 'core/heading').
+ * @param {string} formatName Format type name (e.g. 'core/bold').
+ *
+ * @return {Object} Action object.
+ */
+export function disableFormatTypeInBlock( blockName, formatName ) {
+	return {
+		type: 'DISABLE_FORMAT_TYPE_IN_BLOCK',
+		blockName,
+		formatName,
+	};
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns an action object used to re-enable a format type for a specific block type.
+ *
+ * Ignored from documentation as registerFormatTypeInBlock should be used instead from @wordpress/rich-text
+ *
+ * @ignore
+ *
+ * @param {string} blockName  Block name (e.g. 'core/heading').
+ * @param {string} formatName Format type name (e.g. 'core/bold').
+ *
+ * @return {Object} Action object.
+ */
+export function enableFormatTypeInBlock( blockName, formatName ) {
+	return {
+		type: 'ENABLE_FORMAT_TYPE_IN_BLOCK',
+		blockName,
+		formatName,
+	};
+}

packages/rich-text/src/store/reducer.js

@@ -36,4 +36,42 @@ export function formatTypes( state = {}, action ) {
 	return state;
 }
 
-export default combineReducers( { formatTypes } );
+/**
+ * Reducer managing per-block disabled format types.
+ * State shape: { [blockName]: string[] }
+ *
+ * @param {Object} state  Current state.
+ * @param {Object} action Dispatched action.
+ *
+ * @return {Object} Updated state.
+ */
+export function disabledFormatTypesByBlock( state = {}, action ) {
+	switch ( action.type ) {
+		case 'DISABLE_FORMAT_TYPE_IN_BLOCK': {
+			const { blockName, formatName } = action;
+			const existing = state[ blockName ] || [];
+			if ( existing.includes( formatName ) ) {
+				return state;
+			}
+			return { ...state, [ blockName ]: [ ...existing, formatName ] };
+		}
+		case 'ENABLE_FORMAT_TYPE_IN_BLOCK': {
+			const { blockName, formatName } = action;
+			if ( ! state[ blockName ] ) {
+				return state;
+			}
+			const filtered = state[ blockName ].filter(
+				( name ) => name !== formatName
+			);
+			if ( filtered.length === 0 ) {
+				const { [ blockName ]: _removed, ...rest } = state;
+				return rest;
+			}
+			return { ...state, [ blockName ]: filtered };
+		}
+	}
+
+	return state;
+}
+
+export default combineReducers( { formatTypes, disabledFormatTypesByBlock } );

packages/rich-text/src/store/selectors.js

@@ -121,6 +121,18 @@ export function getFormatTypeForBareElement( state, bareElementTagName ) {
 	);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the list of format type names disabled for a specific block type.
+ *
+ * @param {Object} state     Data state.
+ * @param {string} blockName Block name (e.g. 'core/heading').
+ *
+ * @return {string[]} Disabled format type names for the block.
+ */
+export function getDisabledFormatTypesForBlock( state, blockName ) {
+	return state.disabledFormatTypesByBlock[ blockName ] || [];
+}
+
 /**
  * Gets the format type, if any, that can handle an element, given its classes.
  *

packages/rich-text/src/store/test/actions.js

@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 /**
  * Internal dependencies
  */
-import { addFormatTypes, removeFormatTypes } from '../actions';
+import {
+	addFormatTypes,
+	removeFormatTypes,
+	disableFormatTypeInBlock,
+	enableFormatTypeInBlock,
+} from '../actions';
 
 describe( 'actions', () => {
 	describe( 'addFormatTypes', () => {
@@ -27,4 +32,28 @@ describe( 'actions', () => {
 			expect( removeFormatTypes( names ) ).toEqual( expected );
 		} );
 	} );
+
+	describe( 'disableFormatTypeInBlock', () => {
+		it( 'should return the correct action object', () => {
+			expect(
+				disableFormatTypeInBlock( 'core/heading', 'core/italic' )
+			).toEqual( {
+				type: 'DISABLE_FORMAT_TYPE_IN_BLOCK',
+				blockName: 'core/heading',
+				formatName: 'core/italic',
+			} );
+		} );
+	} );
+
+	describe( 'enableFormatTypeInBlock', () => {
+		it( 'should return the correct action object', () => {
+			expect(
+				enableFormatTypeInBlock( 'core/heading', 'core/italic' )
+			).toEqual( {
+				type: 'ENABLE_FORMAT_TYPE_IN_BLOCK',
+				blockName: 'core/heading',
+				formatName: 'core/italic',
+			} );
+		} );
+	} );
 } );