diff --git a/jest.config.js b/jest.config.js
index 74e19e1458c6..ea4a2343b479 100644
--- a/jest.config.js
+++ b/jest.config.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ module.exports = {
     'decap-cms-widget-object': '<rootDir>/packages/decap-cms-widget-object/src/index.js',
     '\\.(css|less)$': '<rootDir>/__mocks__/styleMock.js',
   },
+  modulePathIgnorePatterns: ['.nx', 'dist'],
   snapshotSerializers: ['@emotion/jest/serializer'],
   transformIgnorePatterns: [
     'node_modules/(?!copy-text-to-clipboard|clean-stack|escape-string-regexp)',
diff --git a/packages/decap-cms-core/index.d.ts b/packages/decap-cms-core/index.d.ts
index d5efb55dd7dd..e709fdf3f396 100644
--- a/packages/decap-cms-core/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/decap-cms-core/index.d.ts
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ declare module 'decap-cms-core' {
     // This is the default widget, so declaring its type is optional.
     widget?: 'string' | 'text';
     default?: string;
+    visualEditing?: boolean;
   }
 
   export interface CmsFieldMeta {
@@ -306,6 +307,7 @@ declare module 'decap-cms-core' {
     hide?: boolean;
     editor?: {
       preview?: boolean;
+      visualEditing?: boolean;
     };
     publish?: boolean;
     nested?: {
diff --git a/packages/decap-cms-core/src/components/Editor/EditorPreviewPane/EditorPreviewPane.js b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/components/Editor/EditorPreviewPane/EditorPreviewPane.js
index 39424176ac95..3cc025fd705d 100644
--- a/packages/decap-cms-core/src/components/Editor/EditorPreviewPane/EditorPreviewPane.js
+++ b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/components/Editor/EditorPreviewPane/EditorPreviewPane.js
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import ImmutablePropTypes from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
 import Frame, { FrameContextConsumer } from 'react-frame-component';
 import { lengths } from 'decap-cms-ui-default';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
-import { encodeEntry } from 'decap-cms-lib-util/src/stega';
 
+import { encodeEntry } from '../../../lib/stega';
 import {
   resolveWidget,
   getPreviewTemplate,
diff --git a/packages/decap-cms-lib-util/src/stega.ts b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/lib/stega.ts
similarity index 84%
rename from packages/decap-cms-lib-util/src/stega.ts
rename to packages/decap-cms-core/src/lib/stega.ts
index 099b86e6db03..0cbeaaf63de6 100644
--- a/packages/decap-cms-lib-util/src/stega.ts
+++ b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/lib/stega.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { vercelStegaEncode } from '@vercel/stega';
 
-import { isImmutableMap, isImmutableList } from './types';
+import { isImmutableMap, isImmutableList } from '../types/immutable';
 
 import type { Map as ImmutableMap, List } from 'immutable';
 import type { CmsField } from 'decap-cms-core';
@@ -38,14 +38,20 @@ function getNestedFields(f?: CmsField): CmsField[] {
  * For markdown fields, encode each paragraph separately
  */
 function encodeString(value: string, { fields, path }: EncodeContext): string {
-  const stega = vercelStegaEncode({ decap: path });
-  const isMarkdown = fields[0]?.widget === 'markdown';
-
-  if (isMarkdown && value.includes('\n\n')) {
+  const [field] = fields;
+  if (!field) return value;
+  const { widget } = field;
+  if (widget === 'string' || widget === 'text') {
+    if ('visualEditing' in field && field.visualEditing === false) return value;
+    const stega = vercelStegaEncode({ decap: path });
+    return value + stega;
+  }
+  if (widget === 'markdown') {
+    const stega = vercelStegaEncode({ decap: path });
     const blocks = value.split(/(\n\n+)/);
     return blocks.map(block => (block.trim() ? block + stega : block)).join('');
   }
-  return value + stega;
+  return value;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -102,16 +108,21 @@ function encodeMap(
   return newMap;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Cache for encoded values to prevent re-encoding unchanged values
+ * across keystrokes. The cache is keyed by path.
+ */
+const encodingCache = new Map();
+
 /**
  * Main entry point for encoding steganographic data into entry values
  * Uses a visitor pattern with caching to handle recursive structures
  */
 export function encodeEntry(value: unknown, fields: List<ImmutableMap<string, unknown>>) {
   const plainFields = fields.toJS() as CmsField[];
-  const cache = new Map();
 
   function visit(value: unknown, fields: CmsField[], path = '') {
-    const cached = cache.get(path);
+    const cached = encodingCache.get(path);
     if (cached === value) return value;
 
     const ctx: EncodeContext = { fields, path, visit };
@@ -126,7 +137,7 @@ export function encodeEntry(value: unknown, fields: List<ImmutableMap<string, un
       result = value;
     }
 
-    cache.set(path, result);
+    encodingCache.set(path, result);
     return result;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/immutable.ts b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/immutable.ts
index 0afa58cdf915..3ab5fb5f1e00 100644
--- a/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/immutable.ts
+++ b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/immutable.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+import { Map as ImmutableMap, List } from 'immutable';
+
+export function isImmutableMap(value: unknown): value is ImmutableMap<string, unknown> {
+  return ImmutableMap.isMap(value);
+}
+
+export function isImmutableList(value: unknown): value is List<unknown> {
+  return List.isList(value);
+}
+
 export interface StaticallyTypedRecord<T> {
   get<K extends keyof T>(key: K, defaultValue?: T[K]): T[K];
   set<K extends keyof T, V extends T[K]>(key: K, value: V): StaticallyTypedRecord<T> & T;
diff --git a/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts
index f88f5becdc76..5258ddfc0a6f 100644
--- a/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts
+++ b/packages/decap-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ export interface CmsFieldStringOrText {
   // This is the default widget, so declaring its type is optional.
   widget?: 'string' | 'text';
   default?: string;
+  visualEditing?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface CmsFieldMeta {
@@ -322,6 +323,7 @@ export interface CmsCollection {
   delete?: boolean;
   editor?: {
     preview?: boolean;
+    visualEditing?: boolean;
   };
   publish?: boolean;
   nested?: {