Fix Markdown Code Rendering in WordPress Without Breaking Theme Styles

Fix Markdown Code Rendering in WordPress Without Breaking Your Theme

If code blocks render as plain text, the issue is usually missing parser classes or escaped HTML at the wrong stage. You can fix this without replacing your theme.

Step 1: Ensure fenced blocks become language-classed code tags

<pre><code class="language-python">print("hello")</code></pre>

Step 2: Load one syntax highlighter consistently

wp_enqueue_style('prism-css', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/assets/prism.css');
wp_enqueue_script('prism-js', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/assets/prism.js', [], null, true);

Step 3: Scope code styles so theme typography stays intact

article pre code {
  font-family: "JetBrains Mono", monospace;
  font-size: 0.92rem;
}

Pitfall

Loading multiple highlighters at once. Styles conflict and token colors become unreadable.

Verification

• Language-specific highlighting appears on publish, not just preview.
• Inline code and block code styles remain distinct.
• Mobile view keeps horizontal scroll inside code blocks.