Remove empty p-Tags in Shortcode content before non p-Tags

We build a media (based on bootstrap 4 media object) shortcode with the following syntax:

[media img="https://via.placeholder.com/64x64.png"]<h5>List-based media object</h5>Cras sit amet nibh libero, in gravida nulla. Nulla vel metus scelerisque ante sollicitudin. Cras purus odio, vestibulum in vulputate at, tempus viverra turpis. Fusce condimentum nunc ac nisi vulputate fringilla. Donec lacinia congue felis in faucibus.[/media]

The function can be found here:

add_shortcode( 'media', 'xcore_shortcode_media' );
/**
 * Media shortcode
 *
 * @doc https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.3/components/media-object/
 *
 * @param $atts
 * @param null $content
 *
 * @return string
 */
function xcore_shortcode_media( $atts, $content = null ) {
    extract(
        shortcode_atts(
            array(
                'style'         => 'primary',
                'class'         => '',
                'img'           => '',
                'align'         => '',
                'order'         => 'left'
            ),
            $atts
        )
    );

    // vars
    $style         = ( $atts['style'] ? $atts['style'] : 'primary' );
    $class         = ( $atts['class'] ? $atts['class'] : '' );
    $img           = ( $atts['img'] ? $atts['img'] : '' );
    $align         = ( $atts['align'] ? $atts['align'] : '' );
    $order         = ( $atts['order'] ? $atts['order'] : 'left' );

    $attributes = array(
        'class' => array( 'xcore-media', 'media' ),
    );

    if ( $style ) {
        $attributes['class'][] = 'media-' . $style;
    }

    if ( $class ) {
        $attributes['class'][] = $class;
    }

    if ( $img ) {
        $img_classes = array();

        if ( $order == 'left' ) {
            $img_classes[] = 'mr-3';
        } else {
            $img_classes[] = 'ml-3';
        }

        if ( $align ) {
            $img_classes[] = 'align-' . $align;
        }

        $img_html="<img src="" . $img . '" class="' . implode ( ' ', $img_classes ) . '"/>';
    }

    $output="<div " . xcore_attribute_array_html( $attributes ) . '>';
        if ( $order == 'left' ) {
            $output .= $img_html;
        }

        $output .= '<div class="media-body">';
            $output .= do_shortcode( $content );
        $output .= '</div>';

        if ( $order == 'right' ) {
            $output .= $img_html;
        }
    $output .= '</div>';

    return $output;
}

The Problem:

WordPress puts an empty p-Tag right before the headline. When we start without a headline in our content, it works fine.

Here a example:

Is there any way to remove this without deactivate the auto p function completely?

Thanks

The empty p tag in the developer console means that you have other HTML being outputted inside it, which shouldn’t be there. i.e the H5 tag for the heading.

This is because “do_shortcode” uses the wpautop filter which wraps everything in a p tag

Try remove the wpautop filter, run do_shortcode, and then re add the wpautop filter (otherwise any other shortcode outputs will run without it).

Replace

$output .= '<div class="media-body">';
    $output .= do_shortcode( $content );
$output .= '</div>';

With

$output .= '<div class="media-body">';
    remove_filter( 'the_content', 'wpautop' );
    $output .= do_shortcode( $content );
    add_filter( 'the_content', 'wpautop' );
$output .= '</div>';

You might need to add some p tags manually to your shortcode call.

[media img="https://via.placeholder.com/64x64.png"]<h5>List-based media object</h5><p>Cras sit amet nibh libero, in gravida nulla. Nulla vel metus scelerisque ante sollicitudin. Cras purus odio, vestibulum in vulputate at, tempus viverra turpis. Fusce condimentum nunc ac nisi vulputate fringilla. Donec lacinia congue felis in faucibus.</p>[/media]