diff --git a/src/contrib/virtual-span.js b/src/contrib/virtual-span.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..10b42587
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/contrib/virtual-span.js
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+import $ from 'jquery'
+import rangy from 'rangy'
+import { unwrap, adoptElement } from '../content'
+
+function defaultMarkerConstructor (id, namespace) {
+  const marker = $('span')[0]
+  return marker
+}
+
+const defaultOptions = {
+  namespace: 'vspan',
+  idAttribute: 'data-vspan-id',
+  namespaceAttribute: 'data-vspan-namespace',
+  editableNamespace: 'vspan',
+  markerConstructor: defaultMarkerConstructor,
+  win: undefined
+}
+
+class VirtualSpan {
+  constructor ({
+    namespace,
+    idAttribute,
+    namespaceAttribute,
+    editableNamespace,
+    markerConstructor,
+    win
+  } = defaultOptions) {
+    this.namespace = namespace
+    this.idAttribute = idAttribute
+    this.namespaceAttribute = namespaceAttribute
+    this.editableNamespace = editableNamespace
+    this.markerConstructor = markerConstructor
+    this.win = win
+  }
+
+  getHost (host) {
+    return host || (this.win && this.win.document.body)
+  }
+
+  extractRanges (host, markers) {
+    const range = rangy.createRange()
+    if (markers.length > 1) {
+      range.setStartBefore(markers.first()[0])
+      range.setEndAfter(markers.last()[0])
+    } else {
+      range.selectNode(markers[0])
+    }
+    const textRange = range.toCharacterRange(host)
+    if (textRange.start > 0) textRange.start -= 1
+    if (textRange.end > 0) textRange.end -= 1
+    return textRange
+  }
+
+  getIdSelector (id) {
+    return `[${this.idAttribute}="${id}"]`
+  }
+
+  getIdAttrSelector () {
+    return `[${this.idAttribute}]`
+  }
+
+  cleanOrphaned (ids, maybeHost) {
+    const host = this.getHost(maybeHost)
+    const query = $(host).find(this.getIdAttrSelector())
+    ids
+      .reduce((q, id) => q.not(this.getIdSelector(id)), query)
+      .each((_, m) => unwrap(m))
+  }
+
+  createMarkerNode (id) {
+    let marker = this.markerConstructor(id, this.namespace)
+    if (this.win) {
+      marker = adoptElement(marker, this.win.document)
+    }
+    marker.setAttribute('data-editable', this.editableNamespace)
+    marker.setAttribute(this.idAttribute, id)
+    marker.setAttribute(this.namespaceAttribute, this.namespace)
+    return marker
+  }
+
+  insertIntoHost (host, id, startIndex, endIndex) {
+    const marker = this.createMarkerNode(id, this.namespace, this.win)
+    const range = rangy.createRange()
+    range.selectCharacters(host, startIndex, endIndex)
+    const fragment = range.extractContents()
+    marker.appendChild(fragment)
+    range.deleteContents()
+    range.insertNode(marker)
+  }
+
+  insert (host, id, startIndex, endIndex) {
+    if (this.has(id, host)) {
+      this.remove(id, host)
+    }
+    this.insertIntoHost(host, id, startIndex, endIndex)
+  }
+
+  has (id, maybeHost) {
+    const host = this.getHost(maybeHost)
+    const matches = $(host).find(this.getIdSelector(id))
+    return !!matches.length
+  }
+
+  remove (id, maybeHost) {
+    const host = this.getHost(maybeHost)
+    $(host)
+      .find(this.getIdSelector(id))
+      .each((index, elem) => {
+        unwrap(elem)
+      })
+  }
+
+  update (id, { addCssClass, removeCssClass }, maybeHost) {
+    if (!this.win || !this.win.document.documentElement.classList) return
+    const host = this.getHost(maybeHost)
+    $(host)
+      .find(this.getIdSelector(id))
+      .each((index, elem) => {
+        if (removeCssClass) elem.classList.remove(removeCssClass)
+        if (addCssClass) elem.classList.add(addCssClass)
+      })
+  }
+
+  getData (contentStr) {
+    const $host = $(`<div>${contentStr}</div>`)
+    const markers = $host.find(this.getIdAttrSelector())
+    if (!markers.length) {
+      return
+    }
+    const groups = {}
+    markers.each((_, marker) => {
+      const id = $(marker).attr(this.idAttribute)
+      if (!groups[id]) {
+        groups[id] = $host.find(this.getIdSelector(id))
+      }
+    })
+
+    const res = {}
+    Object.keys(groups).forEach(id => {
+      const position = this.extractRanges($host[0], groups[id])
+      const namespace = groups[id].attr(this.namespaceAttribute)
+      if (position) {
+        res[id] = Object.assign({}, position, { namespace })
+      }
+    })
+    return res
+  }
+
+  containsAny (contentStr) {
+    return !!$(`<div>${contentStr}</div>`).find(this.getIdAttrSelector()).length
+  }
+
+  applyData (contentStr, data) {
+    const $host = $(`<div>${contentStr}</div>`)
+
+    for (const id in data) {
+      const rangeData = data[id]
+      this.insertIntoHost($host[0], id, rangeData.start, rangeData.end)
+    }
+    return $host.html()
+  }
+
+  cleanUp (contentStr) {
+    const $host = $(`<div>${contentStr}</div>`)
+    const markers = $host.find(this.getIdAttrSelector())
+    $(markers).each((_, m) => unwrap(m))
+    return $host.html()
+  }
+}
+
+export default VirtualSpan
diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index f0f27986..f2e81f26 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import highlightSupport from './highlight-support'
 import Highlighting from './highlighting'
 import createDefaultEvents from './create-default-events'
 import browser from 'bowser'
+import VirtualSpan from './contrib/virtual-span'
 
 /**
  * The Core module provides the Editable class that defines the Editable.JS
@@ -402,6 +403,10 @@ Editable.parser = parser
 Editable.content = content
 Editable.browser = browser
 
+Editable.Contrib = {
+  VirtualSpan
+}
+
 // Set up callback functions for several events.
 ;['focus', 'blur', 'flow', 'selection', 'cursor', 'newline',
   'insert', 'split', 'merge', 'empty', 'change', 'switch',
diff --git a/src/selection.js b/src/selection.js
index b03d693e..f142b447 100644
--- a/src/selection.js
+++ b/src/selection.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
+import 'rangy/lib/rangy-textrange'
 import $ from 'jquery'
-
 import Cursor from './cursor'
 import * as content from './content'
 import * as parser from './parser'
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ export default class Selection extends Cursor {
     )
   }
 
+  getTextRange () {
+    return this.range.toCharacterRange(this.host)
+  }
+
   // Get the ClientRects of this selection.
   // Use this if you want more precision than getBoundingClientRect can give.
   getRects () {