diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/index.js
index 768ffbb0cdd2dc..310b2a0ce63264 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/index.js
@@ -132,8 +132,12 @@ export function RichTextWrapper(
 			return { isSelected: false };
 		}
 
-		const { getSelectionStart, getSelectionEnd } =
-			select( blockEditorStore );
+		const {
+			getSelectionStart,
+			getSelectionEnd,
+			getBlockEditingMode,
+			isNavigationMode,
+		} = select( blockEditorStore );
 		const selectionStart = getSelectionStart();
 		const selectionEnd = getSelectionEnd();
 
@@ -154,15 +158,19 @@ export function RichTextWrapper(
 			selectionStart: isSelected ? selectionStart.offset : undefined,
 			selectionEnd: isSelected ? selectionEnd.offset : undefined,
 			isSelected,
+			isContentOnlyWriteMode:
+				isNavigationMode() &&
+				getBlockEditingMode( clientId ) === 'contentOnly',
 		};
 	};
-	const { selectionStart, selectionEnd, isSelected } = useSelect( selector, [
-		clientId,
-		identifier,
-		instanceId,
-		originalIsSelected,
-		isBlockSelected,
-	] );
+	const { selectionStart, selectionEnd, isSelected, isContentOnlyWriteMode } =
+		useSelect( selector, [
+			clientId,
+			identifier,
+			instanceId,
+			originalIsSelected,
+			isBlockSelected,
+		] );
 
 	const { disableBoundBlock, bindingsPlaceholder, bindingsLabel } = useSelect(
 		( select ) => {
@@ -323,8 +331,9 @@ export function RichTextWrapper(
 	} = useFormatTypes( {
 		clientId,
 		identifier,
-		withoutInteractiveFormatting,
 		allowedFormats: adjustedAllowedFormats,
+		withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+		disableNoneEssentialFormatting: isContentOnlyWriteMode,
 	} );
 
 	function addEditorOnlyFormats( value ) {
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/use-format-types.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/use-format-types.js
index 0bbebbf262367d..f6d55ea1cb9644 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/use-format-types.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/rich-text/use-format-types.js
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ import { useMemo } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { useSelect, useDispatch } from '@wordpress/data';
 import { store as richTextStore } from '@wordpress/rich-text';
 
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import { essentialFormatKey } from '../../store/private-keys';
+
 function formatTypesSelector( select ) {
 	return select( richTextStore ).getFormatTypes();
 }
@@ -56,35 +61,53 @@ function getPrefixedSelectKeys( selected, prefix ) {
  * This hook provides RichText with the `formatTypes` and its derived props from
  * experimental format type settings.
  *
- * @param {Object}  $0                              Options
- * @param {string}  $0.clientId                     Block client ID.
- * @param {string}  $0.identifier                   Block attribute.
- * @param {boolean} $0.withoutInteractiveFormatting Whether to clean the interactive formatting or not.
- * @param {Array}   $0.allowedFormats               Allowed formats
+ * @param {Object}  options                                Options
+ * @param {string}  options.clientId                       Block client ID.
+ * @param {string}  options.identifier                     Block attribute.
+ * @param {Array}   options.allowedFormats                 Allowed formats
+ * @param {boolean} options.withoutInteractiveFormatting   Whether to clean the interactive formatting or not.
+ * @param {boolean} options.disableNoneEssentialFormatting Whether to disable none-essential formatting or not.
  */
 export function useFormatTypes( {
 	clientId,
 	identifier,
-	withoutInteractiveFormatting,
 	allowedFormats,
+	withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+	disableNoneEssentialFormatting = false,
 } ) {
 	const allFormatTypes = useSelect( formatTypesSelector, [] );
 	const formatTypes = useMemo( () => {
-		return allFormatTypes.filter( ( { name, interactive, tagName } ) => {
-			if ( allowedFormats && ! allowedFormats.includes( name ) ) {
-				return false;
-			}
+		return allFormatTypes.filter(
+			( {
+				name,
+				interactive,
+				tagName,
+				[ essentialFormatKey ]: isEssential,
+			} ) => {
+				if ( allowedFormats && ! allowedFormats.includes( name ) ) {
+					return false;
+				}
 
-			if (
-				withoutInteractiveFormatting &&
-				( interactive || interactiveContentTags.has( tagName ) )
-			) {
-				return false;
-			}
+				if ( disableNoneEssentialFormatting && ! isEssential ) {
+					return false;
+				}
 
-			return true;
-		} );
-	}, [ allFormatTypes, allowedFormats, withoutInteractiveFormatting ] );
+				if (
+					withoutInteractiveFormatting &&
+					( interactive || interactiveContentTags.has( tagName ) )
+				) {
+					return false;
+				}
+
+				return true;
+			}
+		);
+	}, [
+		allFormatTypes,
+		allowedFormats,
+		disableNoneEssentialFormatting,
+		withoutInteractiveFormatting,
+	] );
 	const keyedSelected = useSelect(
 		( select ) =>
 			formatTypes.reduce( ( accumulator, type ) => {
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js b/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js
index 0ecacd124e97ae..f6d5e8f5fe1cb2 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import {
 	globalStylesLinksDataKey,
 	sectionRootClientIdKey,
 	mediaEditKey,
+	essentialFormatKey,
 } from './store/private-keys';
 import { requiresWrapperOnCopy } from './components/writing-flow/utils';
 import { PrivateRichText } from './components/rich-text/';
@@ -101,4 +102,5 @@ lock( privateApis, {
 	CommentIconSlotFill,
 	CommentIconToolbarSlotFill,
 	mediaEditKey,
+	essentialFormatKey,
 } );
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-keys.js b/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-keys.js
index 15da423296c3ff..8fde1a53aaa523 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-keys.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-keys.js
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ export const selectBlockPatternsKey = Symbol( 'selectBlockPatternsKey' );
 export const reusableBlocksSelectKey = Symbol( 'reusableBlocksSelect' );
 export const sectionRootClientIdKey = Symbol( 'sectionRootClientIdKey' );
 export const mediaEditKey = Symbol( 'mediaEditKey' );
+export const essentialFormatKey = Symbol( 'essentialFormat' );
diff --git a/packages/format-library/src/bold/index.js b/packages/format-library/src/bold/index.js
index 98f5b4e3a9542b..78dc26ac43dc50 100644
--- a/packages/format-library/src/bold/index.js
+++ b/packages/format-library/src/bold/index.js
@@ -7,9 +7,17 @@ import {
 	RichTextToolbarButton,
 	RichTextShortcut,
 	__unstableRichTextInputEvent,
+	privateApis as blockEditorPrivateApis,
 } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
 import { formatBold } from '@wordpress/icons';
 
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import { unlock } from '../lock-unlock';
+
+const { essentialFormatKey } = unlock( blockEditorPrivateApis );
+
 const name = 'core/bold';
 const title = __( 'Bold' );
 
@@ -18,6 +26,7 @@ export const bold = {
 	title,
 	tagName: 'strong',
 	className: null,
+	[ essentialFormatKey ]: true,
 	edit( { isActive, value, onChange, onFocus } ) {
 		function onToggle() {
 			onChange( toggleFormat( value, { type: name, title } ) );
diff --git a/packages/format-library/src/italic/index.js b/packages/format-library/src/italic/index.js
index 7287cff6546d29..15355e31841004 100644
--- a/packages/format-library/src/italic/index.js
+++ b/packages/format-library/src/italic/index.js
@@ -7,9 +7,17 @@ import {
 	RichTextToolbarButton,
 	RichTextShortcut,
 	__unstableRichTextInputEvent,
+	privateApis as blockEditorPrivateApis,
 } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
 import { formatItalic } from '@wordpress/icons';
 
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import { unlock } from '../lock-unlock';
+
+const { essentialFormatKey } = unlock( blockEditorPrivateApis );
+
 const name = 'core/italic';
 const title = __( 'Italic' );
 
@@ -18,6 +26,7 @@ export const italic = {
 	title,
 	tagName: 'em',
 	className: null,
+	[ essentialFormatKey ]: true,
 	edit( { isActive, value, onChange, onFocus } ) {
 		function onToggle() {
 			onChange( toggleFormat( value, { type: name, title } ) );
diff --git a/packages/format-library/src/link/index.js b/packages/format-library/src/link/index.js
index 508ed4655a6695..a8f9bc58bc3f0b 100644
--- a/packages/format-library/src/link/index.js
+++ b/packages/format-library/src/link/index.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { isURL, isEmail, isPhoneNumber } from '@wordpress/url';
 import {
 	RichTextToolbarButton,
 	RichTextShortcut,
+	privateApis as blockEditorPrivateApis,
 } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
 import { decodeEntities } from '@wordpress/html-entities';
 import { link as linkIcon } from '@wordpress/icons';
@@ -26,6 +27,9 @@ import { speak } from '@wordpress/a11y';
  */
 import InlineLinkUI from './inline';
 import { isValidHref } from './utils';
+import { unlock } from '../lock-unlock';
+
+const { essentialFormatKey } = unlock( blockEditorPrivateApis );
 
 const name = 'core/link';
 const title = __( 'Link' );
@@ -228,6 +232,7 @@ export const link = {
 		target: 'target',
 		rel: 'rel',
 	},
+	[ essentialFormatKey ]: true,
 	__unstablePasteRule( value, { html, plainText } ) {
 		const pastedText = ( html || plainText )
 			.replace( /<[^>]+>/g, '' )