trying no empty p tags

noemptyptags.php

<?php
function hdbc_page_header( $atts, $content = '' ) {
    // get the current URL params array.
    $url_params_raw = hdbc_get_url_params( true );
    $url_params = $url_params_raw;
    
    // remove the base slug.
    unset( $url_params[0] );
    
    // get the URL parameters for this page.
    $url_params_string = implode( '-', $url_params );
    
    // if we don't have any url parameters.
    if ( empty( $url_params_string ) ) {
        return '';
    }

    // query for a content header post with the same URL parameters as the slug.
    $content_header = new WP_Query(
        [
            'post_type'      => 'hd_bc_content',
            'name'           => $url_params_string,
            'posts_per_page' => 1,
        ]
    );

    // buffer output.
    ob_start();

    // if we have a content header.
    if ( $content_header->have_posts() ) {
        // loop through the content header.
        while ( $content_header->have_posts() ) {
            // setup the post data.
            $content_header->the_post();

            // output the edit link - logged in users only.
            edit_post_link( __( 'Edit header', 'hd-browse-content' ), '', '', get_the_ID(), 'hdbc-button hdbc-button__edit-header' );

            // output the content.
            the_content();
        }

        // reset the post data.
        wp_reset_postdata();
    } else {
        // if the current user is logged in and can create a post.
        if ( is_user_logged_in() && current_user_can( 'publish_posts' ) ) {
            // enqueue the scripts.
            wp_enqueue_script( 'hdbc-scripts' );

            // create the current link with the create header query arg.
            echo '<button data-header-name="' . esc_attr( $url_params_string ) . '" data-site-url="' . esc_url( home_url() ) . '" class="hdbc-button hdbc-button__create-header">' . esc_html__( 'Create Custom Header', 'hd-browse-content' ) . '</button>';
        }

        echo '<h1 class="hdbc-page-title">' . wp_kses_post( hdbc_generate_page_title_from_url_params() ) . '</h1>';
        echo wp_kses_post( hdbc_generate_intro_description_from_url_params() );
    }

    $output = '<div style="border: 1px solid red; padding: 24px;" class="hdbc-header">' . ob_get_clean() . '</div>';

    // return the output.
    return $output;
}

add_shortcode( 'hdbc_page_header', 'hdbc_page_header', 10, 2 );