Understanding the Capsules

Capsules, as shown below, are the different sections of content that you can add to your Hub, and each one has a specific purpose. A well put together Hub makes use of numerous capsules as a way to present a wealth of information to the reader in a clean, organized way on whatever topic it is you choose to cover. You can add any of the Capsules to your Hub by simply clicking on them in the Add More Stuff menu to the right of the Settings, Summary and Group tabs. The Capsule names are fairly self explanatory, so let's go over some of the uses and features of each Capsule.

Click on an icon to jump to a Content Capsule section.

 

Text

Text Capsules are versatile in that you can format your Hub text in them, and they save a draft every so often so that you will never need to worry about losing your work. You can begin working with a Text Capsule by clicking the edit button, which will bring up a box as show below in Figure 3.5:

Figure 3.5: Text Capsule

1. Capsule Subtitle: The first option you have is to give your Text Capsule a subtitle. The subtitle will appear above any written text in bold letters and is a great way to organize the different ideas, thoughts and sections that you write about in your Hub. Subtitles can help to break blocks of text, give an organized reference point to your Hub's content, or simply announce the subject matter of the text capsule itself.
2. Background: When you align your text capsule to the right, you are able to add a light or dark gray background to your text. This helps the text stand out a bit and can potentially get it a little extra attention from your readers. You can learn more about aligning and arranging your Capsules over in the Staging and Arranging Your Capsules section.
3. Don't display this capsule: If you would like to hide any of your Text Capsules without deleting them then you can check this box and *poof*, it disappears and can not be viewed by any of your readers.
4. Formatting Options: Below the Capsule Subtitle you'll see a row of small icons - these are formatting options that allow you to change or add variety to your text. You can make your text bold, italicized, underlined, create numbered or bullet point lists, even insert links into your text using these buttons. If you'd like to see what's going on under the hood, there is also an option to view the raw HTML code that the Text Capsule is generating as you format your content and there's even a spellchecker that makes sure that you didn't mix up the spelling of Floccinaucinihilipilification. Note: When attempting to insert a link into your text, first highlight the text you want to feature your link in, then click the button that looks like a chain. This brings up a box in which you can type or paste the URL for your link, and gives you the option to have the link open in the same window or in a new window.
5. Text Box: Once you finally get down to writing, this is where you'll do it. The Text Box can handle a lot of writing, but don't feel like you need to squeeze everything into one Text Capsule. Sometimes splitting up your writing into multiple Text Capsules that each have subtitles makes your content much more reader-friendly.

After you type in all of your text, click the save button in the top section of the text Capsule.

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Photo

Photo capsules are used to add photos to your Hub, which also usually makes it much more interesting to read. Like they say, a picture's worth a thousand words, right? To manage your Hub's photos, click the edit button that's found in the top section of the Photo Capsule and you'll be in edit mode, which is shown below in Figure 3.6.

Figure 3.6: Photo Capsule

1. Capsule Subtitle: You can add some more information about the displayed images that you add to your Hub's Photo Capsule by giving it a subtitle. A little extra info is never a bad thing.
2. Don't display this capsule: Check this box if you would like to hide any of your Photo Capsules from the viewing public. Don't worry, it won't delete your Hub, it will just hide it.
3. Display Settings: This section allows you to add some style to your photos by giving them a border, turning them into thumbnails for easier viewing or by creating a slideshow. There is also an 'Allow original images to be viewed' box that if checked will allow your photos to be clicked so that the original photo can be viewed at it's original size.
4. Add photos from My Computer: If you want to upload photos that are currently stored on your computer then you can use this option to add them to your Hub. Multiple photos can be uploaded from your computer into a single Photo Capsule. Just click the Browse button, select the photo that you would like to add from your computer and click the Load images button to easily add them. Note: You should only upload photos that you have permission to use.
5. Add photos from The Web: If you want to upload photos that are on the web then you can use this option to add them to your Hub. Copy the URL of the image you'd like to add, paste it into the Url field and click the Load Images button to add them to your Hub.

After you upload your images, you can add Captions to them and choose what size you'd like the images to be when they are added to your Hub. Check out Figures 3.7 and 3.8 below to see what the Photo Capsule will look like once you have uploaded some images and once you have added them into your Hub. be sure to click the save button in the top section of the Photo Capsule to make sure that all of your settings get saved and that the photos get added to your Hub.

Figure 3.7: Photo capsule in edit mode

 

Figure 3.8: Photos added to photo capsule saved in Hub.

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Video:

The Video Capsule is how you can add all different types of videos to your Hub. Adding a video to your Hub can take it to the next level by making it a much more interactive and informative experience. Video is a great way to further explain the subject matter of your Hub to your readers and should always be considered as something to add. As shown in Figure 3.9, you can click the edit button to add your selected video to the Video Caspsule. HubPages currently supports videos from YouTube, Google Videos, Revver, Metacafe.

Figure 3.9: Video Capsule in 'Edit' mode.

1. Capsule Subtitle: Give your video an informative heading by adding a subtitle.
2. Don't display this capsule: Video Capsule getting on your nerves? All you need to do is simply check this box and it won't be viewable to the public.
3. Video Settings: Copy and paste in either a video's URL or Embed Code into this sectionr videoBy using a video capsule, you are embedding a video on your Hub. By using a video capsule, you add an element of sight and sound to your hub, enriching the content and helping your reader understand more about the topic you've presented. By using a video capsule instead of linking to a video, you also increase the amount of time your reader remains interested in your hub. Simply copy the URL of the video you want to display, then paste it into the entry field on the video capsule, click preview and you will see the video pop up onto your screen.

If the video looks good, click the save button in the top section of the Video Capsule and the video will then be added to your Hub.

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Links

The Links Capsule is great for creating a list of links that you would like to add to your Hub that aren't included in a Text Capsule. It allows you to easily organize any number of links that are related to the content of your Hub. To begin adding links, click the edit button in the top section of the Link Capsule, as shown if Figure 3.10 below.

Figure 3.10: Link Capsule in 'Edit' mode.

1. Capsule Subtitle: Give your Link Capsule a little more information and help your reader better understand what the links are all about by giving it a subtitle. Something short and sweet usually gets the job done.
2. Background: Similar to the Text Capsule, when you right-align a Link Capsule you have the option of giving it a light or dark gray background. This gives the links some extra attention from your readers and also gives it a little more style. You can learn more about aligning and arranging your Capsules over in the [Staging and Arranging Your Capsules section.
3. Don't display this capsule: Check this box if you would like this Capsule to be non-viewable to the public, but not deleted all together.
4. Add links by URL: This is where you can begin to add in the links that you would like to be displayed in your Link Capsule. To begin entering in links, be sure that the URL option is selected, fill in the URL (the web address) of the location of the link and click the Add Link button to the right of the URL field. At this point you have entered in the URL and if HubPages can find out addition information about the link it will, but you can also enter in other other information manually if aayou would like. Check out Figure 3.11 below to see what type of information you can enter in and once you've entered in everything you would like, you can then click the 'done' link to save the link info. Click the save button at the top of Link Capsule to save all of your settings and to add them to your Hub.



Figure 3.11: Add links by URL.

5. Add links by Search: This option allows you to search HubPages for content that you can add to your Link Capsule. If you're looking for a great article on a certain subject, there's a pretty good chance that someone has already written a Hub on it,so why not link to it? Just type in what you'd like to search for, view the results and if there is a Hub listed that you would like to add to your Link Capsule, simply click Add Link to the left of the Hub title and it will be automatically added for you. To get a better idea of what the search results will look like, check out Figure 3.12 below. After you've found an added what you're searching for, click the save button at the top of Link Capsule to save all of your settings and to add them to your Hub.

Figure 3.12: Add links by Search.

Note: When you are adding the links, don't be too concerned with their ordering because you can easily drag and reorder them at anytime.

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News

The News Capsule is a super-easy way to add some relevant, real-time and up-to-date news into your Hubs. By simply searching for any topics you can have related and intersting information added to your Hub quickly and easily. After adding in a News Capsule to the HubTool, click the edit button in it's top section, as shown in Figure 3.13.

Figure 3.13: Add links by Search.

1. Capsule Subtitle: This is automatically filled in with 'your Hub title' + 'in the news' so that you can easily add a subtitle to your New Capsule, but feel free to change the subtitle to something else if you're not feeling it. I mean, it is your Hub, right?
2. News keywords: This is where you can type in the keywords that you would like to find news about. Type in what you're looking for just like you would when using a search engine. When you first edit this Capsule, the subtitle field will automatically be filled with the title of your Hub so that you can quickly search for related news.
3. Maximum number of items to display: You have the option do display between 1 and 8 news stories into each News Capsule. The more room that you feel you'd like to fill up with news, the more news items you can display.

After you select the number of news items that you want included in your News Capsule click the Preview Current News Feed button and a preview of what your News Capsule will appear. If the news items look good, click the save button at the top of the News Capsule and it will then be added to your Hub.

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RSS

The RSS Capsule is the greatest way to include information from websites, blogs and other online publishers in a real-time and organized manner. This is done by entering in an RSS feed into the Capsule, which then allows you to display the content from the RSS feed in a clean, interesting and informative way. After you add the RSS Capsule to your HubTool, click the edit button in it's top section so that you can add in the RSS feeds that you would like to include in your Hub. The RSS Capsule (in edit mode) can be seen in Figure 3.14 below.

Figure 3.14: Add RSS screen.

1. Capsule Subtitle: Enter in a subtitle that you feel would best describe the information that you're adding into the Hub with the particular RSS feed that you've chosen.
2. Background: If you choose to align your RSS Capsule to the right, then you have the option to spice it up a bit by giving it a light or dark gray background color.
3. Don't display this capsule: Don't feel like showing your new Capsule creations to the public just yet? Click this box and the hide it for as long as you want without actually having to delete it.
4. Feed URL: After you locate the RSS feed that you would like to include in your Hub, enter it into this field so that HubPages knows where to pull the correct information from.
5. Maximum number of items to display: Once you know what RSS you'd like to add to your Hub the next thing to decide is how many items you'd like to display from it. Depending on how much room you have and how your Hub is designed, you can add anywhere from 1 to 8 items -- how many you decide to add is completely up to you.
6. Display method: Depending on how you would like the RSS items to look, you need to choose how they're displayed. Your options are 'full description', which is the longest entry, 'shortened description' which will display about half of the length of a full desription and 'single sentence', which will just give a brief teaser of what the RSS item is about, but won't end up hoggin up your room. After you choose your preferred Display method, click the Preview RSS button and you will see a preview, as Shown in Figure 3.15, what the RSS Capsule will look like inside of your Hub. After your RSS Capsule is looking how you'd like it, click the save button in it's top section and the RSS items will be added to your Hub.
   

Figure 3.15: Preview RSS screen.

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Comments

The best way to get instant feedback from your readers and to answer any questions or comments that they may have is by adding a Comment Capsule to your Hub. For many Hubbers, getting comments on their is a very fun and interactive part of being involved with HubPages and nearly every Hub that gets published has a Comments Capsule included in it. To view and manage what options your Comment Capsule will follow, add it to your HubTool and click the edit button in it's top section. The Comment Capsule edit options can be seen below in Figure 3.16.

Figure 3.16: Preview RSS screen.

1. Capsule Subtitle: Most of the time Hubbers will leave this filled in with the 'Comments' subtitle that's in there by default, but feel free to add your own spin to it if you're feeling something else. Maybe 'Tell me what you have to say, Hubbers!' or 'Don't just sit there in silence...' might work?
2. Don't display this capsule: If you would like to hide your Comments Capsule from being seen in your Hub, then you should check this box. But, remember, this only hides it and it's not deleted from your Hub forever.
3. Capsule Settings: If you want some tighter control on how and when your Comments appear, feel free to change these settings to whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. The only option that's checked by default is 'Email me when new comments are posted' so that you get alerted whenever new comments are adde to your Hub. Once you've got your settings like you want them, click the save button in the top section of the Comment Capsule and it will be added to your Hub. Note: You can read and moderate your comments by viewing the hub outside of edit mode, or from your my account page.

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Poll

When writing Hubs, it's always great to get your readers opinion and there's no better way to do that than through the use of a Poll Capsule. The Poll Capsule can be set up to get real-time opinions on the topic of your Hub, which makes it even more interesting to your readers. After you add the Poll Capsule to your HubTool, click the edit button in it's top section to get it set up. All of the Poll Capsule options can be seen below in Figure 3.17.

Figure 3.17: Edit Poll screen.

1. Caption Subtitle: If you would like to add a subtitle to the Poll Capsule, then this is where you would do it. You may find that adding a subtitle to this particular Capsule is a little overkill due to the fact that you will also enter a question for the poll below, which basically acts like a subtitle.
2. Don't display this capsule: Click this box if you'd like to remove the ability for your readers to view your poll within your Hub. If your Hub has a poll for a limited amount of time it's sometimes useful to collect the information from the poll, add it to your Hub as text and then hide the Poll Capsule so that no one else can add their vote. Note: If you are not ready for people to vote in your poll yet, then check this box. Then, uncheck the box and save when you are ready for people to vote in your poll.
3. Question: What do you want to ask your readers to vote on? This is where you pose the question that you'd like them to vote on by using your poll. Make it as easy to understand as possible to that your readers know exactly what they're being asked their opinion on and you'll get a much better response.
4. Answer choices: These are the options that your readers will be able to vote for. By default you're given 2 choices to fill in, but you can add as many as you'd like by clicking the Add another choice button that's located directly below them. Note: if you make changes to an existing poll capsule, then any votes that have already been counted in that poll will be deleted.

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Quiz

If you want to really get your readers opinions, test them on their knowledge or just want a fun way to interact with them through your Hub, the Quiz Capsule is by far the best way to do it. There are 3 different typed of quizzes that you can create depending on what types of questions and answers you are looking to ask for and receive. The Quiz Capsule will give you these 3 options when you are in edit mode and after you select the type of quiz that you would like to create you can follow the steps accordingly. For more information on the different types of quizzes and when you should use each one, check out this quiz demonstration Hub that Fawntia published as an example.

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Code

The Code Capsule

The Code Capsule is a way for you to include actual examples and snippets of code in your Hub whenever you are writing about topics that would benefit from the ability to show real code that can be easily viewed and copied if necessary. Being able to organize and display source code in an easy-to-understand and readable way is very important when writing about programming and other technical content. This capsule will help you present practically any type of code to your readers in a way that they can better understand exactly what you're talking about. You can see what the Code Capsule looks like in edit mode below.

1. Capsule Subtitle: Give your readers a little more information about what you're displaying in the Code Capsule by entering a quick, summarized title that will be displayed above it in the Hub.
2. Background: You can choose to add a subtle background to your Code Capsule, but only when it's right aligned.
3. Don't display this capsule: This is just what it sounds like -- if for some reason you want to hide this Capsule so that your readers can't see it, just check this box and it won't be visible to the public.
4. Code Type: Choose the type of code that you're wanting to display and the Code Capsule will highlight it accordingly.
5. Display Size: This option lets you choose either to display your code in normal or small size, which you may want to change depending on how many lines of code you're going to be showing.
6. Include line numbers: If you would like to display line numbers on the left side of your code, then be sure to check this box. If you're going to call out specific lines in the text that you're writing, this feature can be really helpful to your readers.
7. Code Input Box: This is where you type in you would like to display. You have a 30,000 character limit for each individual Code Capsule.

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The Table Capsule

1. Capsule Subtitle: Tell your readers what the table is all about by giving it a short title that will be published directly above the Table Capsule inside of your Hub. Titles always help give a quick overview of the information that you're displaying inside of your table without the reader spending too much time figuring it out for themselves.
2. Don't display this capsule: Don't feel like displaying this capsule to the general public? With one click you can make it instantly disappear from your Hub.
3. Background: If you align the table to the right you are given the option to give your Table Capsule a background shade, which sometimes helps it stand out from the rest of the Hub.
4. Get Table data from: This is where you select where you would like to get the data from that you would like to display in your Table Capsule. There are 3 choices:
1. My Computer: With this option you can upload any type of CSV file from your computer's hard drive.

   

2. The Web: If you have a link to a CSV file that's stored on the web, you can paste in the address and upload all of the data into a Text Capsule.

   

3. Current Table: Use this option if you want to add the data directly into the table (like you would in a spreadsheet).

   

5. Pick a style: If you would like to change the overall color and look of your Table Capsule, then you can change the style choosing one of these options.
6. Table Formating Options: There are 3 main drop-down menus that allow you to make changes to the format of your table. The 3 menus are:



1. Insert/delete column/row: These options allow you to insert and delete columns and rows in your table. Just select what action you would like to take and click the update button to make it happen.
2. Center, right or left: This menu gives you the various alignment options for the data that you enter into your table.
3. Bold or unbold: Place emphasis on certain cells of data by bolding them with this option.
7. Table Interface: This is the table interface that allows you to enter data directly into your Table Capsule. If you don't have a lot of data or can't get your hand on a CSV file, then this is your best option to displaying a table full of interesting information.
8. Caption: If you would like to add a caption beneath your table so that your reader has a better idea of why you're displaying the table and what it actually means, then be sure to add a caption here.

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Revenue Capsules

These capsules are special in that the content of them enables a Hub to make money through third party (companies other than Hubpages) websites. Revenue Capsules give you a couple extra options aside from Google Adsense and Kontera for making money with every Hub you write. To get set up so that you can utilize these Revenue Capsules, go to your Affiliate Settings screen and register up. There are currently two Revenue Capsues available for you to use in your Hubs:

eBay

If you are looking for a way to earn some additional money from the Hubs that youre publishing, adding an eBay Capsule might be the way to go. The eBay Capsule allows you to create a situation where not only can a reader be informed about a particular topic by reading your Hub, but if they're interested in buying something related to your Hub's topic, then they can also buy it directly from your Hub, which results you getting paid royalties from the transaction. For example, this Hub that's titled Coffee Grinders for More Flavorful Coffee not only informs the reader about various types of coffe grinders, but thanks to the eBay Capsules it allows the reader to buy one as well. After adding the eBay Capsule to your HubTool, click the edit button in it's top section to get it set up how you'd like. You can view the options for the eBay Capsule below in Figure 3.18.

Figure 3.18: Edit Ebay capsule.

1. Capsule Subtitle: Feel free to add a subtitle that lets your readers know that they can actually buy the products directly from your Hub if they'd like. A subtitle like 'Buy Scary Movies From eBay' or 'Cheap CDs on eBay' could potentially work well.
2. Don't display this capsule: Check this box if you'd like to hide your eBay Capsule from your readers. It won't delete it, just make it dissapear from your Hub to the public.
3. eBay Search: This is where you can search for items on eBay that potentially match the topic of your Hub. Search for items here the exact same way that you would if you were on eBay's actual website.
4. Seller ID: Only use this option if you are looking for items who are being sold by a particlar eBay seller that you are familiar with. If you leave this field blank, it will search for items that match your search from any eBay seller that is currently offering it.
5. Maximum number of items to display: This option allows you to limit the number of matching eBay items that will be listed in your eBay Capsule once it's added to your Hub. You can display anywhere between 1 to 6 items in a single eBay Capsule. Once you have all of your options set up how you'd like, click the Preview Ebay Results button and you'll see what items have been found that match your criteria. Once you're happy with the results, click the save button in the top section of the eBay Capsule and the eBay items will be added to your Hub.
   

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Amazon

The Amazon Capsule is another Revenue Capsule that can also be added to your Hubs as a way for you to earn some addition money. If you are writing a Hub that is related to any type of product that can be bought on the Amazon website, then you can add an Amazon Capsule that will allow your readers to buy the product directly from your Hub, which results in you earning royalties. For example, take a look at this Hub titled Five Best iPhone Bluetooth headsets, which not only informs readers about 5 types of iPhone Bluetooth headsets, but also allows then to buy them as well. Once you add an Amazon Capsule to your HubTool, click the edit button it's top section to get it all set up. Take a look at Figure 3.19 below to see what the Amazon Capsule options look like.

Figure 3.19: Edit Amazon capsule.

1. Capsule Subtitle: Feel free to add a subtitle that lets your readers know that they can buy the products that your Hub is informing them about directly from the Amazon Capsule. A subtitle like 'Buy Headsets Now From Amazon' or 'Now Available From Amazon' are examples or title that could potentially work well. Also, just by having the product images and prices in the Amazon Capsule will most likely let your readers know that they can purchase them from your Hub, but you can never be too careful, right?
2. Background: If you right-align this Amazon Capsule you have the option of giving it a light or dark gray background. This helps it stick out a bit more and gives your Hub a little more style.
3. Don't display this capsule: If you would not like your Amazon Capsule to appear in your Hub without deleting it all together, check this box and just like magic none of your readers will be abe to see it.
4. Maximum number of items to display: This will determine how many items are displayed within your Amazon Capsule. The more room you have, the more items you can show and you have the option of displaying between 1 to 10 items.
5. Keywords: Just like if you were searching on the Amazin website, this is how you find the items that you'd like to display for sale within your Amazon Capsule. Try out a few different searches if you're not getting the exact results that you're looking to add to your Hub.
6. Product Area: If you'd like to limit your search to a specific product area, then you can select one here. Amazon has a lot of products, so this can be helpful when trying to find something really specific. Once you have the options set for the items that you'd like to add to your Amazon Capsule, click the Preview Amazon Results button, view your results and if they look good click the save button in the top section of the Amazon Capsule to add it to your Hub. Your readers will be buying things in no time.

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