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Add text and basic blocks

You can add text, buttons, separators, and code to your stories.

Add text

Narrative text is the foundation of a story and provides important context for briefings, frames, and collections. You can add the following types of text blocks to ArcGIS StoryMaps content:

  • Paragraphs

  • Headings

  • Lists

  • Quotes

To add text to your ArcGIS StoryMaps content items, click the Add content button and select Text or click inside a text placeholder area.

Format text

Formatting text can add emphasis or provide depth to your narrative. In ArcGIS StoryMaps, you can format text in paragraphs, headings, lists, and quotes. Hyperlinking text can provide context and quick access to other information sources or reference materials. You can adjust the text size, align text blocks, and convert text blocks from one style to another. Bulleted and numbered lists can include two levels of indentation.

Tip:

Learn keyboard shortcuts to quickly format text.

Format a text block

Use the following steps to format a text block:

  1. Click or use the Tab key to place focus on a text block.

    A toolbar appears above the focused text block. The tools on this toolbar affect the entire text block.

  2. From the toolbar, click a tool to perform one of the following actions on the focused text block:

    • Convert the text block to another type

    • Change the text size

    • Align the text

    • Delete the text block

Format a text selection

Use the following steps to format a selection of text within a block:

  1. Use the mouse or keyboard to highlight the text you want to format.

    The text formatting toolbar appears.

  2. From the toolbar, click to apply one or more of the following formats to the text selection:

    • Color

    • Bold

    • Italic

    • Link

    • Inline code, strikethrough, subscript, and superscript (on the More options menu)

    The selected text updates with the applied formats.

Note:

Some text block types do not support all formatting options.

Important:

Color contrast is critical for accessibility. When formatting text color, consider that some theme colors may provide better contrast than others. Test the story for accessibility before sharing it widely.

For information about selecting colors, including accessibility considerations, see Choose a color.

Refine your writing

You can use the ArcGIS StoryMaps AI assistant to regenerate selections—or entire sections—of text to adjust aspects such as tone, length, and grammar.

For more information, see Refine your writing.

Add buttons

Buttons are visual representations for hyperlinks. Use the following steps to add a button to a story or frame:

  1. Click the Add content button to open the block palette.

  2. Select Button.

    A button is inserted.

  3. Click inside the button and enter text for the button label.

  4. Click Edit to configure the button link.

    1. Type or paste a URL.

    2. Press ENTER to save the link.

    The button link is configured.

  5. Optionally, click Position and choose Left, Center, or Right to update the position of the button.

  6. Optionally, click Open in a new tab to test the button link.

    The link opens in a new browser tab.

Note:

Button labels have a limit of 33 characters.

Add side-by-side buttons

Up to four buttons can be added in a row. To add multiple buttons in the same row, use the following steps:

  1. Insert a button as described above.

  2. Hover over the button and click the Add another block button next to the current button.

  3. Configure the new button as described above.

    Another button is inserted.

  4. Optionally, repeat the steps above to add up to four buttons.

Add separators

Separators can be used to delineate a story's sections using a stylistic element.

Use the following steps to add a separator to a story:

  1. Click the Add content button to open the block palette.

  2. Select Separator.

    A separator is inserted.

To use a different separator, change the theme. To use a custom separator, create a theme. For more information, see Create a theme.

Add code

Adding a code block can help you share code snippets and scripts. A block of code can be copied using the Copy code snippet button on the side of the code block.

Use the following steps to add a code block to a story or briefing:

  1. Click the Add content button to open the block palette.

  2. Select Code.

    A code block is inserted.

  3. Type or paste code into the code block.

You can enable syntax highlighting to more clearly indicate the structure and content of your code. To change the language of the code, hover over the code block, click the Options button on the toolbar, and choose a language. You can also display line numbers by checking the Show line numbers check box.

Delete text and basic blocks

To delete a text block or basic block, hover over it and click the Delete button.