When it comes to writing in the canvas, Coda supports far more than just plain text. You can choose to display your text as headers (three different sizes), bulleted lists, checklists, callouts, code blocks, quotes, and more. We call these paragraph styles.
These features allow you to organize your content, add emphasis and clarity, and design beautiful docs. In this article, you will learn about all of the available paragraph styles and how to access them.
ℹ️ Looking for a more general resource about writing in the canvas of a doc? Start here.
Within this article you’ll find...
Add or change paragraph styles
When you start typing on the canvas, the default paragraph style is typically plain text. So how do you change that text to a bulleted list, a header, a callout, or any other paragraph style? There are a few different ways.
To start off a from scratch with a new paragraph style, you can either...
On a blank line, hit the command key on a Mac or the Ctrl key on a PC. This will open the text editing bar. On the left-most end of the bar, you will see a symbol indicating whichever paragraph style you’re currently using. Click on this icon to open the menu of possible paragraph styles. Choose your desired style from the menu.
Use the slash command. On a blank line in the canvas, type / followed by the name of the desired paragraph style. For instance, /callout for a callout, or /h1 for a large header. Select that paragraph style from the list, and that’s it!
To change the paragraph style of an existing block of text, you can either...
Simply highlight the block of text. The text editing bar should then appear. On the left-most end of the bar, you will see a symbol indicating whichever paragraph style you’re currently using. Click on this icon to open the menu of possible paragraph styles. Choose your desired style from the menu.
Click on the vertical three dots in the upper left corner of the paragraph, and choose Paragraph style. Choose your desired style from the menu.
Available paragraph styles
We offer a number of different paragraph styles, including...
Headers
Headers are a very commonly used paragraph style. They allow you to break your page into sections and subsections. You can choose from three header sizes. From largest to smallest, we have H1, H2, H3.
If you choose to turn on page outlines for your page, all headers will automatically be used to create that outline.
💡 Pro tip: Headers can be collapsed to temporarily “hide” the text and content within their section. This can make reading long pages of text a bit less overwhelming. Readers can then simply click on the header to uncollapse and reveal the content as needed.
To collapse a header, click on the vertical three dots to the left of the header, and choose Collapse content.
Lists
You can choose from four different list types: bulleted lists, numbered lists, checklists, and collapsible lists.
Checklists are simple but interactive lists that allow you to cross items off as they’re completed. Start with one checkbox, and hit Enter to keep adding more to your list. You’ll notice that when you check off a box, it automatically strikes through the associated text.
Collapsible lists are great for long lists with multiple levels. With a collapsible list, you can collapse the top level of your list, thus hiding the subsequent levels beneath that bullet. This keep things looking clean and reduces visual noise. And when you want to see those lower levels of the list, simply click the top level to uncollapse.
Quotes
There are two types of quote styles available to choose from: block quotes and pull quotes. Both quote styles display the text slightly indented, with a left-hand vertical bar spanning the extent of the paragraph. Block quotes display the text in normal size, and therefore are ideal for larger sections of text. Pull quotes display the text in a slightly larger size, and therefore can be used for shorter lines of text, especially to add emphasis.
Code blocks
Code blocks allow you to display text with with a code-style formatting and to utilize syntax highlighting.
By default, the code block will be plain text. If you’d like to add syntax highlighting use the dropdown menu in the upper right hand corner of the code block.
To change a code block back to plain text, just click on the three dots to the left of the block, then choose Remove code style.
Callouts
Callouts are a great option if you're hoping to draw attention to a specific area of text. For instance, maybe you want to share an important caveat, provide instructions, or add some other emphasis to the page.
To customize the appearance of a callout, simply click on the callout, then checkout the formatting bar that appears at the upper right. You can use this to change the color or the icon of the callout. The text within a callout can be further customized, including using basic text formatting, adding headers and lists, inserting images, and more.
To change a callout back to plain text, just click on the three dots to the left of the block, then choose Remove callout style.
💡 Tip: If you're creating custom templates for your team, callouts can be very handy. Use callouts to provide context and instructions for the template user. Within templates, you can even make callouts dismissible. Simply click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the callout, then choose Add dismiss button. Now when someone uses the template, they can read the callout and then easily dismiss it in one click via the x button.
FAQs
Can I copy a link to a specific paragraph block?
Can I copy a link to a specific paragraph block?
Yes! This is a great way to show a teammate a specific spot in a Coda doc. Simply hover over the paragraph, and click the vertical three dots in the upper left corner. Then select Copy link from the options. You can then share this deeplink with a teammate, and they will be taken to this exact spot on the canvas when they use the link.
How do I delete a paragraph, code block, callout, etc.?
How do I delete a paragraph, code block, callout, etc.?
To delete plain text or headers, highlight the text and hit Delete on your keyboard. To delete a list, quote, callout, or code block, click on the vertical three dots at the upper left corner and select Delete from the list of options.
How do I learn more about formatting and styling text?
How do I learn more about formatting and styling text?
Check out this article to learn all about formatting text, including changing font types.