Search - User Manual

Topic Revisions

Managing topics » Topic Revisions

The Revisions system lets you track changes made to a topic and also revert to older versions, either completely or partially. Every time you Save a topic, the Title, Body and Keywords are also saved as a new, time-stamped, Revision. You can reach the Revisions…

Topic visibility

Managing topics » Topic visibility

When you create a topic and publish it by clicking Save and Publish, the topic is immediately visible online and included in the Table of Contents. However, in some cases, you may want to control the public visibility of a topic. This is done using the Visibility…

Email links

Formatting topics » Linking » Email links

Here’s how to create email links: Feel free to "contact us by email":mailto:support@mywebsite.com Which will result in: Feel free to contact us by email

Setting topic keywords

Managing topics » Setting topic keywords

The online manuals you create with Manula automatically come with a built-in Search feature on the top right. The Search feature produces a list of topics that best match the search words entered. The order of topics in the results is based on the appearance of the…

Adding your first topic

Getting Started » Adding your first topic

With a new manual created, it’s time to add some content, in the form of topic pages. This is done in the Manual Editor. (If you’re not in the Editor yet, you can go there from your Account Dashboard by clicking the title bar of one of your…

Setting Topic Slugs for URLs

Managing topics » Setting Topic Slugs for URLs

In your live manual, each topic has a unique URL. This is useful if you want to deeplink to a specific topic in your manual. Topic URLs are constructed like this: http://www.manula.com/manuals/[companyslug]/manualslug]/1.0/en/topic/[topicslug] (The CompanySlug can…

Linking to other topics

Formatting topics » Linking » Linking to other topics

In a good user manual, the topics are interlinked. It is good practice to use links to other topics, e.g. for more or related information. Manula makes it easy to create and maintain your inter-topic links by using readable topic IDs to identify the topic you’re…

Linking

Formatting topics » Linking

Creating links between topics is an essential part of any online manual. This chapter explains how to link to other topics within the same manual, how to link to external web-sites and how to create email links: Linking to other topics Linking to external…

Integrity Checker

Managing topics » Integrity Checker

The Integrity Checker tool automatically checks all topics of your manuals for: Broken topic links: links to topics that do not exist (anymore). Missing images: references to images that do not exist in the Image Library (anymore). Undefined variables: inserted…

Linking to external websites

Formatting topics » Linking » Linking to external websites

Want to include a link to an external website in your topic? For example, a link to your own site, like this. This is how to that: Place your text cursor inside your topic text, in the location where you want the topic link to appear. Alternatively, select the…

Using Variables

Managing topics » Sharing & Copying topics » Using Variables

The Variables system is a powerful tool to make your life easier. It lets you dynamically insert a piece of text into your topics. Variables are especially useful when you have multiple manuals and are sharing topics between them. However, even if you are managing only…

Numbered bullets

Formatting topics » Bullets » Numbered bullets

Simple numbered lists Use #’s for numbered bullets. So, writing this: # This bullet is automatically numbered as nr 1 # The hash signs are automatically turned into 1's and 2's # This will become bullet 3 will turn into: This bullet is automatically…

Using a Translation File

Managing topics » Languages » Translating your manual » Using a Translation File

If you’re having an external translation company doing the translation, they’ll probably ask you to send them a file containing the texts in the original, so that they can translate it and send it back to you. This is where the Export/Import Translation…

Translating your manual

Managing topics » Languages » Translating your manual

Once you created an extra language in your manual, of course the next step is to actually translate the content. There’s two ways to translate your topic (or have them translated): Translating directly in Manula Using a Translation File

Adding your own colors and logo

Getting Started » Adding your own colors and logo

By default, your live manual will have the standard “Manula-green” top bar, black headers and “Manula-green” links and no logos. The final “Getting Started” step is to customize your manual with your own colors and logo, so that it…

Creating a manual

Getting Started » Creating a manual

When you log into your account, you will arrive at your Account Dashboard, which holds all manuals you created. However, if you just created your Manula account, it will be completely empty. So let’s create your first manual now. Here’s how: Click the…

Integrating on your own domain

Publishing your manual » Integrating on your own domain

The default option for publishing your manuals online is to have them “hosted” on the manula.com domain. However, Manula also support publishing your manuals on your own domain. This “own domain” option shows your manuals on your own domain,…

Can I import my existing documentation?

Frequently Asked Questions » Can I import my existing documentation?

Manula does not have a feature for automatically importing/converting existing manuals or documentation. So how I do get existing content into Manula? If you want to transfer documents to Manula, the quickest way is to: Think of a good manual structure and create…

Inserting images

Adding images and videos » Inserting images

Any manual needs images, screen shots, product photos, logos, etc. With Manula, you can easily insert any images into your topics, in a two-step process: first upload your image to the Image Manager, then insert from there into your text. Of course, once your image…

Adding logos and changing colors

Customizing your manual » Adding logos and changing colors

Adding your own logo Custom logos will appear on the top left of live manuals, above the Table of Contents (for example: the Manula logo in this manual). You can set a separate logo for each manual you create, so the logo settings are found in the Manual Properties…

Headers, Bold & Bullets

Getting Started » Headers, Bold & Bullets

Manula uses the popular Textile markdown language for formatting your manual topics. Textile is much easier than HTML and quicker than WYSIWYG editors, though initially it may take some getting used to. Here’s a quick introduction to creating headers, bold text…

Managing topics

In the manual section, we will discuss the creation of topics, including the details about saving as a draft, publishing topics and revisions. We’ll also explain the adding of languages and versions. Adding topics & sub-topics Re-arranging topics Removing…

Code blocks

Formatting topics » Code blocks

If you have a technical product, you may want to include snippets of code in your topics, either in HTML or any other programming language. And of course, if you include code, you want it to be output as is, and not interpreted by either our Textile parser or the…

Adding topics & sub-topics

Managing topics » Adding topics & sub-topics

You can add new topics to your manual using the Add Topic button at the top left. Click the Add Topic button and the Topic Editor will appear on the right. Enter a topic title in the Title box, e.g. “My first topic”. Enter a topic body in big text…

Sharing vs Copying

Managing topics » Sharing & Copying topics » Sharing vs Copying

First, let me explain the difference between Sharing Topics and Copying Topics and when you should use either method. Copying Topics When you copy a topic from another manual, the actual topic contents (Title, Body and Keyword) are copied to your current manual as a…

Formatting topics

Let’s create some useful and great looking topic content now. We’ll go over basic formatting, like creating headers, bold text, and bullets: Headers Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough Bullets Linking Using Info and Warning Boxes Tables Code…

Re-arranging topics

Managing topics » Re-arranging topics

After you have created multiple topics, you will find they will all appear in your Table of Contents as one flat list. However, for most manuals you probably want a more structured list, that is, have your topic list divided into headers and sub-headers. Like the ToC…

Getting Started

Welcome to Manula! Let’s get you started on your first online manual. We’ll discuss how to create a new manual and add some topics, how to arrange topics in your Table of Contents (ToC), some formatting tips (headers, bold text, bullets, etc…),…

Working with Drafts

Managing topics » Working with Drafts

Saving as a Draft Normally, when you click the Save button to save your topic changes, the modified topic is live on the internet immediately. This is great if you’re making a small change to a topic. However, in some situations you may need to make larger…

Removing topics

Managing topics » Removing topics

Removing topics can only be done from the Edit Topic tab. So to delete a topic from your manual: Select it in the ToC on the left Switch to the Edit Topic tab at the top. Click the red Delete button on the bottom left. Confirm that you really want to delete by…

Publishing your manual

Writing a good manual is one thing, but of course the goal is to make it available online for your readers. Luckily, in most cases, there’s nothing you need to do: everything you write and save is live and online immediately. But there’s a bit more to it,…

Linking to your online manual

Getting Started » Linking to your online manual

One of the benefits of using Manula for your online manuals is that your manuals are live and available online instantly, hosted on Manula servers. There is no need to arrange your own server or hosting. No need to upload HTML files and images to the internet. As…

Adding images and videos

Most manuals needs images and videos, here’s how to insert those into your topics: Inserting images Embedding videos

Private Manuals

Publishing your manual » Private Manuals

By default, your manuals are publicly accessible on the internet, for everyone to see. But for many types of manuals, that is not desirable. For instance, if you’re using Manula to create an employee handbook, you probably want this handbook accessible for your…

Sharing & Copying topics

Managing topics » Sharing & Copying topics

If you’re maintaining multiple manuals, for multiple different products, there will always be topics that are the same (or very similar) in each of your manuals. The more similar your products are, the more this will be the case. Manula provides two different…

Adding images

Getting Started » Adding images

Any manual needs images, screen shots, product photos, logos, etc. Adding an image to your topics is a 2-step process: Upload the image to the Image Manager Insert the image from the Image Manager into your topic. Uploading and inserting a new image: Place…

Publishing on manula.com

Publishing your manual » Publishing on manula.com

With Manula, the default way to publish your manual online is to make it publicly accessible on the manula.com domain, for everyone to see. Setting your manual to “Publish Live” To make your manual available on the manula.com, there’s only one…

Bullets

Formatting topics » Bullets

Making bullets is as easy as starting a line with a star (*) or a dash (#) sign. Use stars (*) for regular bullets: Porsche Ferrari Lamborghini Aston Martin Learn how to make regular bullets Use hashes (#) for numbered bullets: First, open this…

Languages

Managing topics » Languages

Manula fully supports the localization of your manuals into multiple languages. Once your manual has multiple languages, readers of your live manual can switch between languages using the language selector in the top bar. Of course, you can also…

Embedding videos

Adding images and videos » Embedding videos

Sometimes, a complicated task is easier to explain with a video. Manula makes this easy by just allowing the embedding of YouTube, Vimeo and Wistia videos into your manual topics. Just upload your video to YouTub, Vimeo or Wistia, add the video to your Media…

Managing Manual Versions

Managing topics » Managing Manual Versions

If you are writing manuals for a product that is regularly updated with new versions (software for example), you probably want to keep separate manuals online for the current version and all older versions. Manula’s Versions system makes it easy and efficient…

Keyboard Shortcuts

Reference » Keyboard Shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts are available in the topic editor: Cmd/Ctrl-S to Save Cmd/Ctrl-B for bold (tip: select a piece of text first) Cmd/Ctrl-I for italic (tip: select a piece of text first)

Customizing your manual

This section will discuss the various customization options that are available to change the look of your live manuals to your own liking, or to match your company’s branding. Adding logos and changing colors

Headers

Formatting topics » Headers

Creating headers is simple, just use the left most button on the toolbar. Or even quicker, prefix a line with h2. (for 2nd level headers) or h3. (for 3rd level headers). For example, typing h2. This is a big header will result in : This is a big header and…

Translating directly in Manula

Managing topics » Languages » Translating your manual » Translating directly in Manula

If you’re doing the translation yourself (or if you’re willing to give external translators Author level access), then the translation can be done straight into the Manula admin system, in your trusted topic editor. Just select the language you want to…

Adding a language

Managing topics » Languages » Adding a language

Here’s how to add a language to your manual: In your Topic Editor, open the language menu from the top bar (to the left of the Search box) In the language menu, click the Manage Languages button, which will open the Language Manager screen. In the Language…

How can I disable the Print functionality?

Frequently Asked Questions » How can I disable the Print functionality?

Here’s how to disable the print features: Just add the following CSS code under the Custom CSS tab in your Manual Settings screen: #topic-header a.print-page { display: none; } @media print { * { display: none; } } Make sure to also check the “Include…

Downloadable manuals in PDF format

Publishing your manual » Downloadable manuals in PDF format

An online manual is great, but it does mean that your readers need to be connected to the internet to read it. So it’s good to provide an alternative, a downloadable PDF that users can download to their local computer or mobile device, for offline reading. Or…

Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough

Formatting topics » Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough

Bold and Italic buttons on toolbar The “B” and “I” buttons on the toolbar let you turn selected text into bold or italic text. But typing is easier: Bold Use stars (*) around a piece of text to make it bold: *this is bold* becomes: this is…