How to Use Capacities: A Comprehensive Guide in 2026

Quick Start

This guide covers every Capacities feature:

• Getting Started — Create your account and set up the app
• How to Use Capacities Notes — Write daily notes and long-form content in a distraction-free editor
• How to Use Capacities AI — Summarise long notes and pull answers from your own knowledge base
• How to Use Contextual Backlinking — See where each note is mentioned and connect related thoughts
• How to Use Powerful Search Tool — Find any note in seconds using filters, types, and tags
• How to Use Quick Capture — Save ideas from phone or desktop before they disappear
• How to Use Calendar Integration — Tie meeting notes to dates and review any week at a glance
• How to Use Block Linking — Reference one exact paragraph instead of an entire page
• How to Use Custom Object Types — Group notes by category with their own properties and layouts
• How to Use Templating — Reuse a set page structure for meetings, books, and projects

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I have used Capacities daily for eight months and tested every feature in this tutorial.

Each step below comes from real use, not from marketing copy or vendor screenshots.

Capacities is a note taking app built for people who think in ideas rather than in files.

Most users only ever touch the daily note and stop there.

This guide shows you how to use Capacities properly, feature by feature.

By the end you will have a working system you actually enjoy opening.

Capacities Tutorial

This How to Use Capacities tutorial walks through every feature step by step, from your first note to advanced workflow tips.

Capacities

Stop filing notes into folders you never open again. Capacities groups your notes by object type and links them automatically, so ideas find each other. The free plan is generous and needs no credit card.

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Getting Started with Capacities

Before any feature makes sense, finish this one-time setup.

It takes about three minutes.

Here is what the app looked like when I first opened it:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the Capacities website and click Get Started.

Sign up with an email address and a password.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for the confirmation link.

Step 2: Open the App on Your Devices

Capacities runs in the browser and as a desktop app for Mac and Windows.

The mobile app covers iOS and Android for capture on the move.

Here is what the workspace looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the sidebar and today’s daily note.

Step 3: Set Up Your First Object Types

Pick two or three things you write about often.

Books, meetings, and people are a solid starting set.

Add a blog post type too if you write content for the web.

Add them as object types so new notes sort themselves from day one.

How to Use Capacities Notes

Capacities Notes lets you write everything in one calm space without folders.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Today’s Note

Hit the calendar icon in the sidebar to open today.

Every day starts with a blank daily note ready for your thoughts.

Step 2: Start Writing

Type your ideas straight into the page.

Slash commands add headings, quotes, tables, and images.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A clean editor page with today’s date at the top.

Step 3: Save It as an Object

Give the note a type so it files itself.

How to Use Capacities AI

Capacities AI lets you draft, summarise, and question your own notes.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Select Your Text

Highlight any block, then pick the AI icon.

The menu offers rewrite, shorten, expand, and summarise.

Step 2: Ask a Question

Open the AI chat and ask about a note.

It answers using the content inside your own workspace.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: An AI panel beside your note with suggested actions.

Step 3: Keep or Discard

Insert the reply as a block, or throw it away.

How to Use Contextual Backlinking

Contextual Backlinking lets you see every place a note has been mentioned.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Type Two Brackets

Write [[ and start typing a note title.

Pick an existing object or create a new one instantly.

Step 2: Open the Linked Note

Scroll to the bottom of that note.

The backlinks panel lists every page that points here.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A backlinks list under the note body showing the source page.

Step 3: Follow the Trail

Click through the backlinks to related pages.

How to Use Powerful Search Tool

Powerful Search Tool lets you find any note in seconds without remembering where it lives.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Press the Search Key

Use Ctrl+K, or Cmd+K on Mac, anywhere in the app.

The search bar opens over whatever you are reading.

Step 2: Filter by Object Type

Narrow results to books, people, or projects.

Filters cut a long result list down to a handful.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A results panel with type filters along the top.

Step 3: Jump Straight In

Hit Enter on the result you want.

How to Use Quick Capture

Quick Capture lets you save an idea in two seconds before it disappears.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Quick Capture

Use the shortcut, or the plus button on mobile.

A small window appears over your current screen.

Step 2: Dump the Idea

Type the thought and hit save.

It lands in your daily note or inbox.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A capture box that closes and confirms the save.

Step 3: Process It Later

Give it a type and a link during your review.

How to Use Calendar Integration

Calendar Integration lets you tie notes to the day they belong to.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Calendar

Click the calendar icon in the left sidebar.

Days with notes are marked so gaps are obvious.

Step 2: Pick a Date

Select any day to open its note.

Past notes open read-to-edit, so nothing is locked.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A month grid with dots on days that hold notes.

Step 3: Add a Weekly Note

Switch to the weekly tab for a wider view.

How to Use Block Linking

Block Linking lets you point to one exact paragraph instead of a whole page.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Hover the Block

Move over any paragraph until the handle appears.

The handle sits in the left margin of that block.

Step 2: Copy the Block Link

Right-click the handle and copy the link.

Paste it anywhere in your workspace.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A block handle with copy link and embed options.

Step 3: Embed It

Choose embed to mirror the live text instead.

How to Use Custom Object Types

Custom Object Types lets you group notes by what they are, not where they sit.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create a New Type

Open the sidebar menu and add an object type.

Name it after a thing you track often, like Book.

Step 2: Add Properties

Give the type fields such as author, status, or rating.

Each type carries its own properties, layouts, and formatting.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your new type listed in the sidebar with its properties.

Step 3: Set a Default Layout

Choose how new notes of that type open.

How to Use Templates

Templating lets you skip the blank page every single time.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Type Settings

Select an object type, then open its template.

Built-in templates are there if you want a head start.

Step 2: Build the Structure

Add the headings and prompts you use every time.

Meeting notes might hold attendees, decisions, and next steps.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A new note that opens with your headings already in place.

Step 3: Save and Test

Create a new note of that type to check it.

Capacities Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After eight months of daily use, these are the tips that changed my workflow.

The most helpful ones are small, making the daily routine easier instead of adding steps.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Graph view: Open it from the sidebar to see your notes as a network. Clusters show which projects you actually work on.
• Outliner mode: Switch it on in Editor settings for collapsible bullets. You can expand or collapse sections to move through complex information.
• Daily planning blocks: Use the daily note for time blocking, or the 1-3-5 rule: one big task, three medium, five small.
• MediaLab Bayern roots: The team came through MediaLab Bayern, the German media accelerator, and still ships updates the community votes on.

Capacities Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Rebuilding Your Old Folder System

Mistake #2: Never Linking Anything

Mistake #3: Importing Everything on Day One

Capacities Troubleshooting

Problem: Notes Are Not Syncing Between Devices

Cause: The app lost its connection, or one device is on an old version.

Fix: Check your network, update every device, then reload the app.

Problem: A Link Creates a Duplicate Note

Cause: You typed a slightly different title instead of picking the existing object.

Fix: Merge the two notes, then always select from the suggestion list.

Problem: Search Returns Nothing Useful

Cause: Your query is too broad, or the note sits under an unexpected type.

Fix: Search a tag instead of a keyword, then filter by object type.

📌 Note: If an error persists, the Capacities help assistant and the community forum answer most setup questions fast.

What is Capacities?

Capacities is a note taking app that gives you a calm, personal space to process information.

Think of it like a studio for your thoughts, where every idea has a shelf and a thread back to its neighbours.

Instead of files and folders, it uses objects and object types, so notes group themselves by what they are.

Watch this quick overview:

Longer video tutorials on the official site go deeper on each object type.

It includes these key features:

• Capacities Notes: A daily note plus a clean editor for any kind of writing.
• Capacities AI: An AI assistant that reads your notes and drafts new text.
• Contextual Backlinking: Every link you create becomes a backlink on the other note.
• Powerful Search Tool: Full-text search with filters for object type, tag, and date.
• Quick Capture: A fast inbox for half-formed ideas you sort out later.
• Calendar Integration: A date view that connects daily notes and weekly reviews.
• Block Linking: Links that target a single block, not the full note.
• Custom Object Types: Types like Book, Person, or Meeting, each with its own fields.
• Templating: Reusable page structures attached to any object type.

For a full breakdown, read our Capacities review.

Capacities Pricing

Here is what Capacities costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes — the free plan runs with no time limit and no credit card.

Money-back guarantee: Paid plans can be cancelled at any time from account settings.

💰 Best Value: Pro — it unlocks the AI assistant and larger uploads for under ten dollars.

Capacities vs Alternatives

How does Capacities compare with the rest of the note taking world? Here is the landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Capacities — object types and backlinks with almost no setup
• Best budget: Obsidian — free, local, and endlessly extendable
• Best for beginners: Craft — the gentlest editor of the group
• Best for team projects: Notion — shared databases and permissions

🎯 Capacities Alternatives

Looking for Capacities alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🚀 Notion: All-in-one workspace with databases and team docs. Far more flexible, but you build the structure yourself before any real work starts.
• 🔒 Anytype: Local-first and encrypted, built on an object model much like Capacities. Best pick if data ownership sits above everything else.
• 🎨 Craft: Beautiful documents and a superb iOS app. Better for sharing polished content than for building a linked note network.
• 💼 ClickUp: Project and task management first, notes second. Choose it when deadlines and assignees matter more than ideas.
• 📊 Coda: Docs that behave like apps, with formulas and automations. Powerful for teams, heavy for personal note taking.
• ⚡ XTiles: Visual tile-based canvas for planning and moodboards. Handy for spatial thinkers who want everything on one screen.
• 🔧 AFFiNE Pro: Open-source blend of docs and whiteboard, self-hostable. Good for developers who want control over their stack.
• 🌟 Obsidian: Local markdown files with a huge plugin community. Endlessly customisable, but you assemble the workflow yourself.

For the full list, see our Capacities alternatives guide.

⚔️ Capacities Compared

Here is how Capacities stacks up against each competitor:

• Capacities vs Notion: Notion wins on team features and databases. Capacities wins on speed and on organizing personal knowledge without setup work.
• Capacities vs Anytype: Anytype wins on privacy and offline storage. Capacities wins on polish, sync reliability, and a gentler learning curve.
• Capacities vs Craft: Craft wins on document design and Apple integration. Capacities wins on backlinks, object types, and daily thinking.
• Capacities vs ClickUp: ClickUp wins on projects and team workflow. Capacities wins as a personal thinking system with far less clutter.
• Capacities vs Coda: Coda wins on automation and tables. Capacities wins on writing speed and on connecting scattered thoughts.
• Capacities vs XTiles: XTiles wins on visual layout. Capacities wins on search, backlinking, and long-term knowledge you keep returning to.
• Capacities vs AFFiNE Pro: AFFiNE wins on open source and whiteboards. Capacities wins on a finished, stable app that needs no maintenance.
• Capacities vs Obsidian: Obsidian wins on plugins and file ownership. Capacities wins out of the box, with graph view and types already built in.

Start Using Capacities Now

You learned how to use every major Capacities feature:

• ✅ Capacities Notes
• ✅ Capacities AI
• ✅ Contextual Backlinking
• ✅ Powerful Search Tool
• ✅ Quick Capture
• ✅ Calendar Integration
• ✅ Block Linking
• ✅ Custom Object Types
• ✅ Templating

Next step: Pick one feature and try it today.

Most people start with Capacities Notes, and writers love the daily note for that reason.

It takes less than five minutes, and the free plan is enough to see if the app suits you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the capacities app used for?

Capacities is used for note taking, research, and personal knowledge. You create notes as objects, link them together, and find them later through search or backlinks.

How to use capacities for research?

Create an object type for sources, save each paper or article as one note, then link them to a topic note. Backlinks show every source per topic.

How much does the capacities app cost?

Capacities is free on the basic plan. Pro costs $9.99 per month and Believer costs $12.49 per month, both billed through your account settings.

How does capacities AI work?

The AI assistant reads the notes in your workspace. It can summarise a page, rewrite a block, or answer questions using your own content as context.

Is Capacities app free to use?

Yes. The free plan has no time limit and needs no credit card. Paid plans add the AI assistant, larger uploads, and more object type options.