Organizational structures ​

There are several concepts in Capacities that you interact with every day. Here’s how they work together.

Objects & Object Types ​

An object is a piece of content in Capacities. Notes, images, PDFs, and tags are all objects. Every piece of content is an object. All objects (except tags*) have a title, properties, and somewhere to write (the blocks).

Use object types when you have recurring content with consistent structure.

We differentiate objects by their type. An object’s type tells you what kind of information it contains:

• A meeting note → a Meeting object → one instance of the Meeting object type
• One book note → a Book object → one instance of the Book object type
• An image → an Image object → one instance of the Image object type

All object types are listed in the left sidebar.

*Tags do not have somewhere to write, which is their strength. More on this below.

Properties ​

Categorizing your content by object type lets you build structure around common patterns in your notes. For example, if you always add the date and attendees to a meeting note, you can use properties to include space for this information by default.

Properties apply to every object of that type. If you add a property, it appears on all objects of that type. If you remove one, it’s removed everywhere. This gives you dependable structure when you create an object. You don’t have to think about adding this information manually each time.

Most object types can be customized to fit your needs. Some (like page, image, tag, and PDF) are built into the app and can’t be changed.

Labels ​

Labels are a type of property you can add to your object types. Use them within a single object type to further categorize or filter items.

Examples:

Meeting Object Type

• Type of meeting (1:1, Sprint, Retrospective)
• Status (Scheduled, Completed, Cancelled)
• Location (Virtual, Hybrid, In-Person)

Book Object Type

• Genre (Fiction, Non-Fiction)
• Reading Status (To Read, Reading, Finished, Abandoned)
• Format (Audio, Kindle, Paperback)

Object Select Properties ​

Object select properties let you link one object type to another using a dropdown menu.

For example, if you have a Meeting object type and a Person object type, you can use an object select property in the Meeting type that shows your Person objects. From there, choose the attendees.

Tags ​

Tags group your content by theme or topic. This lets you connect information across your entire Capacities space.

Use tags when you want to:

• Link related content (like a meeting note and a project about marketing both have the tag “marketing”)
• Surface connections between blocks and objects. For example tagging a “note to self” in your Daily Note with “marketing”)

Tags work across types. You can tag objects and blocks. You can even use tags in object select properties, which gives you dropdowns of your tags.

Think of it this way:

• Tags connect across types and ideas (big picture connection).
• Labels help filter within a type (specific categories).

Queries ​

As your space grows, queries let you save dynamic views of your content based on rules. Use queries when you want views that automatically update.

Examples:

• All 1:1 meetings with your boss → Meeting objects with the meeting type label “1:1” and your boss as attendee
• All ongoing projects → Project objects with the status label “Ongoing”
• All books read this year → Book objects with a date finished in 2025
• All content tagged with “Curiosity” or “Creativity”

Queries are rule-based views. If your content doesn’t match the rules, it won’t appear. They’re flexible and require no manual upkeep.

Collections ​

Collections let you group one object type manually. Use them when you want to group or curate items by your own criteria or taste.

Examples:

• Query: All films in your space
• Collection: Films that made you laugh out loud
• Collection: Projects you want to include in a portfolio

Collections don’t auto-update. You choose what goes in.

Quick Guide: Decision Tree ​

Use this to decide which concept fits your situation:

Do you want to organize your note by structure or by theme?

• Structure → Object Types, Properties
• Theme → Tags

Do you want to organize a set of notes?

• Manually…
  • Within the same type → Collections
  • Across types → Tags
• Based on rules → Queries

Want to classify or categorize a note?

• Bound within a type → Label
• Semantically and across types → Tags