# Labels, links and shape data

A shape can carry more than a label. It can hold arbitrary data as key-value pairs, a tooltip, and a link, which is what turns a diagram into a navigation surface.

Linking shapes to Confluence pages is the single highest-value thing most people never do.

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## What this is for

* Diagrams that should link to the pages documenting each part.
* Adding metadata, such as an owner or a system id, to shapes.
* Tooltips that explain a shape without cluttering the diagram.

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## How it works

| **Action**       | **How**                                                                     |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Label a shape    | Select it and start typing, or press F2.                                    |
| Label an edge    | Double-click the connector.                                                 |
| Position a label | The Text tab, or drag the label along the connector.                        |
| Add a link       | Right-click, Edit Link. Confluence page URLs work, including relative ones. |
| Tooltip          | Right-click, Edit Tooltip.                                                  |
| Shape data       | Right-click, Edit Data, to add key-value pairs.                             |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Links survive on the page and on published sites. They do not survive PDF or Word export.
* Shape data is stored in the diagram, so it travels with it and is searchable.
* Keep labels short. A shape containing a sentence is a note, not a shape.

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## Related

[Multi page diagramsSeveral diagrams in one.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/multi-page-diagrams.html)

[Edit the diagram XMLThe escape hatch, and it is a good one.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/edit-the-diagram-xml.html)

[draw.io editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/draw-io-editor.html)

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_The canvas rewards ten minutes of learning._