
The recent update for ActiveRain now allows you easier access to the HTML view on your blog posts. There used to be two tabs WYSIWYG and HTML to switch back and forth. BUT before you clicked on a tab, you had to save the post (to Draft) and then go back into the edit mode and then pick the tab to change views. That was a lot of extra steps!
Now we have an HTML button that will pop up the HTML view. You can make your edit and then close the pop up view to see the immediate change.
Now the question,
why would you want to go to HTML?
There are certain types of things that you can embed in your blog posts where you get the source code from other sites. Two of my favorite things to embed are YouTube videos and Google Maps. Once you get the source HTML code from these sites copied onto your clipboard, you come back to AR and post it (in the new HTML view).

HTML code can be a little intimidating when you don't know how to read it (it really isn't so bad once you understand). Don't sweat it, you DON'T HAVE TO LEARN HTML to use it. You have your snippet of code waiting on your clipboard, you just need to give yourself a bit of placeholder text to know where to insert it. I like the phrases "MAP HERE" or "VIDEO HERE" (tip: caps helps it to stand out). Put this text in your blog post in the normal view. When you switch to HTML view, just look for the placeholder text and simply highlight the text and then paste the HTML code to overwrite the placeholder text. That's it. Close the HTML view and check out your results.

Thank you ActiveRain for implementing new updates to make our blogging easier!
105 Comments on HTML in Your ActiveRain Posts - It's Easier Now!
This is a great upgrade. Thanks for the tips on using it.
Craig-Thanks for the info. The switching to HTML saving and returning was a hassle. Glad that's changed.
Worked like a charm, Craig! Thanks!
(I love learning new stuff from you--please keep posting!)
Hope you are OK, Craig, looks like it was an awful storm.
thanks for checking in Gabe - weathered the storm ok - now for NYC infrastructure to get back together again!
Craig, I just came to write a post and couldn't find the HTML tab. I searched in AR knowing that someone would have written something about it and there you were!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this!! I had a video to add to my post for today and was very distressed that I couldn't find the old HTML tab! I decided to do a search and your post was the first one to come up. I've embedded my video, posted my blog and can now move with my day!
Craig, I just noticed that were from Staten Island. You might find the blog I just posted, This Is How We Roll... kind of interesting. We don't want you guys to ever think you've been forgotten.
OMG Graig, you make is soooo understandable! Thank you. Make it a great day.
Craig - it is so much easier to blog nowdays with AR. No more switching back and forth or forgetting to save the post to draft before switching to HTML. Now if technology would just blog for me...
Craig - what a great idea to use place holder text so you know where to post... I had never thught of that but I will now utilize going onward..
thank you for the help
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Craig, when I copy and paste, I get a blue screen and am unable to paste the code, this happens on the links too, can you tell me what I must have enabled or disabled?
The other way used to drive me nuts in editing. Thanks for letting me know I can now do it better/faster!
I wanted to let you know that I am really into the HTML code and I am loving it. It is so much easier. Now I need to take some time to remember how to change text colors and other bumps to my post.
Happy New Year.
Thank you for teaching so clearly. That is genius. I just recently had to figure out how to change lot sizes from square foot to acres in HTML code and now am not intimidated any more. I will use this soon.