Introduction: How to Link Your Instructable to a Paypal Donate Button

By If you wish, you can donate!
About: I am fortunate to have worked in the company of so many incredible mentors. I thank all those folks that have guided me and inspired me to learn.

So you want to share your knowledge and information with others and you'd like to provide them with the opportunity to donate some cash to your cause.  Your cause might be a fundraiser or simply an invitation to donate for your effort.  Whatever the case, I'll try my best to illustrate here how to set this up.

Step 1: Understanding How It Works

Understanding the overall setup helps with the success of getting a donation path established.  There are three things that are needed:
1) A Paypal account - (right click this link and select "open in new tab/window") if you don't already have a Paypal account 
2) An Instructables.com account - (right click this link and select "open in new tab/window") if you don't already have an instructables.com account.  The free account seems to work just fine.
3) A place that will hold your Paypal button, such as your own website that you can edit and add pages to, some personal webspace such as google or personal webspace available through your internet service provider.

The Paypal account will allow you to accept donations.  You can use the donation money in any way that Paypal allows, whether internet purchase/donation or withdrawal to your bank account.

The Instructables account is pretty straight forward.  Your creativity can yield some pretty amazing results!

The place that will hold your Paypal button is there so that folks who wish to donate can go to a web location that will link them to Paypal.  The Paypal button contains your Paypal account information so when they arrive at Paypal they are ready to donate to you or your cause.

Step 2: Paypal Account Setup

At the Paypal website you'll need to provide some personal and financial account information in order to get an account established.  First you'll need to enter your email address, name, mailing address, telephone number and then agree to the terms of service. Once your account is established you'll need to link a payment method such as your bank account or your debit/credit card.  After adding a financial link at Paypal you'll have to follow the instructions at the Paypal website to confirm your financial account(s).  Once the accounts are confirmed you can transfer funds to and from your bank account and Paypal.

Right-click here and select "open in new tab/window" to go to the Paypal website and sign up

Step 3: Instructables Setup

The instructables part is entirely up to you.  You're here already and you probably already have an account.  If you don't then you can right-click this link and select "open in new tab/window" to get your account going. 

Step 4: Adding the Link to the Paypal Button

First you'll need to have some web space.  This can be through google, your own website or through your internet service provider.  I'll illustrate the google method as it will be the most universal way to get this setup.

1) If you don't already have a gmail account you can sign up for one by right-clicking this link and selecting "open in new tab/window" (alternately you can go to google and follow the links to sign up from there) and then following the instructions at google to create a gmail account.

2) Once your gmail account is established, log into google using the "Sign In" button at Google.

3) Once logged in to Google, enter the word "sites" in Google search.  Follow the link to Google Sites.

4) In Google Sites, click the "Create button"

5) In the "Name your site:" text box enter something like My Paypal Donation Button.

6) In the "Site location" text box enter a unique name.  This name must be very unique as there are many "Google Sites" users and they too have a unique site location, so duplicates are not allowed.  Maybe you could specify something like "johnsmithlinkbutton"  Seems that you cannot use the word paypal in the site location field. 

7) Once you've provided the information for your site name and the site location click the "Create" button.

8)  Next, click the "Edit Page" link which looks like a pencil.

9) You're now ready to add your Paypal button.  To create the Paypal button, log in to your Paypal account and click on the "Merchant Services" tab.  Next, click on the link  "Create payment buttons for your website"  Follow the instructions on the Paypal website to create your button.  Once your button is created the Paypal website will provide you with some code that you'll use in your Google Sites page.  Copy this code and then go back to the Google Sites page you've created.

10)  In the Google Sites page editor you'll see the name of your page, a title banner (probably called Home) and a page body text area that is blank.  Change the title banner from Home to something like "I really appreciate your donation."  In the body area, use the page tools to create the look you want for your page.  Add some wording like "I truly appreciate your donation.  It will help to support my family and we all are forever grateful for your kindness.  Dano"

11) Next, click the <html> link in the page.  This is where you'll enter the Paypal button code.  When the html editor section appears it will display all the html code that your page includes.  You'll see the text you entered inside the code.  At the end of all the code you'll see a page break tag that looks like this <br> or a division close tab that looks like </div>  Click in the html editor to the right of the break tag <br> or the division close tag </div> and then paste in the Paypal button code.  Click the "Update" button.  You'll see some form of Google gadget reference in the body section below your text.

12) Next, click the "Save" button.  Once your Google Sites page is saved you should see your text and the Paypal button.

13) Copy the URL (web address) of your Google Sites page from the browser window address bar and use this address in your Instructable.  When you create your instructable there will be a html link tool in the editor that allows you to link to a web address and other web link types.  All you'll need to do is put some text in your instructable, something like 'If you'd like to donate, right-click and select 'open link in new tab/window' to go to my donation page", highlight the text you've entered inviting the visitor to donate and then click the html link icon.  Once the html link window appears, enter the Google Sites page URL (web address) where your Paypal donate button is located.  Finish your instructable and publish it.  Now visitors of your instructable have a path to donate to you or your cause.  

I hope that you find this helpful.  If you wish to donate then you can follow my donate link by right-clicking and selecting "open in new tab/window" and then following the Paypal Donate button.

My most sincere regards to you and your loved ones,
Dano