Markdown Cheat Sheet & Syntax Guide
Copy a working example for the syntax you need, see how it renders, and adapt it for your documentation, READMEs, or notes.
Headings
Add 1 to 6 # symbols before a line. More symbols create a lower-level heading.
# Heading Level 1
## Heading Level 2
### Heading Level 3
#### Heading Level 4
##### Heading Level 5
###### Heading Level 6Heading Level 1
Heading Level 2
Heading Level 3
Heading Level 4
Heading Level 5
Heading Level 6
Bold, italic, and strikethrough
Wrap text with asterisks, underscores, or tildes to add emphasis or show deleted text.
This text is *italicized*.
This text is _italicized_ as well.
This text is **bolded**.
This text is __bolded__ as well.
This text is ***bold and italicized***.
This text is ~~strikethrough~~.This text is italicized.
This text is italicized as well.
This text is bolded.
This text is bolded as well.
This text is bold and italicized.
This text is strikethrough.
Ordered, unordered, and task lists
Use numbers for ordered steps, dashes for bullets, and brackets with an x for task checkboxes.
- Unordered list item 1
- Unordered list item 2
- Indented nested item
1. Ordered list item 1
2. Ordered list item 2
- [x] Completed task item
- [ ] Incomplete task item- Unordered list item 1
- Unordered list item 2
- Indented nested item
- Ordered list item 1
- Ordered list item 2
- Completed task item
- Incomplete task item
Links, images, and autolinks
Use square brackets for labels and parentheses for URLs. Prefix an exclamation mark for images.
Format links like:
[TheMarkdowner](/)
Format images like:
Format links like: TheMarkdowner
Format images like:
/favicon.svg Inline code and fenced code blocks
Use single backticks for inline code and triple backticks with a language tag for blocks.
Use inline `const value = true` variables.
Fenced code block:
```javascript
const greeting = "Hello, developer!";
console.log(greeting);
```Use inline const value = true variables.
const greeting = "Hello, developer!";
console.log(greeting);Tables and column alignment
Use pipes to separate columns and hyphens with colons in the second row to set alignment.
| Parameter | Type | Default |
| :--- | :---: | ---: |
| format | string | "MD" |
| local | boolean | true |
| threads | number | 4 || Parameter | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|
| format | string | "MD" |
| local | boolean | true |
| threads | number | 4 |
Blockquotes and nested quotes
Begin lines with a greater-than symbol to quote text, call out warnings, or nest thoughts.
> This is a blockquote element.
>
> > This is nested inside the parent quote.This is a blockquote element.
This is nested inside the parent quote.
Horizontal rules, footnotes, and HTML
Use three dashes for dividers, bracketed caret numbers for footnotes, or inline HTML tags.
Create dividers with asterisks:
***
Escape characters with backslash:
\* Literal asterisk (not bullet)
Embed keyboard labels:
<kbd>Cmd</kbd> + <kbd>Option</kbd>Create dividers with asterisks:
Escape characters with backslash:
* Literal asterisk (not bullet)
Embed keyboard labels:
Cmd + Option
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Markdown?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language that allows you to format plain text using simple, human-readable symbols like hashes, asterisks, and dashes.
Is GitHub-flavored Markdown (GFM) supported?
Yes. This reference and the built-in editor support task lists, tables, strikethrough, autolinks, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting.
How do I add a line break in Markdown?
End a line with two or more spaces before pressing Enter, or leave a full blank line to start a new paragraph.
Can I write raw HTML inside Markdown?
Yes. Most Markdown renderers allow standard HTML tags for layout or elements not natively supported in standard Markdown syntax.