Reference

Markdown cheat sheet

Every Markdown rule you need, with the syntax on the left and what it renders to on the right. Covers CommonMark plus the GitHub Flavored Markdown extensions.

Headings

Six levels. Leave a blank line before a heading so it is not absorbed into the paragraph above.

Syntax

Renders as

Top-level heading

# Heading level 1

Heading level 1

Section heading

## Heading level 2

Heading level 2

Subsection heading

### Heading level 3

Heading level 3

Alternate syntax for levels 1 and 2

Heading level 1
===============

Heading level 2
---------------

Heading level 1

Heading level 2

Emphasis

Asterisks and underscores both work. Asterisks are safer inside words.

Syntax

Renders as

Bold

**bold text**

bold text

Italic

*italic text*

italic text

Bold and italic

***bold and italic***

bold and italic

Strikethrough (GFM)

~~struck through~~

~~struck through~~

Lists

Indent by two spaces to nest. Ordered lists renumber themselves, so you can write 1. all the way down.

Syntax

Renders as

Bulleted list

- First item
- Second item
- Third item

First item
Second item
Third item

Numbered list

1. First item
1. Second item
1. Third item

First item
Second item
Third item

Nested list

- Parent item
  - Child item
    - Grandchild item

Parent item
- Child item
  - Grandchild item

Task list (GFM)

- [x] Finished task
- [ ] Open task

xFinished task
Open task

Links and images

An image is a link with a leading exclamation mark. The alt text matters for accessibility and SEO.

Syntax

Renders as

Inline link

[Markdown to Image](https://markdowntoimage.com)

Markdown to Image

Link with hover title

[Markdown to Image](https://markdowntoimage.com "Convert Markdown")

Markdown to Image

Image

![A mountain at dusk](/photo.jpg)

A mountain at dusk

Automatic link

<https://markdowntoimage.com>

https://markdowntoimage.com

Code

Name the language after the opening fence to get syntax highlighting.

Syntax

Renders as

Inline code

Run `npm install` first.

Run npm install first.

Fenced code block

```
plain code block
```

plain code block

Code block with highlighting

```js
const total = items.length;
```

const total = items.length;

Blockquotes

Quotes can hold any other Markdown, including lists and code.

Syntax

Renders as

Blockquote

> Everything should be made as
> simple as possible.

Everything should be made as simple as possible.

Nested blockquote

> Outer quote
>
>> Inner quote

Outer quote
Inner quote

Tables

Columns do not need to line up in the source. Colons in the divider row set the alignment.

Syntax

Renders as

Basic table

| Format | Size |
| --- | --- |
| PNG | 240 KB |
| PDF | 96 KB |

Format	Size
PNG	240 KB
PDF	96 KB

Column alignment

| Left | Center | Right |
| :--- | :----: | ----: |
| a | b | c |

Left	Center	Right
a	b	c

Other syntax

Three or more dashes make a rule. End a line with two spaces to force a line break without starting a new paragraph.

Syntax

Renders as

Horizontal rule

---

Hard line break

First line ends here.\
Second line starts here.

First line ends here.
Second line starts here.

Escape a special character

\*not italic\*

*not italic*

Footnote (GFM)

Text with a note.[^1]

[^1]: The note itself.

Text with a note.¹

Troubleshooting

Support

What is the difference between Markdown and GitHub Flavored Markdown?

GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) is a superset of CommonMark. It adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, footnotes, and automatic URL linking. Everything on this page marked GFM needs a renderer that supports those extensions — most modern ones do.

Why does my heading not render?

The most common cause is a missing space after the hash marks. Write # Heading, not #Heading. The second cause is a missing blank line above the heading, which makes some parsers treat it as part of the previous paragraph.

How do I write a line break without a new paragraph?

End the line with two spaces, or use a backslash at the end of the line. A single newline is collapsed into a space by most parsers, and a blank line starts a new paragraph instead.

How do I show a literal asterisk or underscore?

Put a backslash in front of it. Writing \*text\* renders as *text* instead of turning it into italics. The same works for backticks, hashes, brackets, and other Markdown characters.

Do Markdown tables need aligned columns?

No. The pipes do not have to line up in the source — the renderer handles the layout. Aligning them only makes the raw file easier to read. What matters is the divider row under the header.