Markdown cheat sheet

Markdown is a way to write formatted text with plain characters. This cheat sheet covers the syntax you will use most, and you can try each line in the Markdown Preview.

By 孤獨的時空旅人 · Updated 2026-10-16

Headings and emphasis

Start a line with # for a main heading, ## for a section and ### for a sub-section. Wrap text in two asterisks for bold, one asterisk for italics and two tildes for strikethrough. Leave a blank line between paragraphs; a single line break inside a paragraph does not start a new one.

Lists and quotes

Start lines with - or * for a bulleted list and with 1. for a numbered list; indent two or four spaces to nest. Start a line with [ ] or [x] after the dash for a task list item. A line that starts with > becomes a block quote.

Links and images

A link is the text in square brackets followed by the address in round brackets. An image is the same with an exclamation mark in front, and the square brackets hold the alternative text. Always write a short alternative text so the image makes sense to screen readers.

Code and tables

Wrap a short piece of code in single backticks. For several lines, put three backticks on their own line before and after the code. A table uses vertical bars between columns and a row of dashes under the header row, as in “| Name | Score |” then “| --- | --- |”.

Preview and export

The preview shows how your text will look. Copy the HTML to use it on a web page, or download it as a standalone page; scripts and form elements are removed from the output for safety. Print the downloaded page to save a PDF. Your text stays in your browser.

Tools used in this guide

Markdown PreviewLive preview, copy HTMLJSON FormatterFormat, validate and minify JSONBase64 Encode / DecodeText and files to Base64 and backWord CounterCount characters, words and lines

Frequently asked questions

Which Markdown flavour does the preview use?

GitHub-flavoured Markdown, including tables, task lists and strikethrough.

Why does my line break not show?

Leave a blank line between paragraphs. A single line break inside a paragraph is joined to the previous line.

Can I paste the HTML on my website?

Yes, but review it first. Scripts, forms and event handlers are removed.

Is my text uploaded?

No. It is rendered in your browser and not saved.

Guides

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