Markdown Cheat Sheet
Searchable Markdown syntax reference organized by category. Covers headings, emphasis, lists, links, code blocks, tables, and advanced syntax with one-click copy.
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How to Use
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- 1
Search for syntax
Enter a keyword in the search field, or filter by category (Heading, Emphasis, etc.) to find the syntax you need.
- 2
Review description and example
Check the syntax description, example code, and how it renders to understand the correct usage.
- 3
Copy the syntax
Click the copy button to copy the syntax to your clipboard and paste it directly into your Markdown document.
# Heading 1Largest heading (H1). Use for page or document titles.
Example
# My Document TitleRendered
My Document Title (large bold text)
## Heading 2Second-level heading (H2). Use for major sections.
Example
## Section TitleRendered
Section Title (medium bold text)
### Heading 3Third-level heading (H3). Use for subsections.
Example
### Subsection TitleRendered
Subsection Title (smaller bold text)
#### Heading 4Fourth-level heading (H4). Use for minor headings.
Example
#### Minor HeadingRendered
Minor Heading (small bold text)
**bold**Bold text. Wrap text with double asterisks or double underscores.
Example
This is **bold** textRendered
This is bold text (bold)
*italic*Italic text. Wrap text with a single asterisk or underscore.
Example
This is *italic* textRendered
This is italic text (italic)
***bold italic***Bold and italic combined. Wrap text with triple asterisks.
Example
This is ***bold italic*** textRendered
This is bold italic text (bold + italic)
~~strikethrough~~Strikethrough text. Wrap text with double tildes.
Example
This is ~~strikethrough~~ textRendered
This is ~~strikethrough~~ text (with line through)
`inline code`Inline code. Wrap text with backticks for monospace code display.
Example
Use `console.log()` to debugRendered
Use console.log() to debug (monospace)
- itemBullet list. Start lines with -, *, or + followed by a space.
Example
- Apple
- Banana
- CherryRendered
• Apple • Banana • Cherry
1. itemNumbered list. Start lines with numbers followed by a period and space.
Example
1. First
2. Second
3. ThirdRendered
1. First 2. Second 3. Third
- item
- nested itemNested list. Indent items with 2 or 4 spaces to create sub-items.
Example
- Item
- Sub-item
- Sub-itemRendered
• Item ∘ Sub-item ∘ Sub-item
- [ ] unchecked
- [x] checkedTask list (GitHub Flavored Markdown). Use [ ] for unchecked and [x] for checked items.
Example
- [ ] Todo
- [x] DoneRendered
☐ Todo ☑ Done
[link text](https://example.com)Hyperlink. Use [link text](URL) format.
Example
[Visit GitHub](https://github.com)Rendered
Visit GitHub (clickable link)
[link text](https://example.com "title")Link with a tooltip title. Add a quoted title after the URL.
Example
[GitHub](https://github.com "GitHub Home")Rendered
GitHub (link with tooltip on hover)
Inline image. Similar to a link but prefixed with !
Example
Rendered
[Image: Logo]
[link text][ref]
[ref]: https://example.comReference-style link. Define the URL separately to keep text clean.
Example
[GitHub][gh]
[gh]: https://github.comRendered
GitHub (clickable link using reference)
<https://example.com>Automatic link. Wrap a URL or email in angle brackets.
Example
<https://example.com>Rendered
https://example.com (clickable)
```
code here
```Fenced code block. Wrap code with triple backticks.
Example
```
function hello() {
return 'hi';
}
```Rendered
Code block with monospace font
```javascript
const x = 1;
```Syntax-highlighted code block. Add the language name after opening backticks.
Example
```javascript
const x = 42;
```Rendered
Code block with JavaScript syntax highlighting
> blockquote textBlockquote. Start a line with > to indent it as a quote.
Example
> To be, or not to be.Rendered
| To be, or not to be. (indented)
> quote
>> nested quoteNested blockquote. Use >> for a second level of indentation.
Example
> Outer quote
>> Inner quoteRendered
| Outer quote || Inner quote (double indented)
---Horizontal rule. Use three or more dashes, asterisks, or underscores on a line.
Example
---Rendered
─────────────── (full-width horizontal line)
| Header 1 | Header 2 |
| -------- | -------- |
| Cell 1 | Cell 2 |Table. Use pipes | to separate columns and hyphens - for the header separator row.
Example
| Name | Age |
| ---- | --- |
| Alice | 30 |Rendered
Table with Name and Age columns
| Left | Center | Right |
| :--- | :----: | ----: |
| L | C | R |Table column alignment. Use :--- for left, :---: for center, and ---: for right alignment.
Example
| Left | Center | Right |
| :--- | :----: | ----: |
| L | C | R |Rendered
Table with left, center, and right aligned columns
text[^1]
[^1]: footnote contentFootnote (extended Markdown). Add [^ref] in text and define the note at the bottom.
Example
See note[^1]
[^1]: This is the footnote.Rendered
See note¹ ... ¹ This is the footnote.
Term
: DefinitionDefinition list (extended Markdown). Write the term on one line and its definition preceded by a colon on the next.
Example
HTML
: HyperText Markup LanguageRendered
HTML (term) HyperText Markup Language (definition)
\*escaped asterisk\*Escape special characters. Use a backslash \ to display Markdown characters literally.
Example
\*not italic\*Rendered
*not italic* (asterisks displayed as-is)
<!-- HTML comment -->HTML comment. Will not appear in the rendered output.
Example
<!-- This comment is hidden -->Rendered
(nothing visible)
H~2~OSubscript text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with single tildes.
Example
H~2~ORendered
H₂O
x^2^Superscript text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with carets.
Example
x^2^Rendered
x²
==highlighted==Highlighted text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with double equal signs.
Example
==important text==Rendered
important text (with yellow highlight)
About Markdown Cheat Sheet
Markdown Cheat Sheet is a quick reference for Markdown syntax. It covers everything from basic formatting like headings and emphasis to advanced features like tables, footnotes, and extended syntax. Each pattern includes a description, example code, and rendered output so you can understand the result at a glance.
Key Features
- 30+ Markdown syntax patterns organized by category
- Description, example, and rendered output for each pattern
- Category filtering (Headings, Emphasis, Lists, etc.)
- Real-time search functionality
- One-click copy of syntax examples
Use Cases
- Quick reference while writing a GitHub README or Pull Request description
- Looking up table and code block syntax when writing technical documentation
- Learning Markdown as a beginner contributing to an open-source project
- Checking the correct syntax for callouts, footnotes, or task lists in GitHub Flavored Markdown
- Reference while writing content in Notion, Confluence, Obsidian, or a static site generator
- Formatting a Slack message or Discord post that supports Markdown
FAQ
What is Markdown?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language that uses plain text formatting to convert to HTML. It was created by John Gruber in 2004 and is now widely used in README files, documentation, blogging platforms, and note-taking apps.
What is the difference between standard Markdown and extended Markdown?
Standard Markdown (CommonMark) includes basic syntax like headings, bold, italic, links, and code blocks. Extended Markdown (GitHub Flavored Markdown, MultiMarkdown, etc.) adds tables, task lists, footnotes, strikethrough, and more. Support varies by platform.
What is the difference between * and _ for emphasis?
Both work the same for bold and italic, but there is a difference with underscores: underscores inside words (like some_variable_name) are not treated as emphasis markers. Asterisks are recommended for consistency.
How do I add a line break?
End a line with two or more spaces, or add a blank line between paragraphs to create a new paragraph. Some processors also support a backslash \ at the end of a line.
Do all Markdown parsers support the same syntax?
No. Core syntax like headings, bold, and links is widely supported, but extended syntax like tables, footnotes, and definition lists depends on the parser. Always check what your target platform supports.