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.

How to UseExpand how to use

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 1
Largest heading (H1). Use for page or document titles.

Example

# My Document Title

Rendered

My Document Title (large bold text)

## Heading 2
Second-level heading (H2). Use for major sections.

Example

## Section Title

Rendered

Section Title (medium bold text)

### Heading 3
Third-level heading (H3). Use for subsections.

Example

### Subsection Title

Rendered

Subsection Title (smaller bold text)

#### Heading 4
Fourth-level heading (H4). Use for minor headings.

Example

#### Minor Heading

Rendered

Minor Heading (small bold text)

bold
Bold text. Wrap text with double asterisks or double underscores.

Example

This is **bold** text

Rendered

This is bold text (bold)

italic
Italic text. Wrap text with a single asterisk or underscore.

Example

This is *italic* text

Rendered

This is italic text (italic)

bold italic
Bold and italic combined. Wrap text with triple asterisks.

Example

This is ***bold italic*** text

Rendered

This is bold italic text (bold + italic)

strikethrough
Strikethrough text. Wrap text with double tildes.

Example

This is ~~strikethrough~~ text

Rendered

This is ~~strikethrough~~ text (with line through)

`inline code`
Inline code. Wrap text with backticks for monospace code display.

Example

Use `console.log()` to debug

Rendered

Use console.log() to debug (monospace)

- item
Bullet list. Start lines with -, *, or + followed by a space.

Example

- Apple
- Banana
- Cherry

Rendered

• Apple • Banana • Cherry

1. item
Numbered list. Start lines with numbers followed by a period and space.

Example

1. First
2. Second
3. Third

Rendered

1. First 2. Second 3. Third

- item - nested item
Nested list. Indent items with 2 or 4 spaces to create sub-items.

Example

- Item
  - Sub-item
  - Sub-item

Rendered

• Item ∘ Sub-item ∘ Sub-item

- [ ] unchecked - [x] checked
Task list (GitHub Flavored Markdown). Use [ ] for unchecked and [x] for checked items.

Example

- [ ] Todo
- [x] Done

Rendered

☐ 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)

![alt text](image.png)
Inline image. Similar to a link but prefixed with !

Example

![Logo](logo.png)

Rendered

[Image: Logo]

[link text][ref] [ref]: https://example.com
Reference-style link. Define the URL separately to keep text clean.

Example

[GitHub][gh]

[gh]: https://github.com

Rendered

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 text
Blockquote. 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 quote
Nested blockquote. Use >> for a second level of indentation.

Example

> Outer quote
>> Inner quote

Rendered

| 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 content
Footnote (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 : Definition
Definition list (extended Markdown). Write the term on one line and its definition preceded by a colon on the next.

Example

HTML
: HyperText Markup Language

Rendered

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. Will not appear in the rendered output.

Example

<!-- This comment is hidden -->

Rendered

(nothing visible)

H~2~O
Subscript text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with single tildes.

Example

H~2~O

Rendered

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

Checking correct Markdown syntax when writing documentation
Learning Markdown as a beginner
Quick reference while writing README files on GitHub
Looking up table and advanced syntax formats
Reference for blog posts and note-taking apps

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.

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.

How to UseExpand how to use

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 1
Largest heading (H1). Use for page or document titles.

Example

# My Document Title

Rendered

My Document Title (large bold text)

## Heading 2
Second-level heading (H2). Use for major sections.

Example

## Section Title

Rendered

Section Title (medium bold text)

### Heading 3
Third-level heading (H3). Use for subsections.

Example

### Subsection Title

Rendered

Subsection Title (smaller bold text)

#### Heading 4
Fourth-level heading (H4). Use for minor headings.

Example

#### Minor Heading

Rendered

Minor Heading (small bold text)

bold
Bold text. Wrap text with double asterisks or double underscores.

Example

This is **bold** text

Rendered

This is bold text (bold)

italic
Italic text. Wrap text with a single asterisk or underscore.

Example

This is *italic* text

Rendered

This is italic text (italic)

bold italic
Bold and italic combined. Wrap text with triple asterisks.

Example

This is ***bold italic*** text

Rendered

This is bold italic text (bold + italic)

strikethrough
Strikethrough text. Wrap text with double tildes.

Example

This is ~~strikethrough~~ text

Rendered

This is ~~strikethrough~~ text (with line through)

`inline code`
Inline code. Wrap text with backticks for monospace code display.

Example

Use `console.log()` to debug

Rendered

Use console.log() to debug (monospace)

- item
Bullet list. Start lines with -, *, or + followed by a space.

Example

- Apple
- Banana
- Cherry

Rendered

• Apple • Banana • Cherry

1. item
Numbered list. Start lines with numbers followed by a period and space.

Example

1. First
2. Second
3. Third

Rendered

1. First 2. Second 3. Third

- item - nested item
Nested list. Indent items with 2 or 4 spaces to create sub-items.

Example

- Item
  - Sub-item
  - Sub-item

Rendered

• Item ∘ Sub-item ∘ Sub-item

- [ ] unchecked - [x] checked
Task list (GitHub Flavored Markdown). Use [ ] for unchecked and [x] for checked items.

Example

- [ ] Todo
- [x] Done

Rendered

☐ 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)

![alt text](image.png)
Inline image. Similar to a link but prefixed with !

Example

![Logo](logo.png)

Rendered

[Image: Logo]

[link text][ref] [ref]: https://example.com
Reference-style link. Define the URL separately to keep text clean.

Example

[GitHub][gh]

[gh]: https://github.com

Rendered

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 text
Blockquote. 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 quote
Nested blockquote. Use >> for a second level of indentation.

Example

> Outer quote
>> Inner quote

Rendered

| 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 content
Footnote (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 : Definition
Definition list (extended Markdown). Write the term on one line and its definition preceded by a colon on the next.

Example

HTML
: HyperText Markup Language

Rendered

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. Will not appear in the rendered output.

Example

<!-- This comment is hidden -->

Rendered

(nothing visible)

H~2~O
Subscript text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with single tildes.

Example

H~2~O

Rendered

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

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

Checking correct Markdown syntax when writing documentation
Learning Markdown as a beginner
Quick reference while writing README files on GitHub
Looking up table and advanced syntax formats
Reference for blog posts and note-taking apps

FAQ

What is Markdown?

What is the difference between standard Markdown and extended Markdown?

What is the difference between * and _ for emphasis?

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?

Markdown Cheat Sheet

Search for syntax

Review description and example

Copy the syntax

# Heading 1Largest heading (H1). Use for page or document titles.

Example

Rendered

## Heading 2Second-level heading (H2). Use for major sections.

Example

Rendered

### Heading 3Third-level heading (H3). Use for subsections.

Example

Rendered

#### Heading 4Fourth-level heading (H4). Use for minor headings.

Example

Rendered

**bold**Bold text. Wrap text with double asterisks or double underscores.

Example

Rendered

*italic*Italic text. Wrap text with a single asterisk or underscore.

Example

Rendered

***bold italic***Bold and italic combined. Wrap text with triple asterisks.

Example

Rendered

~~strikethrough~~Strikethrough text. Wrap text with double tildes.

Example

Rendered

`inline code`Inline code. Wrap text with backticks for monospace code display.

Example

Rendered

- itemBullet list. Start lines with -, *, or + followed by a space.

Example

Rendered

1. itemNumbered list. Start lines with numbers followed by a period and space.

Example

Rendered

- item - nested itemNested list. Indent items with 2 or 4 spaces to create sub-items.

Example

Rendered

- [ ] unchecked - [x] checkedTask list (GitHub Flavored Markdown). Use [ ] for unchecked and [x] for checked items.

Example

Rendered

[link text](https://example.com)Hyperlink. Use [link text](URL) format.

Example

Rendered

[link text](https://example.com "title")Link with a tooltip title. Add a quoted title after the URL.

Example

Rendered

![alt text](image.png)Inline image. Similar to a link but prefixed with !

Example

Rendered

[link text][ref] [ref]: https://example.comReference-style link. Define the URL separately to keep text clean.

Example

Rendered

<https://example.com>Automatic link. Wrap a URL or email in angle brackets.

Example

Rendered

``` code here ```Fenced code block. Wrap code with triple backticks.

Example

Rendered

```javascript const x = 1; ```Syntax-highlighted code block. Add the language name after opening backticks.

Example

Rendered

> blockquote textBlockquote. Start a line with > to indent it as a quote.

Example

Rendered

> quote >> nested quoteNested blockquote. Use >> for a second level of indentation.

Example

Rendered

---Horizontal rule. Use three or more dashes, asterisks, or underscores on a line.

Example

Rendered

| Header 1 | Header 2 | | -------- | -------- | | Cell 1 | Cell 2 |Table. Use pipes | to separate columns and hyphens - for the header separator row.

Example

Rendered

| Left | Center | Right | | :--- | :----: | ----: | | L | C | R |Table column alignment. Use :--- for left, :---: for center, and ---: for right alignment.

Example

Rendered

text[^1] [^1]: footnote contentFootnote (extended Markdown). Add [^ref] in text and define the note at the bottom.

# Heading 1
Largest heading (H1). Use for page or document titles.

## Heading 2
Second-level heading (H2). Use for major sections.

### Heading 3
Third-level heading (H3). Use for subsections.

#### Heading 4
Fourth-level heading (H4). Use for minor headings.

bold
Bold text. Wrap text with double asterisks or double underscores.

italic
Italic text. Wrap text with a single asterisk or underscore.

bold italic
Bold and italic combined. Wrap text with triple asterisks.

strikethrough
Strikethrough text. Wrap text with double tildes.

`inline code`
Inline code. Wrap text with backticks for monospace code display.

- item
Bullet list. Start lines with -, *, or + followed by a space.

1. item
Numbered list. Start lines with numbers followed by a period and space.

- item - nested item
Nested list. Indent items with 2 or 4 spaces to create sub-items.

- [ ] unchecked - [x] checked
Task list (GitHub Flavored Markdown). Use [ ] for unchecked and [x] for checked items.

[link text](https://example.com)
Hyperlink. Use [link text](URL) format.

[link text](https://example.com "title")
Link with a tooltip title. Add a quoted title after the URL.

![alt text](image.png)
Inline image. Similar to a link but prefixed with !

[link text][ref] [ref]: https://example.com
Reference-style link. Define the URL separately to keep text clean.

<https://example.com>
Automatic link. Wrap a URL or email in angle brackets.

``` code here ```
Fenced code block. Wrap code with triple backticks.

```javascript const x = 1; ```
Syntax-highlighted code block. Add the language name after opening backticks.

> blockquote text
Blockquote. Start a line with > to indent it as a quote.

> quote >> nested quote
Nested blockquote. Use >> for a second level of indentation.

---
Horizontal rule. Use three or more dashes, asterisks, or underscores on a line.

| Header 1 | Header 2 | | -------- | -------- | | Cell 1 | Cell 2 |
Table. Use pipes | to separate columns and hyphens - for the header separator row.

| Left | Center | Right | | :--- | :----: | ----: | | L | C | R |
Table column alignment. Use :--- for left, :---: for center, and ---: for right alignment.

text[^1] [^1]: footnote content
Footnote (extended Markdown). Add [^ref] in text and define the note at the bottom.

Term : Definition
Definition list (extended Markdown). Write the term on one line and its definition preceded by a colon on the next.

\escaped asterisk\
Escape special characters. Use a backslash \ to display Markdown characters literally.

HTML comment. Will not appear in the rendered output.

H~2~O
Subscript text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with single tildes.

x^2^
Superscript text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with carets.

==highlighted==
Highlighted text (extended Markdown). Wrap text with double equal signs.

# Heading 1
Largest heading (H1). Use for page or document titles.

## Heading 2
Second-level heading (H2). Use for major sections.

### Heading 3
Third-level heading (H3). Use for subsections.

#### Heading 4
Fourth-level heading (H4). Use for minor headings.

bold
Bold text. Wrap text with double asterisks or double underscores.

italic
Italic text. Wrap text with a single asterisk or underscore.

bold italic
Bold and italic combined. Wrap text with triple asterisks.

strikethrough
Strikethrough text. Wrap text with double tildes.

`inline code`
Inline code. Wrap text with backticks for monospace code display.

- item
Bullet list. Start lines with -, *, or + followed by a space.

1. item
Numbered list. Start lines with numbers followed by a period and space.

- item - nested item
Nested list. Indent items with 2 or 4 spaces to create sub-items.

- [ ] unchecked - [x] checked
Task list (GitHub Flavored Markdown). Use [ ] for unchecked and [x] for checked items.

[link text](https://example.com)
Hyperlink. Use [link text](URL) format.