Writing Reference
Markdown Cheat Sheet
Markdown syntax reference for formatting text with headings, emphasis, links, images, lists, code and tables. Free, in-browser.
Markdown is a lightweight markup language that converts plain text to formatted documents. Developers use it daily for documentation, README files, and content management. This reference covers the essential syntax rules you need to write and style Markdown quickly without memorizing the format.
Basic syntax
| Markdown | Result |
|---|---|
# Heading 1 | Largest heading |
## Heading 2 | Second-level heading |
**bold** | Bold text |
*italic* | Italic text |
~~strike~~ | Strikethrough |
`code` | Inline code |
[label](url) | Link |
 | Image |
> quote | Blockquote |
--- | Horizontal rule |
Lists, code, tables
| Markdown | Result |
|---|---|
- item | Bulleted list item |
1. item | Numbered list item |
- [ ] task | Unchecked task |
- [x] task | Checked task |
```lang | Fenced code block (close with ```) |
| a | b | | Table row (header + --- separator) |
How this reference is used
- Writing a GitHub README or project documentation
- Formatting blog posts or content management system entries
- Creating API documentation with code examples and tables
- Authoring technical guides with structured headings and emphasis
- Drafting changelog entries or release notes
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between soft and hard line breaks in Markdown?
A soft break (single line ending) flows text together in rendered output. A hard break requires two spaces at the line end or a blank line to start a new paragraph. Most Markdown parsers recognize both methods for flexibility.
Can I nest lists in Markdown?
Yes. Indent nested list items with spaces or tabs (usually 2–4 spaces). Most parsers support multiple nesting levels. Mixing ordered and unordered lists is allowed by indenting each level appropriately.
Why won't my code block or table render correctly?
Code blocks need blank lines before and after, plus proper indentation or triple backticks. Tables require pipes and hyphens in exact syntax. If syntax looks right, check parser flavor—GitHub, Reddit, and other platforms have slight variations.