Why isn't my Markdown table rendering correctly?

Every row must contain the same number of columns, and the header separator (---) should match the number of columns.

Why isn't my task list clickable on GitHub?

Interactive checkboxes only work in supported GitHub locations such as Issues, Pull Requests, and some Markdown views. In other environments, task lists appear as plain Markdown.

How do I add a line break without creating a new paragraph?

Add two spaces at the end of a line or use if your Markdown application supports HTML.

When should I use HTML instead of Markdown?

Use Markdown whenever it provides the formatting you need. Reserve HTML for features that standard Markdown doesn't support, such as superscript, subscript, or certain layout elements.

Why are Markdown features different across applications?

Most applications support standard Markdown, but some add their own extensions or limitations. Always check the documentation for the platform you're using.

How can I display Markdown characters as plain text?

Escape the character with a backslash (\) or place it inside an inline code span or fenced code block.

Markdown Cheat Sheet

Search documentation

This Markdown Cheat Sheet is a quick reference for the syntax you'll use most often. Find the correct Markdown syntax, copy examples, and check formatting rules for headings, lists, links, images, tables, code blocks, and other common elements.

Whether you're writing a README, documentation, notes, or technical content, use this page to quickly look up syntax without reading long explanations.

💡 Tip: New to Markdown? Start with the Markdown Basics guide, then return here whenever you need a quick syntax reference.

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Basic Markdown Syntax

Copy-ready syntax for the elements you'll use most often. Open any section below for examples and links to detailed guides.

Element	Markdown Syntax
Heading	# Heading
Bold	Bold Text
Italic	Italic Text
Bold + Italic	*Bold Italic*
Strikethrough	~~Text~~
Link	[Title](https://example.com)
Image	![Alt Text](image.png)
Inline Code	`code`
Code Block	```language
Unordered List	- Item
Ordered List	1. Item
Task List	- [ ] Task
Blockquote	> Quote
Horizontal Rule	---
Table	\| Name \| Age \|

Markdown Headings

Create document headings using #.

Syntax#

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4
##### Heading 5
###### Heading 6

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Heading 1#

Heading 2#

Heading 3#

Heading 4#

Heading 5#

Heading 6#

Learn More → Markdown Headings

Paragraphs & Line Breaks

Separate paragraphs with a blank line. For a line break without a new paragraph, add two trailing spaces or use <br>.

Syntax#

First paragraph.

Second paragraph.

First line··
Second line

(The dots represent two trailing spaces.)

Live Preview#

Live Preview

First paragraph.

Second paragraph.

First line Second line

Learn More → Markdown Paragraphs · Markdown Line Breaks

Bold, Italic & Strikethrough

Emphasize text with *, **, or ~~.

Syntax#

**Bold**
*Italic*
***Bold Italic***
~~Strikethrough~~

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Bold Italic Bold Italic ~~Strikethrough~~

Strikethrough requires GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM).

Learn More → Markdown Syntax — Text Formatting

Markdown Lists

Create bullet or numbered lists.

Unordered#

- Item One
- Item Two
- Item Three

Ordered#

1. First step
2. Second step

Nested#

- Parent
  - Child

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Item One
Item Two
Item Three

First step
Second step

Parent
- Child

Learn More → Markdown Lists

Markdown Links

Link to a URL with bracket and parentheses syntax.

Syntax#

[Link Text](https://example.com)
[Title](https://example.com "Tooltip")
<https://example.com>
[Email](mailto:hello@example.com)

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Visit MDConvertHub

Learn More → Markdown Links

Try Tool → Markdown Link Generator

Markdown Images

Insert images with ! before link syntax.

Syntax#

![Alt Text](image.png)
[![Logo](logo.png)](https://example.com)

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Alt Text

Learn More → Markdown Images

Inline Code & Code Blocks

Highlight inline code with single backticks; use fenced blocks for multi-line code.

Inline Code#

`npm install`

Code Block#

```javascript
console.log("Hello");
```

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Run npm install before starting.

console.log("Hello");

Learn More → Markdown Code Blocks

Try Tool → Markdown Editor

Markdown Tables

Build tables with pipes and a header separator row.

Syntax#

| Name | Role |
|------|------|
| Alex | Developer |
| Emma | Designer |

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Name	Role
Alex	Developer
Emma	Designer

Column alignment: :--- left, :---: center, ---: right.

Learn More → Markdown Tables

Try Tool → Markdown Table Generator

Task Lists

Create checkboxes with - [ ] and - [x]. Interactive on GitHub Issues and Pull Requests.

Syntax#

- [ ] Write documentation
- [x] Publish README

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Write documentation
Publish README

Learn More → Markdown Task Lists

Try Tool → Markdown Task List Generator

Blockquotes

Mark quoted text with >.

Syntax#

> Blockquote
>> Nested quote

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Blockquote

Nested quote

Learn More → Markdown Blockquotes

Horizontal Rules

Separate sections with ---, ***, or ___.

Syntax#

---
***
___

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Learn More → Markdown Horizontal Rules

Escaping Characters

Display literal Markdown characters with a backslash.

Syntax#

\*Not italic\*
\# Not a heading

Live Preview#

Live Preview

Not italic

Learn More → Markdown Escaping Characters

HTML Inside Markdown

Embed HTML when Markdown alone isn't enough.

Syntax#

<b>Bold</b>
<br>
<sup>2</sup>
<sub>2</sub>

Learn More → Markdown HTML

GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)

GFM adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, and fenced code blocks beyond standard Markdown.

Syntax#

~~removed~~
- [x] Done
| Col | Col |
| --- | --- |
| A | B |

Learn More → GitHub Flavored Markdown

Try Tool → README Generator

Markdown in Obsidian

Obsidian uses standard Markdown plus wiki links like [[Note Title]].

Syntax#

[[Daily Notes]]

# Meeting Notes

- Review project

Learn More → Obsidian Markdown

Markdown in Discord

Discord supports basic formatting only — no tables or headings.

Format	Syntax
Bold	`text`
Italic	`text`
Underline	`__text__`
Strikethrough	`~~text~~`
Inline Code	`code`
Code Block	Triple backticks

Common Markdown Mistakes

Quick fixes for the most common rendering problems.

Mistake	Fix
Missing space after `#`	Use `# Heading`, not `#Heading`
Broken links	Check brackets and URL are complete
Uneven tables	Same number of columns in every row
Mixed list styles	Use one bullet style consistently

Learn More → Common Markdown Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

1
Why isn't my Markdown table rendering correctly?
Every row must contain the same number of columns, and the header separator (---) should match the number of columns.
2
Why isn't my task list clickable on GitHub?
Interactive checkboxes only work in supported GitHub locations such as Issues, Pull Requests, and some Markdown views. In other environments, task lists appear as plain Markdown.
3
How do I add a line break without creating a new paragraph?
Add two spaces at the end of a line or use <br> if your Markdown application supports HTML.
4
When should I use HTML instead of Markdown?
Use Markdown whenever it provides the formatting you need. Reserve HTML for features that standard Markdown doesn't support, such as superscript, subscript, or certain layout elements.
5
Why are Markdown features different across applications?
Most applications support standard Markdown, but some add their own extensions or limitations. Always check the documentation for the platform you're using.
6
How can I display Markdown characters as plain text?
Escape the character with a backslash (\) or place it inside an inline code span or fenced code block.