To display a Markdown special character as plain text, place a backslash (\) immediately before it.

For example:

Backslash escaping is supported by CommonMark, GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), and most modern Markdown editors. For longer examples, use a fenced code block instead of escaping every character.

Markdown escaping characters let you display Markdown syntax as plain text instead of having it interpreted as formatting.

Normally, Markdown treats certain characters as formatting instructions.

For example:

• # creates a heading.
• * and _ create italic or bold text.
• [ ] and ( ) create links.
• > creates a blockquote.
• ` creates inline code.
• - and + can create list items.

If you want these characters to appear exactly as written, prefix them with a backslash (\).

For example, instead of writing:

# This becomes a heading

write:

\# This is plain text

Output

The backslash tells the Markdown parser to display the character literally instead of interpreting it as Markdown syntax.

Related: Learn the fundamentals in Markdown Basics, or explore every formatting rule in Markdown Syntax.

Markdown uses special characters to create formatting. When you place a backslash (\) before one of these characters, the parser usually ignores its formatting behavior and displays the character itself.

The basic syntax is:

\special-character

Examples:

This technique is especially useful when writing:

• Markdown tutorials
• GitHub README files
• Technical documentation
• Blog posts about Markdown
• Learning resources

Use this quick reference whenever you need to display Markdown syntax as plain text.

Most modern Markdown parsers support these escape sequences, although behavior for extended Markdown features may vary slightly between implementations.

Related: See the Markdown Cheat Sheet for a complete Markdown syntax reference.

The following examples show the most common situations where escaping characters is useful. These are the characters you'll use most often when writing Markdown tutorials, documentation, and GitHub README files.

Escape Headings#

Without escaping:

# Welcome

Output

With escaping:

\# Welcome

Output

Use this when teaching Markdown heading syntax or displaying literal # characters.

Related: Learn more in Markdown Headings.

Escape Bold and Italic#

Without escaping:

**Bold Text**

*Italic Text*

With escaping:

\*\*Bold Text\*\*

\*Italic Text\*

Output

Escaping lets readers see the Markdown syntax instead of formatted text.

Related: Learn more in Markdown Syntax.

Escape Links#

Without escaping:

[MDConvertHub](https://example.com)

Markdown renders this as a hyperlink.

With escaping:

\[MDConvertHub\]\(https://example.com\)

Output

This is one of the most common techniques when writing Markdown tutorials.

Related: Learn more in Markdown Links.

Escape Images#

Markdown images use the same syntax as links with a leading exclamation mark.

\!\[Logo\]\(logo.png\)

Output

This is useful when explaining image syntax without rendering the image.

Related: Learn more in Markdown Images.

Escape Blockquotes#

Without escaping:

> Important note

With escaping:

\> Important note

Output

Use this when explaining blockquote syntax.

Related: Learn more in Markdown Blockquotes.

Escape Lists#

Markdown automatically creates unordered and ordered lists.

\- Apple

\+ Banana

\* Orange

1\. First Item

Output

Escaping prevents Markdown from interpreting these characters as list syntax.

Related: Learn more in Markdown Lists.

Escape Tables#

The pipe character (|) separates table columns in Markdown.

\|

Output

Some Markdown parsers handle pipe characters inside tables differently, so always preview your document before publishing.

Related: Learn more in Markdown Tables.

Escape HTML#

Many Markdown parsers allow inline HTML.

\<div\>Hello\</div\>

Output

Some Markdown parsers prefer HTML entities such as < and > instead of escaped angle brackets. Preview your document to verify the rendered output.

Related: Learn more in Markdown HTML.

Backslash escaping is part of the CommonMark specification and is supported by most modern Markdown implementations.

Although support is widely consistent, some extended Markdown features—such as tables or embedded HTML—may behave slightly differently between Markdown parsers.

Always preview your document before publishing.

Related: Learn more about GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM).

• Escape only the characters that Markdown would otherwise interpret.
• Use fenced code blocks for multi-line examples.
• Keep examples realistic and easy to copy.
• Preview your document before publishing.
• Explain why a character is escaped, not just how.

Escaping Characters That Don't Need Escaping#

Incorrect:

H\ello W\orld

Correct:

Hello World

Only escape characters with special meaning in Markdown.

Using Escaping Instead of Code Blocks#

If you're showing several lines of Markdown, don't escape every character.

Instead of:

\# Heading

\## Subheading

\*\*Bold Text\*\*

Use:

```markdown
# Heading

## Subheading

**Bold Text**
```

This is cleaner and much easier for readers to copy.

Assuming Every Markdown Parser Behaves the Same#

Most Markdown parsers follow CommonMark, but platform-specific extensions can affect rendering.

Always preview your document in the application where it will be published.

Example 1: Markdown Tutorial#

When teaching headings, you want readers to see the syntax instead of creating actual headings.

To create a level-one heading, type:

\# My Heading

This makes the tutorial much easier to follow.

Example 2: Developer Documentation#

Suppose you're documenting Markdown formatting.

To create bold text, type:

\**Important\**

Readers can copy the syntax exactly as shown.

Example 3: GitHub README Guide#

README files often include Markdown examples.

### Creating a Link

Use:

\[GitHub\]\(https://github.com\)

The syntax is displayed instead of becoming a clickable link.

Example 4: Blog Tutorial#

Technical blog posts frequently explain Markdown features.

Use the following syntax for italic text:

\*Italic Text\*

Escaping ensures readers see the actual Markdown syntax.

Example 5: Learning Resources#

Educational websites commonly show Markdown examples using escaping or fenced code blocks.

\# Heading

\## Subheading

\*Italic Text\*

\**Bold Text**

This helps beginners understand exactly what they need to type.

The fastest way to understand Markdown escaping is to try it yourself.

Open the Markdown Editor and experiment with different Markdown characters while comparing the source with the rendered output.

Try these exercises:

• Display a heading using \# Heading.
• Show bold and italic syntax without applying formatting.
• Display a Markdown link instead of creating a hyperlink.
• Compare escaping a few characters with using a fenced code block.
• Preview your document in different Markdown editors to verify compatibility.

Related: Practice in the Markdown Editor or keep the Markdown Cheat Sheet open for quick syntax lookup while writing.

Markdown escaping allows you to display special Markdown characters as plain text by prefixing them with a backslash (\).

In this guide, you learned:

• What Markdown escaping characters are.
• How backslash escaping works.
• Which Markdown characters can be escaped.
• When to use escaping instead of fenced code blocks.
• CommonMark and GitHub compatibility.
• Best practices for writing Markdown documentation.
• Common mistakes to avoid.
• Practical examples for tutorials, README files, and technical documentation.

Although escaping is a simple feature, it's essential when creating Markdown tutorials, documentation, developer guides, and educational content. Knowing when to escape a character—and when to use a fenced code block instead—will make your Markdown easier to read and maintain.