Complete GFM syntax reference with live rendered examples and copy buttons.
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Complete syntax reference for CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) — with live rendered examples and one-click copy. Convert instantly with our Markdown to HTML Converter or Markdown to PDF Converter. Also see our Regex Cheatsheet.
Markdown supports six heading levels using the # prefix (ATX style). Setext style uses underlines for H1 and H2.
# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4
##### Heading 5
###### Heading 6
Heading 1 =========
Alternative syntax — underline with = for H1, - for H2
Heading 2 ---------
Bold, italic, bold+italic, strikethrough (GFM), inline code, and keyboard-shortcut notation.
**bold text**
bold text
__bold text__
bold text
*italic text*
italic text
_italic text_
italic text
***bold and italic***
bold and italic
~~strikethrough~~
Requires GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)
strikethrough
`inline code`
inline code
Unordered lists use -, *, or + as bullets. Ordered lists use numbers. Nesting is done with 2-space indentation.
- Item 1 - Item 2 - Item 3
1. First item 2. Second item 3. Third item
- Parent item
- Child item
- Grandchild itemIndent nested items by 2 spaces
1. First - Bullet under ordered 2. Second
Inline links, reference-style links, auto-links, and image syntax. Images use the same syntax as links but with a ! prefix.
[link text](https://example.com)
[link text](https://example.com "Tooltip title")
Title shows on hover
[link text][ref] [ref]: https://example.com
Reference defined anywhere in the document
<https://example.com>
[](https://example.com)
Wrap image syntax in a link
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Inline code uses single backticks. Fenced code blocks use triple backticks and support optional language identifiers for syntax highlighting.
Use `const x = 1;` inline.
Use const x = 1; inline.
```javascript const greeting = "Hello, world!"; console.log(greeting); ```
Add language name after opening ``` for syntax highlighting
const greeting = "Hello, world!";
console.log(greeting);
``` plain text code block ```
plain text code block
const x = 1;
const y = 2;Indent by 4 spaces or 1 tab
const x = 1;
const y = 2;
Tables are a GitHub Flavored Markdown extension. Use pipe characters (|) for columns and hyphens (---) for the header divider. Colons control column alignment.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | |----------|----------|----------| | Cell A | Cell B | Cell C | | Cell D | Cell E | Cell F |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cell A | Cell B | Cell C |
| Cell D | Cell E | Cell F |
| Left | Center | Right | |:---------|:--------:|---------:| | aligned | centered | right |
:--- left-align, :---: center, ---: right-align
| Left | Center | Right |
|---|---|---|
| aligned | centered | right |
Blockquotes use the > prefix. They can be nested and can contain other Markdown elements including headings, lists, and code.
> This is a blockquote.
This is a blockquote.
> First line of the quote. > Second line continues here.
First line of the quote. Second line continues here.
> Outer quote > >> Nested inner quote
Outer quote
Nested inner quote
> ### Note > Important information here.
Note
Important information here.
Task lists render interactive checkboxes. Widely used in GitHub issues and pull requests. An x inside [ ] marks a task as complete.
- [x] Completed task - [x] Another done item - [ ] Incomplete task - [ ] Not started yet
[x] = checked, [ ] = unchecked
Horizontal rules create a thematic break between sections. Use three or more hyphens, asterisks, or underscores on their own line.
---
***
___
- - -
Spaces between characters also work
GitHub Flavored Markdown adds strikethrough, automatic URL linking, and other extensions on top of CommonMark.
~~deleted text~~
deleted text
Visit https://example.com for details.
GFM auto-links bare URLs without <> brackets
Visit https://example.com for details.
Use ==highlighted== text.
Supported by some parsers (Obsidian, Markdown-it)
Use ==highlighted== text.
Prefix any special Markdown character with a backslash (\) to display it literally instead of as formatting.
\*not italic\*
*not italic*
\# Not a heading
# Not a heading
\`not code\`
`not code`
\[not a link\]
[not a link]
\\ \` \* \_ \{ \} \[ \] \( \) \# \+ \- \. \!Backslash escapes any of these 16 characters
\ ` * _ { } [ ] ( ) # + - . !
Use pipe characters (|) to separate columns and hyphens (---) for the header divider. Add colons for alignment: |:---| for left, |:---:| for center, |---:| for right. Tables are a GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extension.
Use three backticks (```) on their own line before and after your code. Add a language name after the opening backticks (e.g. ```javascript) for syntax highlighting. For inline code, wrap text in single backticks.
CommonMark covers headings, emphasis, lists, links, code, blockquotes, and horizontal rules. GFM adds tables, strikethrough (~~text~~), task lists (- [x]), fenced code blocks with language IDs, and auto URL linking.
Wrap text in three asterisks or underscores: ***bold and italic*** or ___bold and italic___. For bold only use **, for italic only use *.
Prefix any special character with a backslash (\). For example, \* shows a literal asterisk, \# shows a literal hash, and \` shows a literal backtick. You can escape: \ ` * _ { } [ ] ( ) # + - . !
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