Markdown Syntax Reference

Complete Markdown syntax cheat sheet with live preview.

Headings

# Heading 1

Heading 1

## Heading 2

Heading 2

### Heading 3

Heading 3

Emphasis

**bold**

bold

*italic*

italic

***bold italic***

bold italic

~~strikethrough~~

~~strikethrough~~

`inline code`

inline code

Lists

- item
- item
- item

item
item
item

1. first
2. second
3. third

first
second
third

- [x] done
- [ ] todo

✅ done
☐ todo

Links & Images

[text](url)

text

[text](url "title")

text with title

![alt](image.png)

[image: alt text]

<https://example.com>

https://example.com

Code

`inline code`

inline code

```js
code block
```

code block

Blockquotes & Lines

> blockquote

blockquote

---

Tables

| Col1 | Col2 |
|------|------|
| a    | b    |

Col1	Col2
a	b

Miscellaneous

\*escape\*

*literal asterisks*

<!-- comment -->

(comment hidden in output)

&amp; &lt; &gt;

& < >

About This Tool

The Markdown Reference provides a quick-access cheat sheet of all common Markdown syntax with live rendered previews. Each section shows the source syntax on the left and the rendered output on the right.

Markdown is a lightweight markup language for creating formatted text using plain text. It is widely used in README files, documentation, blog posts, wikis, and messaging platforms.

How to Use

Browse sections or use the search box to filter syntax by keyword.
Copy the syntax from the left column for use in your editor.
Compare the rendered preview in the right column to confirm the appearance.
Use the Markdown to HTML tool to convert full documents.

Use Cases

Developers refer to this while writing GitHub READMEs, wikis, and documentation. Writers format blog posts and technical articles. Students and academics use Markdown for notes and reports.

FAQ

Which Markdown flavors are shown? — Standard CommonMark syntax, supported by GitHub, GitLab, VS Code, and most modern platforms.
Are tables supported? — Yes. The Tables section shows how to create aligned columns using pipes and dashes.
What is the difference between * and _ for emphasis? — Both work the same way. *word* and _word_ both produce italic; **word** and __word__ both produce bold.