Reference
Markdown Cheat Sheet — Complete Syntax Reference
Every Markdown and GitHub Flavored Markdown element, with the exact syntax and its rendered output side by side.
- 14 Categories
- Rendered Examples
- Copy Any Snippet
- Printable
Headings
Markdown
# Heading 1 ## Heading 2 ### Heading 3 #### Heading 4 ##### Heading 5 ###### Heading 6
Rendered
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6
Emphasis
Markdown
**bold text** *italic text* ***bold and italic*** ~~strikethrough~~
Rendered
bold text
italic text
bold and italic
Paragraphs & Line Breaks
Markdown
This is paragraph one. This is paragraph two, separated by a blank line. Line with two trailing spaces forces a line break, no blank line needed.
Rendered
This is paragraph one.
This is paragraph two, separated by a blank line.
Line with two trailing spaces
forces a line break, no blank line needed.
forces a line break, no blank line needed.
Lists
Unordered
- Item one - Item two - Nested item - Item three
Rendered
- Item one
- Item two
- Nested item
- Item three
Ordered
1. First step 2. Second step 3. Third step
Rendered
- First step
- Second step
- Third step
Task List (GFM)
- [x] Completed task - [ ] Incomplete task
Rendered
Completed task
Incomplete task
Links
Inline Link
[WebEasier](https://webeasier.com) [with a title](https://webeasier.com "Free tools")
Rendered
Reference-Style Link
[WebEasier][1] [1]: https://webeasier.com
Rendered
WebEasier
Useful when the same link repeats throughout a long document.
Autolink
<https://webeasier.com>
Rendered
Images
Markdown
  [](https://webeasier.com)
Rendered
🖼️ Renders as an <img> tag; wrapping in [ ]( ) makes the image clickable, linking to a URL.
Code
Inline Code
Use the `map()` function.
Rendered
Use the
map() function.Fenced Code Block
```javascript
console.log('hi');
```Rendered
console.log('hi');Tables (GFM)
Markdown
| Left | Center | Right | | :--- | :---: | ---: | | a | b | c |
Rendered
| Left | Center | Right |
|---|---|---|
| a | b | c |
Need a table without hand-counting pipes? Use the Markdown Table Generator.
Blockquotes
Markdown
> A quoted line. > > > A nested quote.
Rendered
A quoted line.A nested quote.
Horizontal Rules
Markdown
--- *** ___
Rendered
Escaping Special Characters
Markdown
\* literal asterisk \# literal hash \[ \] literal brackets \` literal backtick
Rendered
* literal asterisk
# literal hash
[ ] literal brackets
` literal backtick
# literal hash
[ ] literal brackets
` literal backtick
Footnotes (GFM Extension)
Markdown
Here is a claim[^1]. [^1]: This is the footnote text.
Rendered
Here is a claim1.
1. This is the footnote text.
Strikethrough (GFM)
Markdown
~~This was mistaken text~~
Rendered
HTML in Markdown
Markdown
<details> <summary>Click to expand</summary> Hidden content here. </details>
Rendered
Click to expand
Hidden content here.Most Markdown parsers (including GitHub's) pass raw HTML through untouched — handy for elements Markdown has no native syntax for.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The basics are: # for headings, ** for bold, * for italic, - or * for bullet lists, 1. for numbered lists, [text](url) for links, and  for images. These cover the vast majority of everyday Markdown writing.
GFM extends standard Markdown with tables, task lists (checkboxes), strikethrough text, fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting, and automatic URL linking. It's the dialect used by GitHub, GitLab, and most modern documentation tools.
End a line with two or more trailing spaces, or use a backslash (\) at the end of the line, then press Enter. A single Enter with no trailing spaces is usually treated as part of the same paragraph and merged into one line.
Yes. Most Markdown parsers, including GitHub's, pass raw HTML tags through untouched. This is useful for features Markdown doesn't support natively, like <br>, <details>/<summary> collapsible sections, or centering content with <div align="center">.
Put a backslash before the character, e.g. \* displays a literal asterisk instead of starting emphasis, and \# displays a literal hash instead of a heading.