Markdown cheatsheet

Every markdown syntax, next to what it becomes.

The full markdown reference on one page: what you type on the left, what readers see on the right. Copy any snippet, or open the full guide for each element.

One to six # signs at the start of a line, followed by a space. More signs, smaller heading.

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

Asterisks around the text: two for bold, one for italic, three for both. Two tildes for strikethrough.

**bold text**

*italic text*

***bold and italic***

~~strikethrough~~

- for bullets, 1. for numbers. Indent by two or more spaces to nest.

- First item
- Second item
  - Nested item

1. Step one
2. Step two

A list item with [ ] for an open task, [x] for a done one.

- [x] Write the draft
- [ ] Review it
- [ ] Publish

The text in square brackets, the URL in parentheses. Bare URLs in angle brackets become clickable too.

[maxdown](https://maxdown.app)

<https://maxdown.app>

Like a link, with a ! in front. The bracket text becomes the alt text.

You type

![The maxdown logo](logo.svg)

You get

Backticks around inline code; three backticks (a fence) around a block, with an optional language for highlighting.

Run `npm install` first.

```js
const x = 42;
```

const x = 42;

A > at the start of the line. Stack them for nested quotes.

> Writing is thinking.
> Rewriting is understanding.

Pipes separate columns; a row of dashes separates the header. Colons control alignment.

| Feature | Status |
| ------- | :----: |
| Tables  |  done  |
| Charts  |  soon  |

A blank line starts a new paragraph. Two spaces at the end of a line (or a backslash) force a single line break.

First paragraph.

Second paragraph, where a backslash\
forces a line break.

Three or more dashes, asterisks, or underscores on their own line, with blank lines around them.

Above the line.

---

Below the line.

A backslash before a markdown character displays it literally instead of formatting.

\*not italic\*

\# not a heading

Beyond the basics

Syntax that goes past the core spec, and what to reach for when markdown doesn't have it.

• Footnotes
• Wikilinks
• Emoji
• Strikethrough
• Highlight
• Underline
• Superscript & subscript
• Comments
• Table of contents
• Image size
• Horizontal rules
• Escaping characters
• Anchor links
• Text color
• Center & align
• Callouts
• Mermaid diagrams

Guides

Around the syntax: what markdown is, and how to get files in and out of it.

• What is markdown?
• Markdown to PDF
• Markdown to HTML
• Templates
• README template
• Markdown resume

Opening a .md file

You have a markdown file and it opened as a wall of symbols. Nothing is broken; it just isn't being rendered.

• How to open a .md file
• What opens a .md file?
• On Windows
• On Mac
• Opening a README.md

Or skip the syntax entirely

This whole page exists because markdown is easy to write but easy to forget. maxdown renders every one of these elements in place as you type, so the syntax disappears the moment you move to the next line, and comes back only when your cursor lands on it. You still write plain .md files; you just stop looking them up.