Markdown cheatsheet · Line breaks
Line breaks in markdown
The most googled markdown question, because the obvious thing doesn't work: pressing Enter once does nothing. A single newline is folded into the same paragraph.
New paragraph: a blank line
One empty line between two blocks of text makes two paragraphs, with vertical space between them. This is the break you want most of the time.
First paragraph. Second paragraph.
First paragraph.
Second paragraph.
Line break without a new paragraph
For a break inside a paragraph (an address, a poem, a sign-off), end the line with two spaces, or with a backslash. The backslash has the advantage of being visible.
12 rue du Marché\ 75011 Paris
12 rue du Marché
75011 Paris
<br>, which is also the only option inside table cells.Where single newlines do break
Some places deliberately treat a single Enter as a line break: GitHub issues and comments, Discord, Slack, and many note apps in their default mode. The same file can therefore wrap differently on GitHub than in a strict CommonMark renderer, which is worth knowing before you blame the editor.
Common questions
How do I add extra vertical space?
Several blank lines still collapse into one paragraph break; markdown ignores the extras. If you really need more air and HTML is allowed, insert <br> on its own lines.
Why did my two lines merge into one?
You pressed Enter once with no trailing spaces or backslash. Add the break marker, or a full blank line.