What is the basic Markdown syntax?

Core Markdown uses hash characters for headings, asterisks for emphasis, hyphens for lists, square brackets and parentheses for links, greater-than signs for quotes, and backticks for code.

Does all Markdown syntax work everywhere?

Core elements are widely portable. Tables, task lists, strikethrough, footnotes, math, and other extensions depend on the renderer.

How do I escape Markdown formatting?

Place a backslash before a punctuation character that would otherwise start Markdown formatting, for example backslash followed by an asterisk.

Markdown Cheat Sheet: Interactive Syntax Guide

This interactive Markdown cheat sheet covers the syntax used in everyday documents: headings, emphasis, links, images, lists, quotes, code, and tables. Core elements work in most Markdown apps; items marked as extensions depend on the renderer.

Headings

# Page title
## Section
### Subsection

Page titleSection

Bold and italic

**bold text**
*italic text*
***both***

bold text
italic text
both

Link

[descriptive label](https://example.com)

descriptive label

Image

![Alt text](images/photo.png)

🖼️ Image with alternative text

Bullet list

- First item
- Second item
  - Nested item

First item
Second item
- Nested item

Numbered list

1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step

First step
Second step
Third step

Blockquote

> A useful quotation.

A useful quotation.

Inline code

Run `npm test` before release.

Run npm test before release.

Code block

```javascript
console.log("Hello");
```

console.log("Hello");

Task list GFM

- [x] Finished
- [ ] Still open

☑ Finished
☐ Still open

Table GFM

| Mode | Use |
|---|---|
| Edit | Write |
| Preview | Read |

Mode	Use
Edit	Write
Preview	Read

Escape formatting

\*literal asterisks\*
\# not a heading

*literal asterisks*
# not a heading

No matching syntax. Try “link”, “code”, or “table”.

Try Markdown in the live playground

Edit the source on the left. The lightweight preview updates immediately and covers the core syntax in this cheat sheet.

Markdown

Preview

Three rules that prevent most mistakes

Put a space after block markers. Write ## Heading, not ##Heading.
Separate paragraphs and block elements with blank lines. This makes the source clearer and improves portability.
Test extensions in the destination renderer. Tables, checkboxes, footnotes, math, and wiki links are not supported everywhere.

Core Markdown vs extensions

Headings, emphasis, links, images, blockquotes, lists, inline code, fenced code, and horizontal rules are broadly portable. Tables and task lists are associated with GitHub Flavored Markdown. Footnotes, math, wiki links, and front matter are common product extensions. Read CommonMark vs GitHub Flavored Markdown when compatibility matters.

Frequently asked questions

What syntax should a beginner learn first?

Start with headings, paragraphs, bold text, lists, links, images, and inline code. That small set covers most everyday Markdown.

Why does the same Markdown look different in another app?

Apps may use different Markdown flavors and stylesheets. The structure can be equivalent even when fonts, spacing, and colors differ.

How do I show a literal asterisk or hash?

Place a backslash before punctuation that would otherwise start formatting, such as \* or \#.

Keep the reference beside your document

Practice Markdown in a real local editor

Hashdraft combines formatting shortcuts, syntax highlighting, live counts, and a rendered preview without moving your file to the cloud.

Download Hashdraft ↓Windows · free & open source