Markdown Cheatsheet: Complete Syntax Reference
Markdown is a lightweight markup language that converts plain text to formatted HTML. Created by John Gruber in 2004, it's now the standard writing format for GitHub README files, documentation, blogs (Jekyll, Hugo), note-taking apps (Obsidian, Notion), and countless other tools.
This cheatsheet covers standard Markdown plus the most widely-supported extensions.
Basic Syntax
Headings
# H1 — Page title (one per document)
## H2 — Major section
### H3 — Subsection
#### H4
##### H5
###### H6
Alternative syntax for H1 and H2:
H1 Title
========
H2 Title
--------
Emphasis
**Bold text**
__Also bold__
*Italic text*
_Also italic_
***Bold and italic***
~~Strikethrough~~ (GFM extension)
Bold text · Italic · ~~Strikethrough~~
Paragraphs and Line Breaks
Separate paragraphs with a blank line.
For a hard line break within a paragraph, end the line with two spaces or a backslash (extension):
Line one
Line two (after two trailing spaces)
Lists
Unordered list (use -, *, or +):
- Item one
- Item two
- Nested item
- Another nested item
- Item three
Ordered list:
1. First
2. Second
3. Third
Task list (GFM extension):
- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Pending task
- [ ] Another task
Links
[Link text](https://example.com)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Hover tooltip")
<!-- Reference-style (cleaner for long documents) -->
[BoxTool][boxtool-ref]
[boxtool-ref]: https://boxtool.app "Free online tools"
<!-- Auto-link -->
<https://example.com>
Images
<!-- Reference-style -->
![Logo][logo-ref]
[logo-ref]: /images/logo.png
Blockquotes
> Single-level blockquote
> Nested:
> > Second level
> > > Third level
> Multi-paragraph quote
>
> Second paragraph in the same quote
Code
Inline code: Wrap with single backticks:
Use `npm install` to install dependencies.
Fenced code block with syntax highlighting:
```python
def greet(name):
return f"Hello, {name}!"
```
Supported language identifiers include: python, javascript, typescript, bash, sql, html, css, json, yaml, go, rust, java, c, cpp, markdown, and many more.
Horizontal Rule
Three or more hyphens, asterisks, or underscores on a blank line:
---
***
___
Tables (GFM Extension)
| Column A | Column B | Column C |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Row 1 | Data | Data |
| Row 2 | Data | Data |
<!-- Column alignment -->
| Left | Center | Right |
|:-----|:------:|------:|
| A | B | C |
:---= left align (default):---:= center align---:= right align
Extended Syntax
Footnotes
Here is a claim[^1] that needs a source.
[^1]: The source is here. This appears at the bottom of the page.
Definition Lists
Term
: Definition of the term
Another term
: First definition
: Second definition
Collapsible Sections (HTML in Markdown)
<details>
<summary>Click to expand</summary>
Hidden content here. **Markdown** works inside.
</details>
Math (LaTeX / KaTeX)
Many renderers (Obsidian, GitHub Pages, JupyterBook) support LaTeX math:
Inline: $E = mc^2$
Block:
$$
\int_0^\infty e^{-x^2} dx = ?rac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2}
$$
Markdown Flavors
Standard Markdown has several extended "flavors":
| Flavor | Where used | Key additions |
|---|---|---|
| CommonMark | Reference standard | Strict parsing rules |
| GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown) | GitHub | Tables, task lists, strikethrough, autolinks |
| MultiMarkdown | Desktop apps | Tables, footnotes, math, citations |
| Pandoc Markdown | Academic/conversion | Full LaTeX support, YAML front matter |
| MDX | React/Next.js | JSX components inside Markdown |
Most tools support GFM as a baseline. When in doubt, CommonMark + GFM tables and task lists will work almost everywhere.
Escaping Special Characters
To display a literal Markdown character, prefix it with a backslash:
\*Not italic\*
\# Not a heading
\[Not a link\](https://example.com)
YAML Front Matter
Many static site generators (Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, Astro) read metadata from a YAML block at the top of a Markdown file:
---
title: "My Post"
date: 2026-05-28
tags: [web, development, markdown]
draft: false
---
# Content starts here
Convert Markdown to HTML instantly: Markdown to HTML →
Probar la herramienta
Abrir herramienta