What is Markdown?
Markdown is a simple way of creating rich web content through simple text encoding.
This page provides the basics to get you writing.
If you want more detailed information then visit one of the many other more extensive guides:
Table of Contents
- Headings
- Paragraphs & line breaks
- Bold & italic text
- Links
- Images
- Blockquotes
- Code
- Lists
- Horizontal rules
- Escaping special characters
Headings
Headings are determined by number of hash marks '#'.
So the following markdown code:# Level1 ## Level2 ### Level3 #### Level4 ##### Level5Appears as the following:
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Paragraphs & line breaks
Markdown requires a blank line to create a new paragraph. To create a new line or a line break, simply add two spaces to the end of a line after the text.
So the following markdown code:This is a line with two spaces at the end Another line A new paragraphAppears as the following:
This is a line
Another line
Bold & italic text
It is possible to emphasize text by making it bold and italic.
So the following markdown code:**This is bold** *This is italic* ***This is both***Appears as the following:
This is italic
This is both
Links
Links are an important part of online content. Making links in markdown is easy and elegant.
Note that the **square brackets []** contain the link text, and the **round brackets ()** contain the URL or relative path.
[this is the text that will become the link](https://www.markdownguide.org/getting-started/) Links can also be [relative](/), taking you to the landing pageAppears as the following:
Links can also be relative, taking you to the landing page
Images
Images are really just special links and therefore have similar syntax. Instead of linking to a website you link to an image file, but add an exclamation mark before []() combination. Therefore you must use ![]().
The base form for adding an image in markdown is 
where:
- A is the text that appears if the image is not loaded,
- B is the URL/path to the image, and
- C is the text that appears when the cursor is over the image.
 Appears as the following:
Blockquotes
Perhaps you would like to quote or highlight some text.
You simply need to add '>' before a line to quote it.
So the following markdown code:> "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing" -Walt DisneyAppears as the following:
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing" -Walt Disney
Code
If you wish to quote code there are a few different syntaxes you can use.
So the following markdown code:For `inline code` use single back ticks. For larger blocks of code you can: ``` indicate it with triple back ticks ``` or four leading spacesAppears as the following:
For inline code
use single back ticks.
For larger blocks of code you can:
indicate it with triple back ticks
or
four
leading
spaces
Lists
So the following markdown code:- Apple - Banana - Crown - four spaces creates a sub-list 1. Numbered lists 3. Require using any number 7. The numbers will automatically incrementAppears as the following:
- Apple
- Banana
- Crown
- four spaces creates a sub-list
- Numbered lists
- Require using any number
- The numbers will automatically increment
Horizontal rules
Creating a divider is simple. Just remember that spaces are necessary above and below the ---
divider.
Above --- BelowAppears as the following:
Below
Escaping special characters
As markdown uses some characters to communicate syntax, using them in another context requires 'escaping' them.
The following characters require a \
to escape them:
- \
- `
- *
- _
- {}
- []
- ()
- #
- +
- -
- .
- !