---
title: "Markdown Syntax Cheatsheet | FindUtils"
description: "Headings, formatting, links, images, code blocks, tables, and GitHub-flavored markdown"
url: https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/markdown-syntax/
---

# Markdown Syntax Cheatsheet

Headings, formatting, links, images, code blocks, tables, and GitHub-flavored markdown 41 commands in 9 sections, filed under [Student & Academic](https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/student/).

## Headings

- `# Heading 1`: Largest heading (H1)
- `## Heading 2`: Second level heading (H2)
- `### Heading 3`: Third level heading (H3)
- `#### Heading 4`: Fourth level heading (H4)

## Text Formatting

- `**bold**`: Bold text
- `*italic*`: Italic text
- `***bold italic***`: Bold and italic
- `~~strikethrough~~`: Strikethrough text
- `` `inline code` ``: Inline code
- `> blockquote`: Blockquote
- `---`: Horizontal rule

## Links & Images

- `[text](url)`: Inline link
- `[text](url "title")`: Link with hover title
- `![alt](image-url)`: Image
- `[ref]: url`: Reference-style link definition
- `<https://example.com>`: Auto-linked URL

## Lists

- `- item`: Unordered list item (also * or +)
- `1. item`: Ordered list item
- `   - nested`: Nested list (indent 3-4 spaces)
- `- [x] done`: Task list (checked)
- `- [ ] todo`: Task list (unchecked)

## Code Blocks

- ```` ```language\ncode\n``` ````: Fenced code block with syntax highlighting
- ```` ```js\nconsole.log()\n``` ````: JavaScript code block
- `    indented code`: Code block (indent 4 spaces)

## Tables

- `| H1 | H2 |`: Table header row
- `| --- | --- |`: Table separator (required)
- `| cell | cell |`: Table data row
- `| :--- | ---: | :---: |`: Left, right, center alignment

## GitHub Flavored Markdown

- `> [!NOTE]`: Note alert box
- `> [!WARNING]`: Warning alert box
- `> [!TIP]`: Tip alert box
- `#123`: Issue/PR reference
- `@username`: User mention
- `:emoji_name:`: Emoji shortcode

## Footnotes & Extras

- `text[^1]`: Footnote reference
- `[^1]: footnote text`: Footnote definition
- `==highlight==`: Highlighted text (some parsers)
- `H~2~O`: Subscript (some parsers)
- `X^2^`: Superscript (some parsers)

## Sources

- `https://spec.commonmark.org/`: CommonMark specification: core Markdown syntax.
- `https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/writing-on-github`: GitHub writing documentation: supported Markdown features and extensions.

## Related

- Cheatsheet: [Percentages and Ratios](https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/percentages-ratios/)
- Cheatsheet: [Everyday Unit Conversions](https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/everyday-unit-conversions/)
- Guide: [JSON to Markdown Table: Select Columns and Escape Cell Values](https://findutils.com/guides/how-to-convert-json-to-markdown-table-online/)
- Guide: [Markdown to HTML: Get Markup You Can Paste Into a CMS](https://findutils.com/guides/markdown-to-html/)
- Guide: [RTF to Markdown: Rescue a WordPad File Without Word](https://findutils.com/guides/rtf-to-markdown/)
- Tool: [Markdown Table Generator](https://findutils.com/text/markdown-table-generator/)
- Tool: [Markdown Table to Image](https://findutils.com/developers/markdown-table-to-image/)
- Tool: [Markdown to Word](https://findutils.com/convert/markdown-to-word/)