Markdown is a lightweight markup language that you can use to add formatting elements to plaintext text documents. Created by John Gruber in 2004, it's now the standard for writing content on GitHub, Reddit, Stack Overflow, documentation sites, and many other platforms.

Where is Markdown used?

Markdown is used on GitHub (README files, issues, pull requests), documentation platforms (Docusaurus, MkDocs, Notion), note-taking apps (Obsidian, Bear), static site generators (Hugo, Jekyll), forums (Reddit, Stack Overflow), and messaging platforms (Discord, Slack).

How do I add a table in Markdown?

Create tables using pipes and hyphens. The header row separates columns with pipes, and a second row of hyphens defines the column alignment. For example: | Header 1 | Header 2 | followed by | --- | --- | defines a two-column table.

Can I use HTML inside Markdown?

Yes. Most Markdown processors allow inline HTML for elements that Markdown doesn't support natively. You can use tags like , , , and directly in your Markdown files. However, support varies by platform.

Markdown Cheat Sheet: Complete Guide for Beginners

Developer Tools 2026-04-09 By Risetop Team 13 min read

Markdown is everywhere. GitHub READMEs, documentation sites, Reddit posts, Notion pages, Jupyter notebooks, Slack messages — if you're a developer, you write Markdown every day whether you realize it or not. It's the simplest way to add formatting to plain text, and once you learn the syntax, you'll never want to use a rich text editor again.

This cheat sheet covers every Markdown syntax element you'll need, organized by category. Bookmark this page and come back whenever you need a quick reference.

What Is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. The idea is simple: use readable, plain-text formatting syntax that converts easily to HTML (and other formats). You write **bold**, and it becomes bold. You write # Heading, and it becomes an

There's no standard Markdown specification — the original syntax has been extended by various implementations. The most common variant is GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), which adds support for tables, task lists, strikethrough, and more. This guide primarily covers GFM since it's what most developers use daily.

Headings

Create headings using hash symbols. The number of hashes indicates the heading level (1–6):

Markdown

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4
##### Heading 5
###### Heading 6

For H1 and H2, you can also use underline style:

Markdown

Heading 1
=========

Heading 2
---------

Text Formatting

Markdown

**bold text**
*italic text*
***bold and italic***
~~strikethrough~~
`inline code`
subscript
superscript

Renders as

bold text
italic text
bold and italic
~~strikethrough~~
inline code

Paragraphs and Line Breaks

Create a paragraph by leaving a blank line between text. For a line break within a paragraph, end the line with two or more spaces (or a backslash):

Markdown

First line.  
Second line (line break above).

New paragraph (blank line above).

Lists

Unordered Lists

Markdown

- Item 1
- Item 2
  - Nested item
  - Another nested item
- Item 3

* You can also use *
+ Or plus signs

Renders as

Item 1
Item 2
- Nested item
- Another nested item
Item 3

Ordered Lists

Markdown

First item
Second item
Third item
Nested ordered item
Another nested item

Task Lists (GitHub Flavored)

Markdown

- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Incomplete task
- [ ] Another task

Links

Markdown

[Link text](https://example.com)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Hover text")

<https://example.com>  (auto-linked URL)

[Reference link][ref]

[ref]: https://example.com "Reference link"

Images

Markdown

![Alt text](image-url.png)
![Alt text](image-url.png "Title text")

![Alt text](image-url.png){width=600px}  (some processors)

Tip: To link an image, wrap it in a link: [![Alt](image.png)](link-url)

Code Blocks

Use triple backticks with an optional language identifier for syntax highlighting:

Markdown

```javascript
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}
console.log(greet("World"));
```

Common language identifiers: javascript, python, html, css, json, bash, sql, typescript, java, cpp, go, rust, yaml, markdown, diff.

Blockquotes

Markdown

> This is a blockquote.
>
> > Nested blockquote.
>
> **Blockquotes can contain formatting.**

Horizontal Rule

Markdown

---
***
___

All three produce the same horizontal line.

Tables

Markdown

| Syntax      | Description |
| ----------- | ----------- |
| Header      | Title       |
| Paragraph   | Text        |

| Left-aligned | Center-aligned | Right-aligned |
| :----------- | :------------: | ------------: |
| Left         | Center         | Right         |

Renders as

Syntax	Description
Header	Title
Paragraph	Text

Escaping Characters

If you need to display a Markdown character literally, prefix it with a backslash:

\*not italic\*
\# not a heading
\[not a link\]

Characters that can be escaped: \ ` `` ` ` ` * _ { } [ ] ( ) # + - . ! |

Advanced Markdown Features

Footnotes

Here's a statement with a footnote[^1].

[^1]: This is the footnote content.

Definition Lists

Term 1
: Definition of term 1

Term 2
: Definition of term 2

collapsible Sections (HTML)

<details>
<summary>Click to expand</summary>

Hidden content here.
</details>

Admonitions / Callouts (varies by platform)

> [!NOTE]
> This is a note callout (GitHub-style).

> [!WARNING]
> This is a warning callout.

> [!TIP]
> This is a tip callout.

Math Expressions (varies by platform)

Inline: $E = mc^2$

Block:
$$
\frac{n!}{k!(n-k)!} = \binom{n}{k}
$$

Markdown in Practice

GitHub README Template

# Project Name

Brief description of what this project does.

## Features

- Feature one
- Feature two
- Feature three

## Installation

\`\`\`bash
npm install project-name
\`\`\`

## Usage

\`\`\`javascript
import { something } from 'project-name';
something.doThing();
\`\`\`

## Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing`)
3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing`)
5. Open a Pull Request

## License

MIT © 2026

💡 Tip: Use an online Markdown preview tool to test your Markdown before committing. It's faster than pushing to GitHub just to see how your README looks.

Common Mistakes

Nesting without indentation. Nested list items must be indented by at least 2 spaces (or aligned with the parent's text).
Not escaping HTML entities. If your content contains < or &, they may be interpreted as HTML. Use < and & when needed.
Inconsistent list markers. Stick with one type (hyphens, asterisks, or plus signs) per list for consistency.
Forgetting blank lines before headings. Some processors require a blank line before headings for them to render correctly.
Using spaces instead of tabs in code blocks. Use consistent indentation (4 spaces or 1 tab) in fenced code blocks.

Markdown Variants

Different platforms extend Markdown in different ways:

GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM): Tables, task lists, strikethrough, auto-linked URLs. Used on GitHub, GitLab, and many documentation sites.
CommonMark: A formal specification that standardizes basic Markdown syntax.
MultiMarkdown: Adds footnotes, tables, metadata, and cross-references.
MDX: Markdown + JSX, used in React-based documentation sites. Lets you embed interactive components.
Obsidian Flavored Markdown: Adds wiki-links, tags, callouts, and embeds for note-taking.

Preview your Markdown instantly with live rendering and syntax highlighting.

Try Markdown Preview →

Conclusion

Markdown is one of the most practical skills a developer can learn. It takes about 15 minutes to learn the basics and a lifetime to master — but honestly, the basics cover 95% of what you'll ever need. The syntax is simple, readable even in raw form, and supported virtually everywhere.

Whether you're writing READMEs, documentation, blog posts, or just taking notes, Markdown lets you focus on your content instead of wrestling with formatting. Bookmark this cheat sheet, and you'll have everything you need right at your fingertips.