Markdown Syntax Cheat Sheet

A quick reference for core Markdown syntax including headings, emphasis, lists, links, images, tables, and code blocks.

1 PageBeginnerFeb 10, 2026

Headings & Emphasis

Basic text formatting syntax.

markdown

# H1 heading## H2 heading### H3 heading*italic* or _italic_**bold** or __bold__***bold italic***~~strikethrough~~> Blockquote text---(horizontal rule)

Lists

Ordered, unordered, and nested lists.

markdown

- Item one- Item two  - Nested item1. First step2. Second step   1. Sub-step- [ ] Unchecked task- [x] Checked task

Links & Images

Inserting hyperlinks and images.

markdown

[Link text](https://example.com "optional title")![Alt text](image.png "optional title")[Reference link][1][1]: https://example.com "Reference title"

Code & Tables

Inline code, fenced blocks, and table syntax.

markdown

Inline `code` with backticks```pythondef hello():    print("Hi")```| Name  | Age | City     ||-------|:---:|---------:|| Alice | 30  | New York || Bob   | 25  | Boston   |

GitHub Flavored Markdown Extras

Common extensions supported on GitHub and most renderers.

Autolinks- Bare URLs like https://example.com become clickable automatically
Task lists- `- [ ]` and `- [x]` render as interactive checkboxes
Tables- Pipe-delimited tables with optional `:---:` alignment markers
Fenced code with language- ```` ```js ```` enables syntax highlighting for that language
Footnotes- `Text[^1]` with `[^1]: Footnote text` at the bottom (GFM/many renderers)
Escaping characters- Prefix with `\` (e.g. `\*not italic\*`) to show literal Markdown symbols

Pro Tip

When a line needs a hard line break without starting a new paragraph, end it with two trailing spaces (or use a backslash `\` in most flavors) rather than an empty blank line.

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