Beginner Guide

How to Use Markdown

Markdown is a simple way to format text using plain symbols. Learn the basics in minutes with this interactive playground — edit on the left, see the result on the right.

Interactive Playground

Edit the markdown on the left — the preview updates as you type

Markdown Editor
Preview

My First Markdown Document

Welcome! This is a live playground. Edit the text on the left and watch the preview update instantly on the right.

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a simple way to format text using plain symbols. For example, you can make text bold, italic, or create lists — all without any special software. It just takes a few extra characters.

Try editing this text right now!

Headings

Use # symbols at the start of a line to create headings. More # symbols means a smaller heading.

Heading 1 — the largest

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Bold and Italic

Wrap words in symbols to change their style:

  • **two asterisks** makes text bold
  • *one asterisk* makes text italic
  • ***three asterisks*** makes text bold and italic

Lists

Bullet list — start each line with - (a dash and a space):

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Oranges
    • Blood oranges (indent with 2 spaces for sub-items)
    • Navel oranges

Numbered list — start each line with a number and a period:

  1. Wake up
  2. Make coffee
  3. Write some Markdown

Links

Format: [the text people see](https://the-url.com)

Here are some examples:

Blockquotes

Start a line with > to create a highlighted quote or callout:

Tip: Blockquotes are great for important notes, warnings, or quotes from other people.

Code

For short code or technical terms, use a single backtick on each side: config.json

For a full block of code, put triple backticks on their own lines above and below:

npm install
npm run dev

Horizontal Rule

Type three dashes on their own line to add a horizontal divider:

Tables

Use pipes | and dashes - to create a table:

Feature Syntax Result
Bold **text** Bold
Italic *text* Italic
Link [label](url) Link

You have reached the end of the guide. Try editing the text above to practice!

Quick Reference

The most common Markdown syntax at a glance. Copy any example and paste it into the playground above.

Headings
# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

Put # at the start of a line. Use more # symbols for smaller headings (up to ######).

Bold
**This text is bold**

Wrap text in double asterisks on both sides.

Italic
*This text is italic*

Wrap text in single asterisks on both sides.

Bold + Italic
***Bold and italic together***

Wrap text in triple asterisks for both styles at once.

Bullet List
- First item
- Second item
  - Sub-item (2 spaces)

Start each line with a dash and a space. Indent 2 spaces for nested items.

Numbered List
1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step

Start each line with a number, a period, and a space.

Links
[Link text](https://example.com)

Put the visible text in square brackets, then the URL in parentheses immediately after.

Blockquote
> This is an important note.

Start a line with > and a space. Great for callouts and important information.

Inline Code
Use `backticks` for code

Wrap text in backtick characters (the key above Tab on your keyboard).

Code Block
```
npm install
npm run dev
```

Use three backticks on their own lines before and after to create a code block.

Horizontal Rule
---

Type three dashes on their own line to create a horizontal divider.

Table
| Name  | Age |
|-------|-----|
| Alice | 30  |
| Bob   | 25  |

Use pipes | to separate columns and dashes --- for the header separator row.

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