Markdown Syntax Guide: Write Markdown Like a Pro

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It lets you write using plain text formatting conventions that convert to HTML. Markdown is the standard format for:

• GitHub and GitLab README files
• Documentation sites (MkDocs, Docusaurus, GitBook)
• Blog posts (WordPress, Ghost, Notion)
• Chat messages (Slack, Discord, Teams)
• Stack Overflow and Reddit answers

Headings

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4

Emphasis

**bold text**
*italic text*
~~strikethrough~~
**_bold and italic_**

Lists

- Unordered item 1
- Unordered item 2
  - Nested item

1. Ordered item 1
2. Ordered item 2
3. Ordered item 3

Links and Images

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

![Alt text](image.jpg)
![Alt text](image.jpg "Image title")

Code

Inline `code` uses backticks.

```javascript
// Fenced code block with language
const greeting = "Hello, World!";
console.log(greeting);
```

Blockquotes

> This is a blockquote.
> It can span multiple lines.
>
> And multiple paragraphs.

Tables

| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Row 1    | Data     | Data     |
| Row 2    | Data     | Data     |

Horizontal Rule

---

Task Lists (GitHub Flavored Markdown)

- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Pending task
- [ ] Another pending task

Markdown Flavors

The original Markdown spec left some features ambiguous. Several extensions exist:

• CommonMark — a strict, unambiguous Markdown specification
• GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) — adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, and autolinks
• MDX — Markdown with JSX support, used in Next.js documentation

Using the ToolsPal Markdown Editor

1. Type or paste Markdown on the left panel
2. See live rendered HTML preview on the right — updates as you type
3. Switch to HTML tab to see the generated HTML output
4. Copy HTML for use in emails, CMS, or web pages