Complete Markdown Syntax Guide: From Beginner to Pro

Markdown is a lightweight markup language with plain-text-formatting syntax. It is designed so that it can be converted to HTML and many other formats using a tool by the same name. This guide is intended to be a comprehensive reference for Markdown syntax.

Before we dive in, if you’re looking for a great editor, try our Online Markdown Editor.

1. Basic Syntax

1.1 Headings

Use the # symbol to create headings. The number of # signs corresponds to the heading level.

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

1.2 Emphasis

• Bold: Use **text** or __text__
• Italic: Use *text* or _text_
• Bold & Italic: Use ***text*** or ___text___
• Strikethrough: Use ~~text~~

1.3 Lists

Unordered Lists

Use *, +, or -.

- Item 1
- Item 2
  - Sub-item A
  - Sub-item B

Ordered Lists

Use numbers followed by a period.

1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item

1.4 Links and Images

• Links: [Link Text](URL "Optional Title")
  • Example: [968T Toolbox](https://968t.com)
• Images: ![Alt Text](Image URL "Optional Title")
  • Example: ![Favicon](https://968t.com/favicon.ico)

1.5 Blockquotes

Use the > symbol.

> This is a blockquote.
> 
> > This is a nested blockquote.

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2. Advanced Syntax

2.1 Code

• Inline Code: Use backticks `code`.
• Code Blocks: Use triple backticks ``` and specify the language.

function helloWorld() {
  console.log("Hello, Markdown!");
}

2.2 Tables

Use pipes | to separate columns and hyphens - to create headers. Use colons : for alignment.

| Name | Age | Occupation |
| :--- | :--: | ---: |
| John | 25 | Engineer |
| Jane | 30 | Designer |

• :--- Left align
• :--: Center align
• ---: Right align

2.3 Task Lists

- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Incomplete task

2.4 Horizontal Rules

Use three or more *, -, or _.

---
***
___

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3. Extended Syntax (Common Extensions)

3.1 Mathematical Formulas (LaTeX)

Many editors (including our Markdown Editor) support KaTeX to render mathematical formulas.

• Inline: $E=mc^2$
• Block:

  $$
  \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}
  $$

3.2 Footnotes

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

[^1]: This is the footnote content.

3.3 Table of Contents (TOC)

Most parsers support [TOC] to automatically generate a table of contents.

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4. Best Practices

1. Blank Lines: Always leave a blank line before and after headers, lists, and code blocks for better compatibility.
2. Escaping: If you want to use a character that has special meaning in Markdown, use a backslash \ before it. E.g., \# This is not a heading.
3. Consistency: Be consistent with your chosen symbols (e.g., use either - or * for all lists).

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We hope this guide helps you master Markdown! Feel free to bookmark this page for quick reference.

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