Markdown cheatsheet

Every markdown element on one page — copy-paste syntax for headings, emphasis, lists, links, images, tables, code, and more.

The whole language on one page. New to markdown? Markdown basics explains all of this gently — this page is the quick reference for when you just need the syntax.

Everything here works in knowdust and in any editor that supports GitHub Flavored Markdown.

Text

You type	You get
`bold`	bold
`italic`	italic
`*bold italic*`	bold italic
`~~strikethrough~~`	~~strikethrough~~
`inline code`	`inline code`
`\not italic\`	not italic — a backslash cancels a symbol

Headings

You type	You get
`# Heading`	The biggest heading — one per note, as its title
`## Heading`	A section
`### Heading`	A subsection
`#### Heading` … `###### Heading`	Smaller still — rarely needed

The space after the #s is required.

Lists

Bulleted — indent two spaces to nest:

- Item
- Item
  - Nested item

Numbered:

1. First
2. Second
3. Third

Task list — the checkboxes are clickable in knowdust's preview:

- [x] Done
- [ ] Still to do

Links and images

You type	You get
`[text](https://example.com)`	text — a link
`[text](https://example.com "Title")`	The same, with a hover title
`https://example.com`	A bare address becomes a link by itself
`![description](https://example.com/photo.png)`	The image, shown in the preview

Images must already be hosted somewhere on the web — the parentheses hold the image's address.

Quotes

> A quote.
> Still the same quote.
>> A quote inside the quote.

Code blocks

Three backticks on their own lines fence off a block that's kept exactly as typed. Name a language after the opening fence if you like:

```python
print("hello")
```

Tildes work too (~~~ … ~~~). knowdust's preview keeps code blocks monochrome.

Tables

| Column | Column |
| ------ | ------ |
| Cell   | Cell   |

Add colons to the dashes row to align columns:

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

Structure

You type	You get
`---` alone on a line	A horizontal divider (keep an empty line above it)
An empty line between blocks of text	A new paragraph
A line ending in `\` (or two spaces)	A line break inside the same paragraph

That's the whole language. Print it, or just press ? in the workspace — the essentials live in the help sheet there.

Something on this page wrong or unclear? Tell us — it'll be fixed.