Markdown formatting guide

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that you can use to add formatting elements to plaintext text documents. Created by John Gruber in 2004, Markdown is now one of the world's most popular markup languages, used by millions of developers, writers, and content creators.

Quick Reference

Detailed Examples

Headings

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

Emphasis

**This is bold text**
*This is italic text*
***This is bold and italic***
~~This was a mistake~~

Lists

Unordered:
- First item
- Second item
  - Nested item
  - Another nested item
- Third item

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

Links and Images

[Utilvia](https://utilvia.online)
![Company Logo](logo.png)

Code

Inline `code` within text.

```javascript
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}
```

Tables

| Feature | Basic | Pro | Enterprise |
|---------|-------|-----|------------|
| Users | 5 | 25 | Unlimited |
| Storage | 10GB | 100GB | 1TB |
| Support | Email | Priority | 24/7 Phone |

Best Practices

• Be consistent: Choose one style and stick with it throughout your document
• Use blank lines: Separate blocks with blank lines for better readability
• Escape special characters: Use backslash (\) to escape *asterisks*, `backticks`, and other special characters
• Preview often: Use a Markdown previewer to catch formatting errors early

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing spaces and tabs for indentation (use spaces)
• Forgetting blank lines before lists
• Not closing formatting markers (e.g., **bold without closing **)
• Inconsistent table column counts

Related Tools

• Markdown to Rich Text - Convert Markdown to formatted documents
• Markdown to Word - Paste into Microsoft Word
• Markdown to Google Docs - Paste into Google Docs

FAQ

Q: Is Markdown the same everywhere?
A: Basic Markdown is standardized, but many platforms add extensions (GitHub Flavored Markdown, CommonMark, etc.). Stick to basic syntax for maximum compatibility.

Q: Can I use HTML in Markdown?
A: Most Markdown parsers allow inline HTML for advanced formatting that Markdown doesn't support natively.

Q: What's the difference between Markdown and HTML?
A: Markdown is simpler and more readable in its raw form. HTML is more powerful but verbose. Markdown converts to HTML.