This markdown cheatsheet is a complete quick reference for markdown syntax with side-by-side examples — raw source on the left, rendered preview on the right. Use it to look up headings, bold, italic, links, images, code blocks, tables, lists, blockquotes, task lists, footnotes, and more. Every entry has a copy button so you can grab any syntax in one click.
How to Use This Markdown Cheatsheet
Markdown is a lightweight plain-text formatting language designed to be readable as-is and convertable to rich HTML. It was created by John Gruber in 2004 and has become the standard format for README files, documentation, wikis, and developer communication tools like GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Obsidian, and Slack. This cheatsheet gives you every syntax element at a glance with instant rendered previews.
Browsing the Cheatsheet
Use the filter tabs at the top to narrow down the syntax by category: Text Formatting, Headings & Structure, Links & Images, Code, Lists, Tables, or Extended Syntax. Click "All" to see every element at once. Each entry shows the raw markdown source on the left and the rendered HTML preview on the right so you can immediately see what a syntax element produces.
Copying Syntax
Every entry has a Copy button in the top-right corner. Clicking it copies the raw markdown source to your clipboard instantly. The button briefly shows "Copied!" to confirm. Paste the syntax directly into your README, documentation, or any markdown editor. This is the fastest way to grab a table skeleton, a code block template, or any syntax you need without typing it from scratch.
Standard vs. Extended Syntax
The "Extended Syntax" section covers elements that go beyond the original markdown specification. These include tables, task lists, strikethrough, footnotes, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting. Extended syntax is supported by GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM), Pandoc, and most modern markdown renderers, but may not render in older or minimal implementations. If in doubt, check whether your target platform supports GFM.
Tips for Writing Clean Markdown
Leave a blank line between paragraphs, headings, and block-level elements — this prevents ambiguous rendering. For nested lists, indent with two or four spaces consistently. When writing code blocks, always specify the language after the triple backtick (e.g., ```javascript) so syntax highlighting kicks in on GitHub and documentation sites. Use reference-style links ([text][id]) when the same URL appears multiple times in a document to keep the source readable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One of the most common markdown mistakes is forgetting to add a space after the hash in headings — ##Heading will not render as an H2 in most parsers, but ## Heading will. Another frequent issue is nesting emphasis incorrectly; **bold _italic_ text** works, but mixing asterisks and underscores haphazardly can produce unexpected results in some renderers. When in doubt, preview your markdown before publishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this markdown cheatsheet free?
Yes, completely free with no signup, no account, and no usage limits. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored.
Is my data private when using this tool?
Yes. This is a static reference page — there is no data entry. All content is rendered locally in your browser with no server communication.
What is markdown and where is it used?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created in 2004 by John Gruber. It is widely used in GitHub README files, documentation sites, wikis, blog posts, and developer tools like Notion, Obsidian, and Slack.
Does markdown work on GitHub?
Yes. GitHub uses GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM), which extends standard markdown with task lists, tables, strikethrough, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting. All syntax shown in this cheatsheet is GFM-compatible.
What is the difference between inline code and a fenced code block?
Inline code uses single backticks and renders within a sentence, for example `variable`. A fenced code block uses triple backticks on separate lines and supports syntax highlighting by specifying a language name like ```javascript.
How do I add a table in markdown?
Use pipes (|) to separate columns and hyphens (-) to create the header separator row. The alignment row controls column alignment: :--- for left, :---: for center, ---: for right. Our Markdown Table Generator can build tables visually.
Can I use HTML inside markdown?
Most markdown renderers allow raw HTML tags inside markdown documents. Block-level HTML elements like <div> and <table> work, but inline HTML like <span> and <strong> also render in most contexts.
What are footnotes in markdown?
Footnotes let you add references that appear at the bottom of the page. Use [^1] in the text and [^1]: Note text at the bottom. GitHub-Flavored Markdown and Pandoc support footnotes; basic CommonMark does not.