Beginner Guide to Markdown

Markdown lets you format text without leaving your keyboard. This beginner guide covers every essential syntax you need.

What is Markdown?

Markdown converts plain text to HTML using simple characters like #, *, and -. It is the standard for README files and developer docs.

Headings

Use # for headings — one # for H1, two for H2, and so on.

Emphasis

• Bold with **double asterisks**
• Italic with *single asterisks*
• Strikethrough with ~~tildes~~

Lists

Unordered lists use - or *. Ordered lists use 1., 2., etc.

Links and Images

[Link text](https://example.com) creates a link.
![Alt text](image-url) embeds an image — always include descriptive alt text for accessibility and SEO.

Code

Inline code uses backticks: npm install. Fenced blocks use triple backticks with an optional language tag.

Tables

Tables use pipes and dashes — great for comparisons and reference data.

Practice Markdown Free

Open our online Markdown editor to write, preview, and export your first document to PDF or HTML.