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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchMarkdown turns plain text into structured documents with a small set of punctuation conventions. For headings, emphasis, lists, quotes, links, images, and code, the examples below use CommonMark—the clearest shared baseline. Tables, task lists, and strikethrough are extensions, so check which Markdown dialect your destination supports before relying on them.
What is Markdown?
Markdown is plain text written with punctuation that signals structure or formatting. Its design aims to keep the source readable even before a renderer turns it into formatted output. The syntax originated with John Gruber, with help from Aaron Swartz, and is now implemented in multiple dialects.
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This guide uses CommonMark as its baseline. The CommonMark quick reference shows the core forms, while the CommonMark specification defines how they are parsed. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) is one example of a platform dialect, not a guarantee that every editor supports the same additions.
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ATX headings
Put one to six hash marks before the heading text. The number of marks sets the heading level:
#1 Best Overall
# Main heading
## Section heading
### Subsection headingA single blank line separates paragraphs. A line break in your source is not necessarily rendered as a visible line break, so use a new paragraph when you mean a new paragraph.
Setext headings
CommonMark also supports an underline on the line below the text. One or more equals signs make a level-one heading; hyphens make a level-two heading:
First-level heading
===================
Second-level heading
--------------------How do I make text italic or bold?
Wrap text in one asterisk or underscore for emphasis, and two for strong emphasis:
*italic* or _italic_
**bold** or __bold__Use the form that stays clearest beside surrounding punctuation. If a phrase contains markup-like punctuation or nested emphasis, preview it in the renderer where the document will appear.
How do I make a list?
Unordered lists
Start each item with a hyphen, asterisk, or plus sign. Keep the marker and spacing consistent for readability:
- First item
- Second item
- Third itemOrdered lists
Use a number followed by a period or a closing parenthesis. A period-form list looks like this:
1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third stepList parsing has rules that can differ from older Markdown implementations. Indentation affects whether material belongs to a list item or starts a new block, and changing ordered-list delimiters starts a separate list in CommonMark. For nested lists or list items containing paragraphs and code, check the target renderer’s preview.
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Block quotes
Begin a quoted line with a greater-than sign. A block quote can contain multiple paragraphs and other block elements:
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> This is a quoted paragraph.
>
> This is another paragraph in the same quote.Thematic breaks
Put three or more hyphens or asterisks on a line by themselves to create a thematic break:
---
***How do I write a link or image?
Links
Use square brackets for the visible label and parentheses for the destination:
[CommonMark](https://commonmark.org/)CommonMark also supports reference-style links, which can keep long destinations separate from the sentence where a link appears. The quick reference demonstrates that form.
Images
Put an exclamation mark before the link syntax. The bracketed text is alternative text describing the image when it cannot be seen or loaded:
Use meaningful alternative text rather than repeating a filename; it gives readers context when the image is unavailable and helps assistive technology convey its purpose.
How do I format code?
Inline code
Wrap a short code fragment in backticks to display it as code rather than ordinary text:
Run `npm install` before starting the app.Multiline code blocks
Surround a block with a matching fence of at least three backticks or tildes. Fences are convenient because the code can retain its indentation:
```text
First line
Second line
```CommonMark also treats a block indented by four spaces as code. Use fenced blocks when they make the boundary of an example easier to see.
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Does Markdown support tables, task lists, and strikethrough?
Not in CommonMark’s core syntax. GFM adds tables, task-list items, strikethrough, and other extensions. Its specification, version 0.29-gfm dated 2019-04-06, describes GFM as a strict superset of CommonMark. A table written for GFM may therefore remain unformatted in a CommonMark-only renderer.
GitHub also post-processes and sanitizes the HTML produced from GFM. Consequently, even support for a Markdown construct does not mean every renderer will handle raw HTML or generated output identically. For portable documents, stick to the CommonMark forms above unless you know the destination accepts a particular extension.
Why does my Markdown look different on GitHub or another app?
“Markdown” names a family of implementations, not one universal feature set. CommonMark formalizes core parsing rules; GFM builds on that baseline with extensions, and GitHub applies additional processing to the rendered result. Other apps may choose different extensions or parsing behaviors.
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Differences can show up in punctuation escaping, line breaks, link titles, HTML, block quotes, list indentation, ordered-list markers, starting numbers, and fenced code blocks. If a nested list or other complex structure matters, preview it in the destination where it will be published. When the same source must work in several places, prefer CommonMark’s core syntax and avoid destination-specific extensions.
Quick Recap
Quick reference: common Markdown syntax
| Purpose | CommonMark form |
|---|---|
| Heading | # Heading or ## Heading |
| Italic | *italic* or _italic_ |
| Bold | **bold** or __bold__ |
| Unordered list | - Item |
| Ordered list | 1. Item |
| Block quote | > Quoted text |
| Link | [Label](https://example.com) |
| Image |  |
| Inline code | `code` |
| Fenced code block | Three or more matching backticks or tildes around the block |
| Thematic break | --- or *** |
| Table, task list, strikethrough | GFM extensions; not CommonMark core syntax |
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