How do I display a literal asterisk in Markdown?

Place a backslash before it in normal text, as in \*. For a larger syntax example, put the text inside a code span or fenced code block.

Do I need to escape every punctuation mark?

No. Escape punctuation only when its position gives it Markdown meaning or when the target parser documents that requirement.

How do I show a Markdown heading as text?

Escape the leading hash, such as \# Heading, or place the complete example in a code span or fenced code block.

Why does my escaped character still render incorrectly?

The character may be outside the parser's escapable set, another syntax rule may take precedence, or a template and Markdown layer may have processed the text separately.

How to Escape Markdown Characters

Prefix a Markdown punctuation character with a backslash when you want it treated as literal text. For example, write \*literal asterisks\* to display *literal asterisks* without emphasis. Escaping rules vary outside the core punctuation set, so use code spans for literal commands, syntax examples, and larger fragments. Always test the final renderer.

Backslash escapes

A backslash can suppress Markdown meaning for a defined set of ASCII punctuation characters. Common examples include \* for an asterisk, \_ for an underscore, \# at the start of a line, and \[ for an opening bracket. The source contains the backslash, while the rendered text normally shows the punctuation without it. This matters when a character would otherwise start emphasis, a heading, a link, a list, or another structure. Escape only the character that needs protection. Extra backslashes can become visible or change meaning after another conversion step. A backslash before an ordinary letter does not provide a general quoting system. For literal technical syntax, a code span or fenced code block usually communicates intent more clearly.

Characters that commonly need protection

The most frequent problems occur at structural positions. A hash at the beginning of a line can create a heading, so write \# when the hash is part of the text. A hyphen, plus sign, or asterisk followed by a space can start a list. A period after a number can start an ordered list. Brackets and parentheses can form links, while backticks can create code spans. A greater-than sign at line start can create a block quote. Escape the punctuation when you need the reader to see the source character as ordinary text. Context controls parsing. An asterisk in the middle of a word may not need escaping, while one beside text can participate in emphasis. Inspect the output rather than applying escapes mechanically to every symbol.

Escaping versus code formatting

Use a code span for a command, variable, filename, or short syntax sample: `*item*` displays the asterisks as literal characters. Use a fenced code block for multiline examples. Code formatting protects a larger region and preserves its technical appearance, but it changes semantics and typography. Use a backslash escape when the surrounding sentence should remain normal prose, such as “The value is \*.” Escaping inside code spans does not usually remove the code span's literal characters because code parsing takes precedence in many implementations. Backslash behavior can also differ in URLs, raw HTML, tables, and extensions. If content passes through templates or programming-language strings, account for that layer's escaping rules before Markdown receives the text.

How do you do it step by step?

1Identify the character that the renderer is interpreting as Markdown syntax.
2Add one backslash before that punctuation when the character belongs to the renderer's escapable set.
3Use a code span or fenced block for commands, source code, and longer literal examples.
4Render the text in the actual publishing system and inspect punctuation, links, lists, and line breaks.
5Remove unnecessary escapes if they create visible backslashes or reduce readability.

Working example

The first line escapes an asterisk in normal prose. The second line uses a code span for a syntax example.

Input

Use \* as a literal marker.

The pattern is `*item*`.

Result

The first sentence displays an asterisk without emphasis. The second displays *item* in code formatting, including both asterisks.

A template language, JSON string, or programming language may require another escape layer before the Markdown parser receives this source.

Frequently asked questions

How do I display a literal asterisk in Markdown?: Place a backslash before it in normal text, as in \*. For a larger syntax example, put the text inside a code span or fenced code block.
Do I need to escape every punctuation mark?: No. Escape punctuation only when its position gives it Markdown meaning or when the target parser documents that requirement.
How do I show a Markdown heading as text?: Escape the leading hash, such as \# Heading, or place the complete example in a code span or fenced code block.
Why does my escaped character still render incorrectly?: The character may be outside the parser's escapable set, another syntax rule may take precedence, or a template and Markdown layer may have processed the text separately.