Markdown Syntax Cheat Sheet
A copy-ready Markdown cheat sheet covering headings, bold, italics, lists, links, images, code, tables, and blockquotes.
Direct answer
Markdown uses plain-text symbols: # for headings, ** for bold, * or _ for italic, - for bullet lists, 1. for numbered lists, [text](url) for links,  for images, backticks for code, > for blockquotes, and pipes for tables. Paste this cheat sheet into the editor and watch each line render live in the preview pane.
Open the Markdown EditorWhen to use this
- You are learning Markdown and want one reference for every common symbol.
- You keep forgetting the syntax for links, images, tables, or code blocks.
- You want to see exactly how each Markdown mark renders before using it.
Steps
- Use # for an H1, ## for an H2, and ### for an H3 heading.
- Wrap text in **double asterisks** for bold and *single asterisks* for italic.
- Start bullet lines with - and numbered lines with 1., 2., 3.
- Write links as [label](https://url) and images as .
- Use single backticks for inline code and triple backticks for a fenced code block.
- Paste the whole cheat sheet into the editor to see the live rendered preview.
Example
# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
**bold** and *italic* and ~~strikethrough~~
- Bullet item
- Another bullet
1. First step
2. Second step
[Link label](https://markdownme.com)
Inline `code` and a fenced block below.
```js
console.log("hello");
```
> A blockquote line.
| Column A | Column B |
| --- | --- |
| Cell 1 | Cell 2 |Heading 1 (largest)
Heading 2
Heading 3
bold and italic and strikethrough
- Bullet item
- Another bullet
1. First step
2. Second step
Link label (clickable, points to markdownme.com)
[image: Alt text]
Inline code and a fenced block below.
console.log("hello"); (monospace box)
| A blockquote line.
Column A | Column B
-------- | --------
Cell 1 | Cell 2Common mistakes
- Leave a blank line before a list or heading, or some renderers merge it into the previous paragraph.
- Do not indent a fenced code block with spaces unless it is inside a list item.
- Bold uses two asterisks (**text**); a single asterisk is italic, not bold.
FAQ
- What is the fastest way to learn Markdown syntax?
- Paste this cheat sheet into a live editor and edit one line at a time. Seeing each symbol render next to the source is faster than memorizing a table.
- Does this cheat sheet work on GitHub?
- Yes. Every symbol here is standard Markdown or GitHub Flavored Markdown, so it renders the same in GitHub READMEs, issues, and comments.
- How do I escape a Markdown symbol so it shows literally?
- Put a backslash before it. For example, \* shows a literal asterisk instead of starting italic, and \# shows a literal hash instead of a heading.
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