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Slack formatting guide

Paste Formatted Text Into Slack Without Breaking It

Move text from Markdown, Google Docs, or Notion into Slack cleanly by converting to mrkdwn or clearing carried-over formatting.

Direct answer

When you paste from Markdown, Google Docs, or Notion, stray symbols or unexpected styling often carry over. Convert the source to Slack mrkdwn first for predictable results, or paste and then clear formatting with the Slack shortcut so the message uses Slack's own styles.

Open Markdown to Slack converter

When to use this

  • You are moving content from a doc, Notion, or a Markdown file into Slack.
  • Pasting brings in weird symbols, extra bold, or broken links.
  • You want a clean message that uses Slack's formatting, not the source's.

Steps

  1. If the source is Markdown, convert it to Slack mrkdwn first.
  2. Paste the mrkdwn into the Slack message box.
  3. If styling looks wrong, select the text and clear formatting (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+F or the composer menu).
  4. Fix links to the <url|text> form if they did not carry over.
  5. Preview the message before sending to confirm bold, italic, and links render.

Example conversion

Markdown input
**Reminder:** the [standup doc](https://example.com/standup) is due at ~~4pm~~ 5pm.
Slack mrkdwn output
*Reminder:* the <https://example.com/standup|standup doc> is due at ~4pm~ 5pm.

Common mistakes

  • Rich paste from Google Docs can inject non-breaking spaces and smart quotes; convert or clear formatting to remove them.
  • Markdown links pasted as [text](url) will not become clickable in Slack; use <url|text>.
  • Clearing formatting removes all styling, so reapply Slack bold or italic afterward if you need it.

FAQ

How do I paste Markdown into Slack?
Convert the Markdown to Slack mrkdwn first, then paste. That maps bold, italic, and links to Slack's syntax so nothing shows as literal symbols.
How do I clear formatting when pasting into Slack?
Select the pasted text and press Cmd+Shift+F (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+F (Windows), or use the composer's formatting menu, to strip carried-over styles.
Why do pasted links break in Slack?
Markdown link syntax [text](url) is not valid mrkdwn. Convert links to the <url|text> form so they render as clickable links.

Related Markdown to Slack guides

Slack Message Formatting Syntax (mrkdwn vs Markdown)

Slack uses mrkdwn, not standard Markdown: one asterisk for bold, underscores for italic, and angle-bracket links. Here is the full reference.

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Slack Bold and Italic Not Working? Use mrkdwn

If **bold** or __italic__ shows literal symbols in Slack, you are using Markdown instead of mrkdwn. Here is the fix.

How to Make Bullet Points and Lists in Slack

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