Complete Markdown Cheat Sheet: Master the Syntax in 2026

Published February 4, 2026 • 10 min read

Markdown is the universal lightweight markup language for formatting text. Created in 2004, it's now the standard for documentation, README files, forums, and content management. This comprehensive cheat sheet covers everything from basics to advanced features.

Why Markdown?

• Easy to read: Plain text format readable even unrendered
• Universal: Supported by GitHub, Reddit, Discord, Slack, Notion, and thousands of apps
• Fast to write: No mouse needed, pure keyboard workflow
• Future-proof: Plain text files will always be accessible
• Version control friendly: Works perfectly with Git

Basic Syntax

Headings

# H1 Heading
## H2 Heading
### H3 Heading
#### H4 Heading
##### H5 Heading
###### H6 Heading

Alternative syntax for H1 and H2:

H1 Heading
==========

H2 Heading
----------

Emphasis

*italic* or _italic_
**bold** or __bold__
***bold and italic*** or ___bold and italic___
~~strikethrough~~

Result: italic, bold, bold and italic, strikethrough

Paragraphs

Separate paragraphs with a blank line:

This is paragraph one.

This is paragraph two.

Line Breaks

End a line with two spaces or use <br>:

First line  
Second line

Or use HTML:
First line<br>
Second line

Lists

Unordered Lists

- Item one
- Item two
  - Nested item
  - Another nested item
- Item three

* Also works with asterisks
+ Or plus signs

Ordered Lists

1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item
   1. Nested item
   2. Another nested item

Tip: Numbers don't have to be sequential—Markdown auto-numbers:

1. First
1. Second
1. Third

Task Lists (GitHub Flavored Markdown)

- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Incomplete task
- [ ] Another task

Links

Inline Links

[Link text](https://example.com)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Hover text")

Reference Links

Define links once, use them multiple times:

Check out [Google][1] and [GitHub][2].

[1]: https://google.com
[2]: https://github.com

Automatic Links

<https://example.com>
<email@example.com>

Anchor Links (Same Page)

[Jump to heading](#heading-name)

## Heading Name

Images

Inline Images

![Alt text](image.jpg)
![Alt text](image.jpg "Image title")

Reference Images

![Logo][logo]

[logo]: logo.png "Company logo"

Linked Images

[![Alt text](image.jpg)](https://example.com)

Code

Inline Code

Use `backticks` for inline code.

Code Blocks

```
Plain code block
No syntax highlighting
```

Syntax Highlighting

```javascript
function hello() {
  console.log('Hello, world!');
}
```

```python
def hello():
    print("Hello, world!")
```

Indented Code Blocks

Indent with 4 spaces or a tab:

    This is a code block
    Created by indenting

Tables

| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   | Cell 3   |
| Cell 4   | Cell 5   | Cell 6   |

Column Alignment

| Left   | Center  | Right   |
|:-------|:-------:|--------:|
| Left   | Center  | Right   |
| Text   | Text    | Text    |

Blockquotes

> This is a blockquote.
> It can span multiple lines.

> Nested quotes:
> > Second level
> > > Third level

Horizontal Rules

---
***
___

HTML in Markdown

You can use HTML when Markdown syntax isn't enough:

<div align="center">
  <img src="logo.png" width="200">
</div>

<details>
  <summary>Click to expand</summary>
  Hidden content here
</details>

<kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>C</kbd>

Escaping Characters

Use backslash to escape Markdown characters:

\* Not italic \*
\# Not a heading
\[Not a link\](url)

Characters you can escape:

\ ` * _ { } [ ] ( ) # + - . !

Advanced Features (GitHub Flavored Markdown)

Footnotes

Here's a sentence with a footnote[^1].

[^1]: This is the footnote content.

Emoji

:smile: :heart: :rocket: :fire:
GitHub supports 100+ emoji shortcodes!

Mentions & References

@username - Mention a user
#123 - Link to issue/PR
SHA: 7d42e61 - Link to commit

Alerts (GitHub)

> [!NOTE]
> Useful information

> [!WARNING]
> Critical warning

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Key information

Mermaid Diagrams (GitHub)

```mermaid
graph TD
    A[Start] --> B{Is it working?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Great!]
    B -->|No| D[Debug]
    D --> A
```

Markdown Flavors

Different platforms support different Markdown features:

• CommonMark: Standard specification, most compatible
• GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM): Tables, task lists, autolinks, strikethrough
• MultiMarkdown: Footnotes, tables, metadata
• Markdown Extra: Tables, definitions, abbreviations

Best Practices

1. Use Consistent Formatting

Pick one style and stick with it:

• Use * or _ for emphasis (not both)
• Use -, *, or + for lists (pick one)
• Consistent heading hierarchy (don't skip levels)

2. Add Blank Lines

Improves readability and prevents rendering issues:

## Heading

Paragraph text.

- List item
- List item

Another paragraph.

3. Use Descriptive Link Text

❌ Click [here](url) to read more.
✅ Read our [developer documentation](url).

4. Alt Text for Images

❌ ![](image.jpg)
✅ ![App dashboard screenshot showing analytics](image.jpg)

5. Format Tables Nicely

Align columns for readability in raw text:

| Name      | Age | City       |
|-----------|-----|------------|
| Alice     | 30  | London     |
| Bob       | 25  | Paris      |

Common Mistakes

1. Missing Blank Lines

❌ Wrong:
## Heading
Text immediately after

✅ Correct:
## Heading

Text with blank line

2. Incorrect List Indentation

❌ Wrong (2 spaces):
- Item
  - Nested (won't work)

✅ Correct (2-4 spaces):
- Item
  - Nested item

3. Not Escaping Special Characters

❌ 2*3 = 6 (renders as 23 = 6)
✅ 2\*3 = 6 (renders correctly)