Cheat sheet
A practical glossary of Markdown how-tos — from links and headings to tables and code blocks — with a quick-reference cheat sheet, editable examples, and live previews you can play with.
One-glance Markdown syntax — copy a snippet, or click an element for a live how-to.
| Element | Syntax | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | # H1 ## H2 ### H3 | |
| Bold | **bold** | |
| Italic | *italic* | |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | |
| Inline code | `code` | |
| Link | [text](https://url) | |
| Image |  | |
| Bullet list | - item | |
| Numbered list | 1. item | |
| Task list | - [ ] todo | |
| Blockquote | > quote | |
| Code block | ```js
code
``` | |
| Table | | A | B | | |
| Horizontal rule | --- |
Common Markdown questions, each with a live editor you can play with.
Structure your document with headings, paragraphs, and line breaks.
Use one to six hash symbols (#) at the start of a line. More hashes mean a smaller heading.
Write plain text. Separate paragraphs with a blank line.
Markdown is a lightweight markup language.
It turns plain text into formatted documents.
End a line with two spaces, or use a blank line for a new paragraph. Some editors also support a trailing backslash.
Address line 1
Address line 2
City, Country
Emphasize words with bold, italic, strikethrough, and inline code.
Wrap text in double asterisks (**) or double underscores (__).
Export a print-ready PDF from your Markdown.
Wrap text in a single asterisk (*) or underscore (_).
Use emphasis sparingly for clarity.
Combine three asterisks (or underscores) around the text.
This tip is especially important for headings in PDFs.
Wrap text in double tildes (~~). Supported in GitHub-flavored Markdown.
Price: $49 $29
Wrap short code or commands in backticks (`).
Run marked to convert Markdown to HTML.
Nest formatting carefully: put emphasis inside link text, keep code spans tight, and add optional titles to links and images.
Create bullets, numbered lists, nested items, and task checklists.
Start each line with -, *, or + followed by a space.
Start each line with a number and a period. Many renderers renumber automatically.
Indent nested items with two or four spaces (or a tab).
Use - [ ] for unchecked and - [x] for checked items (GitHub-flavored Markdown).
Link to pages, add images, and reuse link references.
Put the link text in square brackets and the URL in parentheses right after.
Try the free Markdown to PDF converter.
Wrap a bare URL in angle brackets, or paste it on its own line in many GFM editors.
Visit https://www.markdowntopdf.com to convert files.
Same shape as a link, but start with an exclamation mark.
Nest an image inside a link.
Keep URLs at the bottom of the document and point to them with labels.
See our syntax guide.
Call out quotes, share code blocks, and separate sections.
Start the line with >. Nest quotes by stacking > characters.
Markdown is intended to be as easy-to-read and easy-to-write as possible.
Stack > characters for nested quotes, and use a blank > line between paragraphs inside a quote.
Design docs should be easy to skim.
And quotes help call out decisions.
Keep them short in PDFs.
Wrap code in triple backticks. Add a language name for syntax highlighting.
echo 'Hello, Markdown';
Put a language tag immediately after the opening fence so highlighters can color the code in preview and PDF.
const title = 'Markdown to PDF';
console.log(title.toUpperCase());
Use three or more hyphens, asterisks, or underscores on a line by themselves.
Section one
Section two
Build simple tables with pipes and hyphens.
Separate columns with | and add a header row followed by a dash row.
| Syntax | Result |
|---|---|
**bold** |
bold |
*italic* |
italic |
Control column alignment with colons in the separator row: left, center, or right.
| Feature | Status | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Links | Yes | 12 |
| Tables | Yes | 3 |
Build outlines, escape characters, and mix in HTML when you need more control.
List links that jump to headings. Many renderers turn heading text into URL-friendly anchors automatically.
Prefix a special character with a backslash so it renders literally.
Show a literal asterisk: *star* and a literal backtick: `code`.
Most Markdown processors allow inline HTML for tags Markdown cannot express.
Version 2nd edition — Ctrl + P to print.
Markdown has no official comments, but HTML comments are widely supported and hidden from the rendered output.
Visible text.
More visible text.
Quick fixes for the issues that trip people up most often when writing Markdown for PDF.
Leave a blank line before and after lists and fenced code blocks. Without that breathing room, many parsers merge them into the previous paragraph.
Indent child items with a consistent 2 or 4 spaces. Mixing tabs and spaces, or indenting only one space, often breaks nesting.
A single Enter usually continues the same paragraph. End a line with two spaces for a hard break, or use a blank line for a new paragraph. Trailing spaces are easy to miss.
Opening ``` must be matched by a closing ``` on its own line. Add a language tag on the opening fence (like ```js) when you want syntax highlighting.
Relative paths only work if the image is available at that path for the reader. Prefer absolute HTTPS URLs for shared docs and PDF exports.
Paste your Markdown into the live editor, preview the result, and download a polished PDF — free to try, with themes and workspace saving when you sign up.