Markdown Cheatsheet

Headings

# H1 title
## H2 section
### H3 subsection

Use ATX-style (#) rather than Setext (=== under text). Every parser supports both, but ATX is easier to read in a diff.

Emphasis

*italic* or _italic_, **bold** or __bold__, ***bold italic***. GFM adds ~~strikethrough~~.

Lists

Unordered lists use -, * or + (pick one and stick with it):

- First
- Second
  - Nested

Ordered lists renumber automatically:

1. Item
1. Item
1. Item

Code

Inline: `code`. Fenced blocks with optional language tag:

```python
def hello(name):
    return f"Hello, {name}"
```

Indent with four spaces for a code block if you prefer the older syntax.

Links and images

[Link text](https://example.com)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Tooltip")
![Alt text](/path/to/image.png)

Reference-style keeps long URLs out of the paragraph:

See the [docs][1].

[1]: https://example.com/docs

Tables (GFM)

| Col A | Col B |
|-------|------:|
| a     |     1 |
| b     |    22 |

Alignment uses colons in the separator row: :--- left, :---: center, ---: right.

Task lists (GFM)

- [x] Done
- [ ] Todo

Common gotchas

• Two trailing spaces insert a line break within a paragraph. One space just joins the lines.
• Blank line required before most block elements (headings, lists, code blocks).
• Nested-list indentation depends on the parent marker and content. Align the nested marker under the parent text instead of assuming a fixed number of spaces.
• Escape with backslash for literal punctuation: \*not italic\*.
• Smart quotes differ by renderer. GitHub leaves them alone; Pandoc converts.