# Markdown Cheat Sheet: Syntax Reference with Examples > This reference lists every common Markdown element with a plain, one-line explanation and a short, copyable fenced code example. - Page: https://acepdfmd.com/guides/markdown-cheat-sheet/ - Updated: 2026-09-14 - Runs at: https://acepdfmd.com (Uploaded files are deleted within 60 minutes. No signup for light use.) - Also in 29 languages: https://acepdfmd.com//guides/markdown-cheat-sheet/ ## Headings, Paragraphs and Line Breaks Headings use one to six `#` characters followed by a space; fewer `#` means a bigger heading. A blank line starts a new paragraph. To force a line break inside a paragraph, end a line with two spaces or a backslash. ``` # Heading 1 ### Heading 3 A paragraph. Line break with two trailing spaces above. ``` ## Emphasis, Links and Images Asterisks or underscores mark italic and bold text, and combining them gives both. Links use square brackets for the text and parentheses for the URL; images use the same syntax with a leading `!`. ``` *italic* **bold** ***bold italic*** [link text](https://example.com) ![alt text](https://acepdfmd.com/path/to/image.png) ``` ## Lists and Nested Lists Unordered lists use `-`, `*` or `+`. Ordered lists use numbers followed by a period. Indent by two or four spaces to nest a list inside another. ``` - item one - item two - nested item 1. first 2. second ``` ## Tables GitHub Flavored Markdown adds pipe tables. A row of dashes under the header row sets the column structure and can set alignment. ``` | Name | Type | | --- | --- | | Alpha | text | | Beta | number | ``` ## Code, Blockquotes and Horizontal Rules Backticks mark inline code, and triple backticks open a fenced block, optionally tagged with a language for highlighting. A `>` at the start of a line marks a blockquote; stack multiple `>` to nest quotes. Three dashes, asterisks or underscores alone on a line draw a horizontal rule. ``` Use `git status` to check the working tree. ``` ```python print("hello") ``` ``` > A quoted sentence. >> A nested quote. --- ``` ## Task Lists and Escaping GitHub Flavored Markdown supports checkboxes inside list items. A backslash before a special character prints it literally instead of triggering formatting. Raw HTML tags are also allowed inline in most renderers, though this cheat sheet sticks to plain Markdown syntax. ``` - [x] done - [ ] not done Escaped: \* not italic \* ``` ## GitHub Flavored Markdown vs CommonMark CommonMark defines the core rules: headings, emphasis, lists, links, code blocks and blockquotes. GitHub Flavored Markdown builds on CommonMark and adds tables, task lists, strikethrough and automatic linking of bare URLs. A file written for one usually renders fine in the other, but tables and checkboxes need GitHub Flavored Markdown support specifically. ## Extended Syntax: Math, Footnotes, Front Matter and Diagrams Support for these extensions varies by renderer, so check the target tool before relying on them. Math uses LaTeX-style delimiters, footnotes use a caret and a label, front matter is a metadata block at the top of the file, and diagrams use a tagged fenced code block. ``` Inline math: $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$ Block math: $$E = mc^2$$ Text with a note.[^1] [^1]: The note itself. --- title: Example document date: 2026-01-01 --- ``` ```mermaid graph TD A --> B B --> C ``` ## Putting It Together Write and preview a document with the [Markdown Editor](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-editor/), check syntax problems with [Markdown Lint](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-lint/), and generate a table of contents with [Markdown TOC](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-toc/). When you need a shareable file, export with [Markdown to PDF](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-to-pdf/) or [Markdown to Word](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-to-word/). For a deeper look at converting PDFs back into Markdown, see the [PDF to Markdown guide](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/pdf-to-markdown-guide/). ## Tools mentioned in this guide - [Markdown Editor & Preview](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-editor/): Open, write, and edit Markdown with a live rich preview (tables, images, task lists), then export to .md, PDF, Word, or HTML. - [Markdown Linter and Formatter](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-lint/): Fix spacing, headings, lists and tables to a consistent style and get a report of what changed. - [Markdown Table of Contents](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-toc/): Auto-generate and insert a linked Table of Contents from your headings. - [Markdown to PDF](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-to-pdf/): Convert a .md file into a formatted PDF. - [Markdown to Word](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-to-word/): Convert a .md file into an editable DOCX. ## More guides - [PDF Page Sizes and Dimensions: A4, Letter, Legal and More](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/pdf-page-sizes/) - [How PDF Compression Works and Why Some Files Barely Shrink](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/pdf-compression-guide/) - [PDF to Markdown: How It Works and How to Use It for AI](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/pdf-to-markdown-guide/) - [OCR for PDFs and Images: How to Get Accurate Text](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/ocr-guide/) - [Is It Safe to Upload a PDF Online? A Privacy Guide](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/privacy-guide/) - [Open and Convert iWork Files (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) Without a Mac](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/iwork-guide/) - [JSON Tools Guide: Convert Documents and Data to JSON and Back](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/json-guide/)