Markdown cheat sheet with live preview
The essential syntax in one table, the classic vs GFM difference that changes line breaks and a live preview to try each example.
Markdown is a way to write formatted text using plain symbols: # for a heading, ** for bold, - for a list. With the Markdown preview you type on the left and see the result on the right as you go, in your browser, without uploading your text. It's the format of GitHub READMEs, many blogging platforms and AI chat replies, and it takes a few minutes to learn.
The essential syntax
| You want | You type | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | # Title | Level 1 heading (more #, smaller) |
| Bold | **text** | text |
| Italic | *text* | italic text |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | struck-through text (GFM) |
| List | - item | Bullet |
| Numbered list | 1. item | Number |
| Task | - [x] done and - [ ] todo | Checked or empty box (GFM) |
| Link | [text](https://example.com) | Link |
| Image |  | Image |
| Quote | > text | Blockquote |
| Inline code | the text between backticks | Monospaced font |
| Code block | three backticks, the language, three more | Highlighted block |
| Table | vertical bars and a row of dashes under the header | Table (GFM) |
To separate paragraphs, leave a blank line between them.
Classic Markdown vs GFM
GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown) adds tables, task lists and strikethrough to classic Markdown. The tool has a GFM checkbox, on by default. Here's what the parser it uses produces for a task list and a table:
- [x] Done
- [ ] To dorenders as a list with check boxes, one ticked and one empty, and
| a | b |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 |renders as an HTML table with its header and a row. Without GFM, those two constructs show up as plain text.
The line break that changes with GFM
In classic Markdown a single line break inside a paragraph is ignored: "Line 1" and "Line 2" on two consecutive lines merge into one paragraph. With the GFM box on, the tool treats that break as a visible line break. If your text looks different on another platform, this is the first suspect. For a break that works everywhere, leave a blank line and start a new paragraph.
Using the preview, step by step
- Open the Markdown preview and type or paste your text in the left panel. You can start from a template, such as the README or the blog post one.
- Watch the right panel: the result updates as you type, with scrolling kept in sync.
- Turn GFM and the allow-HTML option on or off as needed.
- Check the statistics: words, characters, reading minutes, images and code blocks.
- Download the
.md, export to HTML or print to PDF.
The output is sanitized before it's shown, so malicious HTML pasted into the text can't run in your browser. Code blocks are highlighted by language.
A sample document
This snippet shows several constructs at once:
# My project
Text with **bold** and a [link](https://example.com).
## Steps
1. Install the dependencies.
2. Run the program.
> Note: check the requirements first.Paste it into the preview and you'll see a heading, a paragraph with bold text and a link, a subheading, a numbered list and a quote. Changing one symbol and watching the effect is the fastest way to learn.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the blank line before a list or a table: without it, some parsers glue them to the previous paragraph.
- Writing
1)instead of1.in numbered lists, which not every parser recognizes. - Not escaping a symbol Markdown reads as syntax. To show a literal asterisk, write
\*. - Misaligned tables. You don't need to pad the columns with spaces, but each header column needs its
---divider.
What it's good for
Documentation and READMEs, notes, blog posts and drafts you later convert to HTML. And AI: language models read and write Markdown, which is why converting PDFs to it helps, as covered in why PDFs paste badly into ChatGPT. If the exported HTML needs tidying, use the HTML formatter.
Frequently asked questions
What is Markdown?
A way to write formatted text using simple symbols that converts to HTML. It's used in READMEs, blogs, documentation and AI chats.
How do I make a table in Markdown?
With vertical bars and a row of dashes under the header: the first line holds the titles, the second divides the header with dashes, and each following line is a row. Tables are part of GFM.
What's the difference between Markdown and GFM?
GFM adds tables, task lists and strikethrough. In the tool it also makes a single line break show as a break.
Can I see how it will look before publishing?
Yes. The preview updates as you type, and you can export to HTML or print to PDF.
Is it safe to paste HTML into the preview?
The output is sanitized before display so malicious HTML doesn't run. There is an option to allow HTML, which you should use only with text you trust.
Write Markdown with a live preview
Live view, highlighted code blocks, export to HTML or print to PDF. Runs locally, free, no signup.
Open Markdown Preview →Related tools
- Markdown Preview: edit and see the result, export to HTML or PDF.
- PDF to Markdown: turn a PDF into Markdown for an AI chat.
- HTML Formatter: format the exported HTML.
- Word Counter: measure your text.
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