Headings

Headings are created by prefixing text with the hash symbol (#). The number of hashes corresponds to the heading level, supporting up to six levels.

Alternative Syntax

Underlining text with equals signs (===) creates an H1, while hyphens (---) create an H2. Note that some editors like Typora may not support this alternative well.

Best Practices

Always include a space between the hash and the heading text to ensure compatibility across different Markdown parsers.

Paragraphs

Separate paragraphs using blank lines. Avoid indenting paragraphs with spaces or tabs, as this can lead to unexpected rendering issues.

Line Breaks

To force a line break within a paragraph, append two or more spaces at the end of a line before pressing Enter. In editors like Typora, simply pressing Enter is often sufficient to produce a line break.

Emphasis

Emphasize text using bold or italic formatting.

Bold

Wrap text with double asterisks (**) or double underscores (__). For mid-word emphasis, asterisks are recommended for broader compatibility.

Italic

Wrap text with single asterisks (*) or single underscores (_). Similar to bold, use underscores carefully within words.

Bold and Italic

Combine both using triple asterisks (***) or triple underscores (___) around the target text.

Blockquotes

Create a blockquote by prefixing a paragraph with a greater-than sign (>).

Multiple Paragraphs

Add a > on the blank line between paragraphs. Typora users can simply press Enter to continue the blockquote.

Nested Blockquotes

Use double greater-than signs (>>) to nest quotes. In Typora, pressing Enter twice exits the current quote level.

Blockquotes with Other Elements

Blockquotes can contain other Markdown elements like bold or italic text.

Lists

Organize items into ordered or unordered lists.

Ordered Lists

Start each line with a number followed by a period and a space (e.g., 1. ). Avoid using parentheses like 1). The actual numbers don't need to be sequential, but starting with 1 is standard. Pressing Enter continues the sequence in Typora; press Enter twice to end.

Unordered Lists

Prefix items with hyphens (-), asterisks (*), or plus signs (+), followed by a space. Indent items to create nested lists. Press Enter twice or thrice to exit the list in Typora.

Adding Other Elements to Lists

To include a separate block element (like a blockquote) within a list without breaking the list continuity, indent the element by four spaces or one tab.

Code

Wrap text with backticks (`) to format it as inline code.

Escaping Backticks

Use double backticks (``) if the code itself contains a backtick.

Code Blocks

Indent each line with four spaces or one tab. Alternatively, wrap the block with triple backticks (```) or triple tildes (~~~). Specify the language immediately after the opening fences for syntax highlighting.

def greet_user():
    print("Welcome aboard!")

const calculateSum = (a, b) => a + b;

Horizontal Rules

Insert a horizontal rule by placing three or more asterisks (***), hyphens (---), or underscores (___) on a single line. Add blank lines before and after for compatibility. Note that rendering thickness might vary in editors like Typora.

Links

Links use the syntax [link text](URL "Optional Title").

Adding Titles

While the specification allows titles, some Markdown implementations like older Typora versions might not parse them correctly.

URLs and Email Addresses

Wrap URLs or email addresses in angle brackets (< >) to render them as clickable links.

Formatted Links

Apply emphasis to links by surrounding the brackets with asterisks, or format the link text as code using backticks inside the brackets.

Images

Embed images using ![alt text](image_URL "Optional Title").

Linking Images

Make an image clickable by wrapping the image syntax in square brackets, followed by the link URL in parentheses. Note that some Typora versions might have issues with this syntax.

Tables

Construct tables using hyphens (---) for column headers and pipes (|) to separate columns.

Formatting Text in Tables

Text within tables can include links, inline code, and emphasis. However, block-level elements like headings, blockquotes, lists, images, or HTML tags are not supported.

Footnotes

Define footnotes using [^identifier] within the text. Explain the footnote elsewhere using [^identifier]: explanation text. Identifiers can be numbers or words but must not contain spaces or tabs.

Strikethrough

Apply strikethrough formatting by wrapping text with double tildes (~~).

Task Lists

Create task lists using hyphens, square brackets, and a space (- [ ]). Mark tasks as complete by placing an x inside the brackets (- [x]). Note that some Markdown editors might not fully support this feature.

Typora Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Bold	Ctrl+B
Underline	Ctrl+U
Italic	Ctrl+I
Strikethrough	Alt+Shift+5
Insert Image	Ctrl+Shift+I
Insert Table	Ctrl+T
Ordered List	Ctrl+Shift+[
Unordered List	Ctrl+Shift+]
Insert Link	Ctrl+K
Inline Code	Ctrl+Shift+`
Code Block	Ctrl+Shift+K
Math Block	Ctrl+Shift+M
Blockquote	Ctrl+Shift+Q
Heading Levels 1-6	Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+6
Paragraph	Ctrl+0
Find	Ctrl+F / F3
Replace	Ctrl+H
Select All	Ctrl+A
Select Current Line	Ctrl+L
Select Formatted Text	Ctrl+E
Undo	Ctrl+Z
Redo	Ctrl+Y
Select Current Word	Ctrl+D
Delete Current Word	Ctrl+Shift+D
Jump to Document Start	Ctrl+Home
Jump to Document End	Ctrl+End
New File	Ctrl+N
Quick Open	Ctrl+P
Save	Ctrl+S
Save As	Ctrl+Shift+S
Close Window	Ctrl+W
Outline View	Ctrl+Shift+1
File Tree View	Ctrl+Shift+2
Zoom In/Out	Ctrl+Shift+ / -
Reset Zoom	Ctrl+Shift+9