Learn how to apply basic formatting to your notes, using [Markdown](https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/). For more advanced formatting syntax, refer to [[Advanced formatting syntax]].
## Paragraphs
To create paragraphs, use a blank line to separate one or more lines of text.
```
This is a paragraph.
This is another paragraph.
```
> [!note] Multiple blank spaces
> Multiple adjacent blank spaces in and between paragraphs collapse to a single space when displaying a note in [[Editing and previewing Markdown#Editor views|Reading view]] and on [[Introduction to Obsidian Publish|Obsidian Publish]] sites.
>
> ```md
> Multiple adjacent spaces
>
>
>
> and multiple newlines between paragraphs.
> ```
>
> > Multiple adjacent spaces
> >
> >
> >
> > and multiple newlines between paragraphs.
>
> If you want to add multiple spaces, you can add ` ` (blank space) and `<br>` (newline) to your note.
## Headings
To create a heading, add up to six `#` symbols before your heading text. The number of `#` symbols determines the size of the heading.
```md
# This is a heading 1
## This is a heading 2
### This is a heading 3
#### This is a heading 4
##### This is a heading 5
###### This is a heading 6
```
%% These headings use HTML to avoid cluttering the Outline/Table of contents %%
<h1>This is a heading 1</h1>
<h2>This is a heading 2</h2>
<h3>This is a heading 3</h3>
<h4>This is a heading 4</h4>
<h5>This is a heading 5</h5>
<h6>This is a heading 6</h6>
## Styling text
| Style | Syntax | Example | Output |
|-|-|-|-|
| Bold | `** **` or `__ __` | `**Bold text**` | **Bold text** |
| Italic | `* *` or `_ _` | `*Italic text*` | *Italic text* |
| Strikethrough | `~~ ~~` | `~~Striked out text~~` | ~~Striked out text~~ |
| Highlight | `== ==` | `==Highlighted text==` | ==Highlighted text== |
| Bold and nested italic | `** **` and `_ _` | `**Bold text and _nested italic_ text**` | **Bold text and _nested italic_ text** |
| Bold and italic | `*** ***` or `___ ___` | `***Bold and italic text***` | ***Bold and italic text*** |
## Quotes
You can quote text by adding a `>` symbols before the text.
```md
> Human beings face ever more complex and urgent problems, and their effectiveness in dealing with these problems is a matter that is critical to the stability and continued progress of society.
\- Doug Engelbart, 1961
```
> Human beings face ever more complex and urgent problems, and their effectiveness in dealing with these problems is a matter that is critical to the stability and continued progress of society.
\- Doug Engelbart, 1961
> [!tip]
> You can turn your quote into a [[Callouts|callout]] by adding `[!info]` as the first line in a quote.
## Code
You can format code both inline within a sentence, or in its own block.
### Inline code
You can format code within a sentence using single backticks.
```md
Text inside `backticks` on a line will be formatted like code.
```
Text inside `backticks` on a line will be formatted like code.
If you want to put backticks in an inline code block, surround it with double backticks like so: inline ``code with a backtick ` inside``.
### Code blocks
To format a block of code, surround the code with triple backticks.
~~~
```
cd ~/Desktop
```
~~~
```md
cd ~/Desktop
```
You can also create a code block by indenting the text using `Tab` or 4 blank spaces.
```md
cd ~/Desktop
```
You can add syntax highlighting to a code block, by adding a language code after the first set of backticks.
~~~md
```js
function fancyAlert(arg) {
if(arg) {
$.facebox({div:'#foo'})
}
}
```
~~~
```js
function fancyAlert(arg) {
if(arg) {
$.facebox({div:'#foo'})
}
}
```
Obsidian uses Prism for syntax highlighting. For more information, refer to [Supported languages](https://prismjs.com/#supported-languages).
> [!note]
> [[Live preview update|Live Preview mode]] doesn't support PrismJS and may render syntax highlighting differently.
## External links
If you want to link to an external URL, you can create an inline link by surrounding the link text in brackets (`[ ]`), and then the URL in parentheses (`( )`).
```md
[Obsidian Help](https://help.obsidian.md)
```
[Obsidian Help](https://help.obsidian.md)
> [!tip]
> If you want to link to a file inside your vault, consider using an [[Internal links|internal link]] instead.
You can also create external links to files in other vaults, by linking to an [[Obsidian URI|Obsidian URI]].
```md
[Note](obsidian://open?vault=MainVault&file=Note.md)
```
### Escape blank spaces in links
If your URL contains blank spaces, you need to escape them by replacing them with `%20`.
```md
[My Note](obsidian://open?vault=MainVault&file=My%20Note.md)
```
You can also escape the URL by wrapping it with angled brackets (`< >`).
```md
[My Note](<obsidian://open?vault=MainVault&file=My Note.md>)
```
## External images
You can add images with external URLs, by adding a `!` symbol before an [[#External links|external link]].
```md
```
You can change the image dimensions, by adding `|640x480` to the link destination, where 640 is the width and 480 is the height.
```md
```
If you only specify the width, the image scales according to its original aspect ratio. For example, `![[Engelbart.jpg|100]]`.
> [!tip]
> If you want to add an image from inside your vault, you can also [[Embedding files#Embed an image in a note|embed an image in a note]].
## Lists
You can create an unordered list by adding a `-`, `*`, or `+` before the text.
```md
- First list item
- Second list item
- Third list item
```
- First list item
- Second list item
- Third list item
To create an ordered list, start each line with a number followed by a `.` symbol.
```md
1. First list item
2. Second list item
3. Third list item
```
1. First list item
2. Second list item
3. Third list item
You can create a nested list by indenting one or more list items.
```md
1. First list item
1. Ordered nested list item
2. Second list item
- Unordered nested list item
```
1. First list item
1. Ordered nested list item
2. Second list item
- Unordered nested list item
You can press `Tab` or `Shift+Tab` to indent or unindent one or more selected list items.
### Task lists
To create a task list, start each list item with a hyphen and space followed by `[ ]`.
```md
- [x] This is a completed task.
- [ ] This is an incomplete task.
```
- [x] This is a completed task.
- [ ] This is an incomplete task.
You can toggle a task in Reading view by selecting the checkbox.
> [!tip]
> You can use any character inside the brackets to mark it as complete.
>
> ```md
> - [x] Milk
> - [?] Eggs
> - [-] Eggs
> ```
>
> - [x] Milk
> - [?] Eggs
> - [-] Eggs
## Horizontal bar
You can use three or more stars `***`, hyphens `---`, or underscore `___` on its own line to add a horizontal bar. You can also separate symbols using spaces.
```md
***
****
* * *
---
----
- - -
___
____
_ _ _
```
***
---
## Footnotes
You can add footnotes[^footnote] to your notes using the following syntax:
[^footnote]: This is a footnote.
```md
This is a simple footnote[^1].
[^1]: This is the referenced text.
[^2]: Add 2 spaces at the start of each new line.
This lets you write footnotes that span multiple lines.
[^note]: Named footnotes still appear as numbers, but can make it easier to identify and link references.
```
You can also inline footnotes in a sentence. Note that the caret goes outside the brackets.
```md
You can also use inline footnotes. ^[This is an inline footnote.]
```
> [!note]
> Inline footnotes only work in reading view, not in Live Preview.
## Comments
You can add comments by wrapping text with `%%`. Comments are only visible in Editing view.
```md
This is an %%inline%% comment.
%%
This is a block comment.
Block comments can span multiple lines.
%%
```
## Learn more
To learn more advanced formatting syntax, such as tables, diagrams, and math expressions, refer to [[Advanced formatting syntax]].
To learn more about how Obsidian parses Markdown, refer to [[Obsidian Flavored Markdown]].