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 [[Edit and preview 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 `&nbsp;` (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> ## Bold, italics, highlights Text formatting can also be applied using [[Editing shortcuts]]. | 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*** | Formatting can be forced to display in plain text by adding a backslash `\` in front of it. \*\*This line will not be bold\*\* ```markdown \*\*This line will not be bold\*\* ``` \**This line will be italic and show the asterisks*\* ```markdown \**This line will be italic and show the asterisks*\* ``` ## Internal links Obsidian supports two formats for [[internal links]] between notes: - Wikilink: `[[Three laws of motion]]` - Markdown: `[Three laws of motion](Three%20laws%20of%20motion.md)` ## 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) 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 must 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 ![Engelbart](https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Basis/images/Engelbart.jpg) ``` ![Engelbart](https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Basis/images/Engelbart.jpg) You can change the image dimensions, by adding `|640x480` to the link destination, where 640 is the width and 480 is the height. ```md ![Engelbart|100x145](https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Basis/images/Engelbart.jpg) ``` If you only specify the width, the image scales according to its original aspect ratio. For example: ```md ![Engelbart|100](https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Basis/images/Engelbart.jpg) ``` > [!tip] > If you want to add an image from inside your vault, you can also [[Embed files#Embed an image in a note|embed an image in a note]]. ## 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. ## 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 ### 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 ### Nesting lists All list types can be nested in Obsidian. To create a nested list, indent 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 Similarly, you can create a nested task list by indenting one or more list items: ```md - [ ] Task item 1 - [ ] Subtask 1 - [ ] Task item 2 - [ ] Subtask 1 ``` - [ ] Task item 1 - [ ] Subtask 1 - [ ] Task item 2 - [ ] Subtask 1 Use `Tab` or `Shift+Tab` to indent or unindent one or more selected list items for easy organization. ## Horizontal rule 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 *** **** * * * --- ---- - - - ___ ____ _ _ _ ``` *** ## 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] > [[Edit and preview Markdown#Source mode|Source mode]] and [[Edit and preview Markdown#Live Preview|Live Preview]] do not support PrismJS, and may render syntax highlighting differently. ## 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]].