Discord Markdown Cheat Sheet: Text Formatting Guide

Discord supports markdown, a simple way to format chat messages with symbols. Put a few characters around your words and Discord turns them into bold, italic, underlined, crossed-out or hidden text. This cheat sheet lists every Discord markdown code, with examples you can copy, how to combine styles, how to escape markdown, and what Discord does not support.

Want colored text? Markdown cannot do that, but ANSI code blocks can. See our guide on how to do colored text in Discord.

Discord Markdown Cheat Sheet

Type the code exactly as shown. Each style needs matching symbols before and after the text.

• *italic* gives italic (you can also use _italic_)
• **bold** gives bold
• ***bold italic*** gives bold and italic together
• __underline__ gives underlined text
• ~~strikethrough~~ gives crossed-out text
• ||spoiler|| gives text hidden until someone clicks it
• `inline code` gives text in a monospace code style

Combine Markdown Styles

You can stack styles by nesting the symbols. Keep the order balanced, so what opens first closes last.

• __**bold underline**__ gives bold and underlined
• ~~**bold strikethrough**~~ gives bold and crossed out
• ||**bold spoiler**|| gives a bold hidden message
• __***bold italic underline***__ gives all three styles at once

Discord Strikethrough

To cross out text in Discord, put two tildes on each side: ~~like this~~. The tilde key is next to the number 1 on most keyboards (press Shift). If you want crossed-out text that also works outside Discord, such as in a bio or a name, use our strikethrough text generator.

Code Blocks and Syntax Highlighting

For several lines of code or text, wrap it in triple backticks. Add a language name right after the opening backticks to get color highlighting.

```js
console.log("hello");
```

Common language names are js, python, css, json, html and diff. A diff block shows lines starting with + in green and lines starting with – in red. A block marked ansi can show many colors, which we explain in the Discord colored text guide.

Quotes

• > quote makes a one-line quote. Add a space after the arrow.
• >>> quote quotes everything that follows, including new lines.

Headers, Subtext and Lists

Discord also supports larger text and lists in messages:

• # Big header, ## Medium header and ### Small header make text bigger. Put a space after the hash symbols and start on a new line.
• -# small text makes small, gray subtext.
• - item or * item makes a bulleted list, and 1. item makes a numbered list.

If you only need tiny letters in a name or bio, where Discord markdown does not apply, use the small text generator.

Step-by-step instructions are in our guide on how to make small text in Discord.

Links in Discord Markdown

• [link text](https://example.com) shows a clickable word instead of the full address. Masked links work in regular messages on current versions of Discord.
• <https://example.com> posts a link without a preview embed.

How to Escape Markdown in Discord

If you want to show the symbols themselves instead of formatting, put a backslash before them. For example, typing \*not italic\* shows *not italic* with the asterisks visible. You can also wrap text in a code block to stop all formatting inside it.

What Discord Markdown Does Not Support

• Tables: Discord does not draw markdown tables. Put the table in a code block to keep the columns aligned.
• Colored text: use ANSI code blocks instead. Try the Discord colored text generator.
• Font changes: markdown cannot change the font. For fancy letters, use the fancy text generator and paste the result.
• Formatting in usernames: markdown only works in messages, not in names.

Troubleshooting

• Check that the opening and closing symbols match.
• Do not leave spaces between the symbols and the text, for example write **bold** and not ** bold **.
• Headers, quotes and lists must start at the beginning of a line.
• If a symbol shows up as plain text, add a backslash before it to escape it, or remove the extra characters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Discord support markdown?

Yes. Discord supports markdown for bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, spoilers, quotes, code blocks, headers and lists.

How do I make text bold in Discord?

Put two asterisks on each side of the text, for example **bold**.

How do I strikethrough text in Discord?

Put two tildes on each side of the text, for example ~~strikethrough~~.

Does Discord support markdown tables?

No. Discord does not render markdown tables. Put the table in a code block instead.

How do I stop Discord from formatting my text?

Add a backslash before each markdown symbol, or put the text in a code block.

Can I make small text in Discord?

Start a line with -# to get small subtext. For small letters in names or bios, use a small text generator.

Ready to go further? Try the Discord colored text generator for colored messages.