# Lemmy Markdown Formatting Guide This post explains how to format Markdown with Lemmy and details it’s nuances as best as possible. ## Important Notes on Markdown with Lemmy Lemmy parses Markdown using CommonMark, but with some additional features namely spoilers. NOTE: Lemmy cares about the number of newlines between paragraphs. If you want to have a new paragraph, you need to have at least one newline between the two paragraphs. Or else, Lemmy will treat it as a single paragraph. You can see this in the example below. ::: spoiler Newline spacing example ### Correct #### Format md This is a paragraph. Imagine it's a bit longer. This is another paragraph. Again, imagine it's a bit longer. #### Result This is a paragraph. Imagine it’s a bit longer. This is another paragraph. Again, imagine it’s a bit longer. ### Incorrect #### Format md This is a paragraph. Imagine it's a bit longer. This is another paragraph. Again, imagine it's a bit longer. #### Result This is a paragraph. Imagine it’s a bit longer. This is another paragraph. Again, imagine it’s a bit longer. ::: ## Text Formatting ### Paragraph Text | Format | Alternate | Result | | :—: | :—: | :—: | | _italic_ | *italic* | italic | | **bold** | __bold__ | bold | | **_bold italic_** | __*bold italic*__ | bold italic | | ~~strikethrough~~ | | strikethrough | | ^superscript^ | | superscript | | ~subscript~ | | subscript | ### Headings Headings are denoted by a # at the beginning of a line. The number of #s determines the heading level up to 6. The alternate format is to have the heading text on the line below and underline it with = for heading 1 and - for heading 2. ::: spoiler Heading examples #### Heading Format md # Heading 1 ## Heading 2 ### Heading 3 #### Heading 4 ##### Heading 5 ###### Heading 6 #### Heading Result # Heading 1 ## Heading 2 ### Heading 3 #### Heading 4 ##### Heading 5 ###### Heading 6 #### Alternate Format md Heading 1 ========= Heading 2 --------- #### Alternate Result Heading 1 ========= Heading 2 --------- ::: ### Blockquotes Blockquotes are simply a > at the beginning of a line. #### Blockquote Format md > This is a blockquote. > This is > > a multiline > > blockquote. > This is > not a multiline > blockquote. #### Blockquote Result > This is a blockquote. > This is > > a multiline > > blockquote. > This is > not a multiline > blockquote. ## Lists Lists can be ordered or unordered. Ordered lists are numbered, unordered lists are bulleted. You can nest lists by indenting them with 4 spaces or a tab, and you can mix ordered and unordered lists by indenting them differently. ::: spoiler List examples ### Unordered List Format md - Item 1 - Item 2 - Item 2.1 - Item 2.2 - Item 3 ### Unordered List Result - Item 1 - Item 2 - Item 2.1 - Item 2.2 - Item 3 #### Ordered List Format md 1. Item 1 2. Item 2 1. Item 2.1 2. Item 2.2 3. Item 3 #### Ordered List Result 1. Item 1 2. Item 2 1. Item 2.1 2. Item 2.2 3. Item 3 #### Mixed List Format md - Item 1 - Item 2 1. Item 2.1 2. Item 2.2 - Item 2.2.1 - Item 3 #### Mixed List Result - Item 1 - Item 2 1. Item 2.1 2. Item 2.2 - Item 2.2.1 - Item 2.2.2 - Item 3 ::: ### Code Blocks Code blocks are denoted by 3 backticks (```) on the line before and after the code block. Currently no syntax highlighting is supported. You can also do inline code blocks by using a single backtick (`) on either side of the code. ::: spoiler Code block examples #### Code Block Format NOTE: Ignore the backslashes, they are only there to escape the backticks. md \`\`\` python def hello_world(): print("Hello World!") \`\`\` #### Code Block Result python def hello_world(): print("Hello World!") ::: ::: spoiler Inline code example #### Inline Code Format md This is a paragraph with some `inline code` in it. #### Inline Code Result This is a paragraph with some inline code in it. ::: ### Links Links are denoted by [link text](link url). You can also do reference links by doing [link text][link id] and then [link id]: link url somewhere else in the post, preferably at the bottom. ::: spoiler Link examples #### Link Formats md [SFFA](https://sffa.community) [SFFA][sffa-wiki] ... somewhere down at the bottom of the post ... [sffa-wiki]: https://sffa.community #### Link Results SFFA [https://sffa.community] [SFFA][sffa-wiki] … somewhere down at the bottom of the post … [sffa-wiki]: https://sffa.community [https://sffa.community] ::: ### Images Images are denoted by . You can also do reference images by doing ![alt text][image id] and then [image id]: image url somewhere else in the post, preferably at the bottom of the post like with reference links. ::: spoiler Image examples #### Image Formats md ![Lemmy from Motörhead]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Lemmy-02.jpg) ![Lemmy from Motörhead][lemmy] ... somewhere down at the bottom of the post ... [lemmy]: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Lemmy-02.jpg #### Image Results Lemmy from Motörhead [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Lemmy-02.jpg] ![Lemmy from Motörhead][lemmy] … somewhere down at the bottom of the post … [lemmy]: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Lemmy-02.jpg [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Lemmy-02.jpg] ::: ### Tables Tables are denoted by |s and -s. The first row is the header row, and the second row is the alignment row. The alignment row is optional, and if it is not included, the table will default to left alignment. The alignment row can be left aligned with :---, right aligned with ---:, or center aligned with :---:. The alignment row can also be omitted entirely, in which case the table will default to left alignment. ::: spoiler Table examples #### Table Format md | Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 | | :--- | :---: | ---: | | Left | Center | Right | | Left | Center | Right | #### Table Result | Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 | | :— | :—: | —: | | Left | Center | Right | | Left | Center | Right | ::: ### Horizontal Rules Horizontal rules are denoted by 3 or more -s on a line by themselves and require blank new lines above and below. ::: spoiler Horizontal rule example #### Horizontal Rule Format md some text --- some more text #### Horizontal Rule Result some text — some more text ::: ### Spoilers Spoilers are denoted by ::: spoiler and ::: around a block of text or other markdown elements. You can give the spoiler a title by putting it after ::: spoiler like ::: spoiler Spoiler Title. You CAN’T nest spoilers inside of each other. #### Spoiler Format NOTE: Ignore the backslashes, they are only there to escape the colons. md Some paragraph text. \::: spoiler Spoiler Title Some spoiler or _other_ markdown elements. \::: Other paragraph text. #### Spoiler Result Some paragraph text. ::: spoiler Spoiler Title Some spoiler or other markdown elements. ::: Other paragraph text.