#>markdown_knowledge_bases topic stub

Markdown Syntax

This page is mainly about Markdown itself: the plain-text syntax for headings, paragraphs, lists, links, emphasis, code, blockquotes, and other lightweight document structure.

The core practical question is simple: which parts of a document are plain Markdown syntax, and which parts are conventions or app-specific extensions layered on top? That distinction matters whenever a file needs to stay portable across editors, renderers, and products.

?pressure syntax scope

What belongs to core Markdown

Markdown began as a readable plain-text format for structured documents. The original project emphasized readability in source form, while CommonMark later provided a stronger specification so implementations could behave more consistently.

Block structure: headings, paragraphs, lists, blockquotes, code blocks, and thematic breaks.
Inline structure: emphasis, strong emphasis, inline code, links, and images.
Portability questions: where implementations agree, and where extensions or ambiguity start to matter.

^syntax syntax starter

Syntax starter

Headings

ATX headings use leading `#` marks. The number of `#` characters indicates depth.

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

Emphasis and strong emphasis

Single `*` or `_` typically marks emphasis. Double markers typically mark strong emphasis.

*emphasis*
**strong**
_emphasis_
__strong__

Links and images

Links use brackets plus parentheses. Images add a leading exclamation mark.

[CommonMark](https://commonmark.org/)
![Alt text](/path/image.png)

Inline code and fenced code blocks

Backticks mark inline code. Triple backticks usually fence code blocks in modern Markdown implementations.

`inline code`

```js
console.log("code block");
```

@blocks block forms

Common block forms

Paragraphs

Paragraphs are separated by blank lines. Markdown generally treats plain wrapped lines as part of the same paragraph until a blank line or another block form appears.

Lists

Unordered lists usually use `-`, `*`, or `+`. Ordered lists usually use `1.` style markers. Nesting behavior can vary if indentation is sloppy.

Blockquotes

Blockquotes begin with `>`. They can contain multiple paragraphs and, in many implementations, nested structures such as lists or code blocks.

Thematic breaks

Three or more matching markers such as `---`, `***`, or `___` usually produce a thematic break.

~interop interoperability note

Where ambiguity starts

The original Markdown project was influential, but not fully unambiguous as a formal specification. That is one reason CommonMark matters: it gives a stronger, testable description of how Markdown should parse.

In practice, syntax questions often break into three layers:

Original Markdown behavior as described by John Gruber.
CommonMark behavior as a stronger modern reference point.
Implementation-specific extensions such as tables, task lists, footnotes, wiki links, callouts, or math blocks.

If you want portability, write toward the shared core first and treat extensions as optional rather than assumed.

~refs starting references