How Do You Write Markdown? 10 High-Frequency Patterns to Learn by Doing

Beginners often bounce off #, *, and backticks—but everyday Markdown is only about ten high-frequency patterns. Learn those and you can write blogs, READMEs, notes, and weekly updates. Each section below pairs source with a rendered result, plus examples you can copy and tweak.

Markdown is a lightweight way to mark up plain text with ordinary symbols: # for headings, * for emphasis, - for lists. A renderer turns those marks into real layout. The payoff is content separated from presentation—the source stays readable, and the same .md file can become HTML, Word, PDF, or platform-specific rich text.

GitHub, note apps, static blogs, and many AI chat UIs treat Markdown as the default writing format. The learning curve is low: you format from the keyboard instead of hunting through toolbars. Below are the ten patterns you will use most.

Support for these ten patterns in common apps (a “yes” means they render in the usual CommonMark / GFM way; skins differ):

Pattern	Notepad	VS Code preview	GitHub	Typora-class	WeChat official editor
Headings / bold / lists / links / images	Source only	Yes	Yes	Yes	Needs conversion, not raw MD
Task lists - [ ]	Source only	Yes (preview)	Yes	Yes	Usually no
Tables, highlighted fences	Source only	Yes	Yes	Yes	Needs conversion
Math, flowcharts	No	Depends on extension	Partial	Depends	No source render

Notepad only opens the file; it will not show layout. Any editor with a preview is enough to compare. Math and diagrams are not part of this ten-pattern set—see the advanced syntax guide.

Headings start a line with #. The number of hashes is the level, and there must be a space between # and the title text. Use # for the document title; use ## / ### for sections inside the body.

markdown# Heading 1 (document title)
## Heading 2 (section)
### Heading 3 (subsection)
#### Heading 4

Rendered preview:

The classic beginner mistake is writing #Heading with no space—most renderers then show the raw text. Also avoid skipping levels (jumping from # to ###); clean hierarchy helps when you export Word/PDF and generate a table of contents.

Wrap text in matching markers: bold with **text**, italic with *text*, strikethrough with ~~text~~. You can combine them.

markdownThis sentence has **bold**, *italic*, ***bold italic***, and ~~an old price~~.

If emphasis fails next to punctuation or CJK characters, add a space outside the ** markers. Strikethrough is handy for contrasts like “was 99 now 39”.

Three list types: unordered with - (or * ), ordered with 1. , and task lists with - [ ] (open) or - [x] (done). Always put a space after the marker. Indent by two or four spaces for nested items.

markdownUnordered:
- Apple
- Banana
  - Nested item

Ordered:
1. Open the editor
2. Paste content
3. Export the file

Tasks:
- [x] Done
- [ ] Still to do

You can write every ordered item as 1.—many renderers renumber automatically, which makes inserting rows easier. Task lists are a GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown) extension and work well for TODOs and checklists.

Links use [label](url). Images are the same with a leading bang: ![alt text](image-url). Structure is almost identical; images render inline, links stay clickable text.

markdownHere is a [link to MeTool](https://metool.online/).

Here is an image:
![MeTool logo](https://metool.online/images/logo-removebg.png)

Write meaningful alt text for accessibility and failed loads. The URL can be remote or local; many editors also accept drag-and-drop or paste and insert the image syntax for you.

Wrap short commands in single backticks for inline code. For multi-line blocks, use three backticks and put a language id after the opening fence (js, python, …) so the renderer can highlight.

markdownTo install dependencies, run `npm install`.

```js
function hello() {
  console.log('Hello Markdown')
}
```

The backtick key is usually left of 1—do not confuse it with a single quote. Language tags matter: without them you often get a plain block with no highlighting.

Start a line with > for a quote—great for key takeaways, citations, or callouts. Repeat > on each line of a multi-paragraph quote; nest with >> if needed.

markdown> This is a quote—good for a key conclusion.
>
> Quotes can include **bold** and `code`.

Styles vary by platform, but the meaning is the same: demote the text as a side note or excerpt. Opening an article with a one-line quote is a common pattern.

Separate cells with |. The second row is a header separator of ---. Colons set alignment: :--- left, :---: center, ---: right.

markdown| Feature | Common? | Note |
| :--- | :---: | ---: |
| Heading | Yes | Use # |
| Table | Yes | Use pipes |

Hand-aligning pipes is tedious. Practical tip: insert a table skeleton first, then fill cells—or paste from a spreadsheet into an editor that converts tables.

A horizontal rule is a line with three or more hyphens --- (or ***). For line breaks, a single Enter often does not start a new line—use two trailing spaces, or leave a blank line for a new paragraph.

markdownFirst paragraph.

Second paragraph (blank line between).

---

Content below the rule.

Keep a blank line above ---, or it may be parsed as a setext heading underline. Blank lines between paragraphs are the safest habit.

When Markdown “does nothing,” the file is rarely corrupt—the marker rules were not met. These six cases fix most of it on the spot.

What you see	Wrong	Right	Why
Text after # stays body copy	#Heading	# Heading	Space required after #
List collapses into a paragraph	-Apple	- Apple	Space after -, 1., and - [ ]
Enter does not start a new line	Single Enter	Blank line, or two trailing spaces	One Enter is not a hard break in most dialects
You wanted a rule; the line above became a heading	--- flush under text	Blank line, then ---	Adjacent --- is a setext underline
Bold next to CJK fails	这是**加粗**字	这是 **加粗** 字	Some renderers want space outside markers
Numbers go wild after an insert	Hand-edit 2. 3.	Write 1. on every row	The renderer renumbers

Two iron rules—space after markers, blank line between paragraphs—clear most rows in that table.

Reading is not enough—edit. Copy any sample into a left-source / right-preview editor, change one character, and watch the preview.

Any previewing editor works. If you do not have one open, the Markdown online editor is that split view, with the draft kept in the browser. Export to Word/PDF or sharing a link is a later step—see the related articles below rather than mixing export into syntax practice.

The everyday set is small: # headings, ** bold, * italic, - / 1. lists, - [ ] tasks, []() links, ![]() images, backticks for code, > quotes, | tables, --- rules. Space after markers and a blank line between paragraphs remove most beginner bugs. Paste the samples into a preview and spend an afternoon changing one symbol at a time.

Other questions in this topic belong on their own URLs—do not compete with “how do I write the syntax” here:

• Math, diagrams, collapse: advanced Markdown syntax
• Double-click a .md and only see hashes: how to open a downloaded .md
• Someone only accepts Word or PDF: Markdown to Word or PDF