What is Markdown?
Markdown is a simple way to format text using plain characters. Type symbols like # or ** and they automatically become headings or bold text.
Don't want to use markdown? Use the visual toolbar instead—same results, no syntax required.
Quick reference
| Format | Markdown | Keyboard Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Heading 1 | # Text | — |
| Heading 2 | ## Text | — |
| Heading 3 | ### Text | — |
| Bold | **text** | Cmd/Ctrl + B |
| Italic | *text* | Cmd/Ctrl + I |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | — |
| Bullet list | - item | — |
| Numbered list | 1. item | — |
| Task list | - [ ] task | — |
| Block quote | > quote | — |
| Inline code | `code` | — |
| Code block | ``code`` | — |
| Link | [text](https://example.com) | — |
| Horizontal rule | --- | — |
| Table | Pipe-delimited rows | — |
All of these can also be accessed through the visual toolbar—just select text and click the formatting button you want.
Pasting Markdown
When you paste raw Markdown into the editor, Scribeist detects meaningful Markdown structure and converts it into editor formatting automatically. This includes headings, emphasis, links, lists, block quotes, fenced code blocks, horizontal rules, and pipe tables.
For example, a pasted table such as:
| Date | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| June 4 | 11:42 PM | Nothing unusual |
| June 5 | 12:03 AM | Signal detected |
becomes an editable table. Ordinary prose that happens to contain punctuation is left as normal text.
Automatic paragraph indentation
By default, pressing Enter after a paragraph starts the next paragraph with four spaces. To turn this behavior off for a workspace, open Workspace Settings → Appearance and disable Automatic Paragraph Indentation.
Need more help with markdown?
For a comprehensive markdown guide, see the Markdown Guide.
Next steps
- Toolbar Guide → - Visual formatting tools
- Images & Links → - Insert media and hyperlinks