Guide

GitHub Flavored Markdown

Everything you need to format README files, issues, pull requests, and wikis on GitHub — tables, task lists, code fences, alerts, footnotes, and more.

GFM syntax covered Tables + task lists Live GitHub preview 5 min read
Basic Text Formatting
SyntaxResultName
# Heading 1Heading 1Heading
**bold**boldBold
*italic*italicItalic
~~strike~~strikeStrikethrough
> quotequoteBlockquote
`inline code`inline codeInline code
<sub>2</sub>H2OSubscript
<sup>2</sup>x2Superscript

GitHub Flavored Markdown is a superset of CommonMark and adds GitHub-specific extensions such as tables and task lists.

Code, Links & Media
SyntaxUse case
```js
console.log('Hi')
```
Fenced code blocks with language hints
[Docs](https://docs.github.com)Inline links
![Alt](image.png)Images in README and docs
https://github.comAutolinks
[Section](#install)Heading anchors / section links

Example README block:

README.md main
# My Project Install dependencies: ```bash npm install npm run dev ``` See the [documentation](https://docs.github.com).
Lists, Tables & Tasks
SyntaxRendered idea
- item• Bullet list item
1. item1. Ordered item
- [ ] todo todo
- [x] done done
| Name | Role |
| --- | --- |
Pipe table
:--- / :---: / ---:Left, center, right align
Rendered issue checklist
  • Write docs
  • Add task list
CommandStatus
npm test passing
GitHub-Specific Features
@mentionsNotify people or teams in issues, PRs, and discussions.
Issue referencesReference issues and pull requests with #123.
AlertsUse > [!NOTE], > [!TIP], or > [!WARNING].
FootnotesAdd references with [^1] and define them later.
Emoji shortcodesInsert emoji with shortcodes like :rocket:.
Relative linksUseful for linking files inside the same repository.
NOTE GitHub alerts are ideal for callouts inside README files, documentation pages, and discussions.
Live GitHub Markdown Preview

Type GitHub Markdown on the left and see a GitHub-style rendered preview on the right. Supports headings, tables, task lists, fenced code blocks, links, and alerts.

Your GitHub Markdown
GitHub Preview
README.md preview
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GitHub Flavored Markdown?
GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) is GitHub's Markdown dialect based on CommonMark with extensions such as tables, task list items, strikethrough, autolinks, and restrictions on some raw HTML.
How do I make a task list on GitHub?
Use - [ ] for an empty checkbox and - [x] for a checked item. GitHub renders these as interactive task list items.
Does GitHub support tables in Markdown?
Yes. Use pipe tables with a header row and separator row, such as | Name | Value | followed by | --- | --- |. You can align columns with :---, :---:, or ---:.
How do I add an alert or callout on GitHub?
Start a blockquote with an alert keyword like > [!NOTE], > [!TIP], > [!IMPORTANT], > [!WARNING], or > [!CAUTION].
Can I use footnotes in GitHub Markdown?
Yes. Add a footnote marker such as [^1] in the text and define it later using [^1]: Footnote text. GitHub will render a numbered reference link.
Where can I use this syntax?
You can use GitHub Markdown in repository README files, issues, pull requests, discussions, and many documentation or wiki pages across GitHub.
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