What is Markdown?
The lightweight markup language that powers the web.
Markdown is a lightweight markup language with plain text formatting syntax. Its design allows it to be converted to many output formats, but the original tool by the same name only converts it to HTML. Markdown is often used to format readme files, for writing messages in online discussion forums, and to create rich text using a plain text editor.
History
Markdown was created in 2004 by John Gruber, with significant contributions from Aaron Swartz. Gruber's goal was to create a plain text formatting syntax that would be easy to read and easy to write, and that could be converted to valid XHTML (or HTML).
The key design goal was readability – the idea is that a Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it's been marked up with tags or formatting instructions.
Core Syntax Guide
Markdown uses simple symbols to format text. Here are the most common elements:
- Headers: Use
#for H1,##for H2, etc. - Emphasis: Use
*italics*or**bold**. - Lists: Use
-or*for bullet points, and1.for numbered lists. - Links:
[Link Text](URL)syntax. - Images:
syntax. - Code: Wrap inline code in backticks
`code`and blocks in triple backticks```.
Flavors and Standardization
Since the original specification was somewhat ambiguous, many "flavors" of Markdown have appeared to address different needs:
- CommonMark: A strongly defined, highly compatible specification.
- GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM): Used by GitHub, adding tables, task lists, and strikethrough.
- MultiMarkdown: Adds features like metadata and definition lists.
Ecosystem and Tools
Markdown is now supported by a vast ecosystem of tools:
- Static Site Generators: Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, and Docusaurus all use Markdown for content.
- Editors: VS Code, Obsidian, Typora, and online tools like dotmd.net.
- Communication: Slack, Discord, Telegram, and Microsoft Teams use variations of Markdown.
- Documentation: It is the standard format for documentation on GitHub and GitLab.
Why it Matters
In an age of complex file formats, Markdown stands out for its simplicity and longevity. Being plain text, it is future-proof—readable by humans and computers alike, regardless of the software used to open it.