Markdown Syntax Reference

Markdown is a lightweight markup language designed to be readable as plain text while converting cleanly to HTML. It was created by John Gruber in 2004 and has since become the de facto standard for README files, documentation, blog posts, and developer writing tools.

Flavors and Extensions

The original Markdown spec is intentionally minimal. Most platforms use an extended flavor. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) adds tables, strikethrough (~~text~~), task lists (- [x] done), and auto-linked URLs. CommonMark is a rigorous spec that resolves ambiguities in the original. This previewer implements a simplified subset suitable for most documentation tasks.