Markdown cheat sheet
Core syntax / editable reference
These patterns are source text to copy. The printed sheet preserves the punctuation.
Purpose
Write this
Result or condition
Heading
# Heading
Heading; leave a space after the marker
Subheading
## Section
A nested section
Emphasis
*italic*
Italic text
Strong emphasis
**bold**
Bold text
Inline code
`value`
Literal text in code style
Link
[label](https://example.com)
A named link
Image
![description](image.png)
Loads the referenced image
Quote
> Quoted words
A blockquote
Literal symbol
\*not italic\*
Asterisks remain visible
Paragraph
A blank line between paragraphs
A new paragraph
Lists
Use a space after each marker. Keep a blank line around the block.
- Draft
- Review
1. Write
2. Save
Display a fenced code example
The outer fence below has four backticks at both ends. The inner example has three.
````markdown
```python
print("hello")
```
````
CommonMark: spec.commonmark.org/0.31.2/
Markdown reference | Core and extensions kept separate | 1

Markdown cheat sheet
Extensions / print and reuse
Tables, task lists and strikethrough need a renderer that supports those extensions.
Purpose
Write this
Scope
Strikethrough
~~removed~~
GFM extension
Task marker
- [ ] Open or - [x] Done
Checkbox support varies
Table row
| Name | State |
Needs a delimiter row below
Delimiter row
| --- | --- |
Enables table parsing in table-capable readers
Alignment
:--- / :---: / ---:
Left / center / right in supporting readers
A table to copy
| Name | State |
| --- | --- |
| Draft | Ready |
Find the failed stage
Symptom
Inspect
Action
Pipes appear as text
Is the table extension active?
Select a table-capable reader
Task markers stay visible
Are tasks supported separately?
Enable task support or keep text labels
Code example swallows later text
Does the outer fence close?
Match both outer fence lengths
Content is cut off on paper
Does the HTML already contain it?
Change print layout or shorten the example
Keep both copies
Edit the Markdown source. Use the PDF for a fixed visual reference. A PDF alone does not preserve the original
Markdown punctuation or renderer settings.
Local comparisons use markdown-it-py CommonMark, Python-Markdown with tables and fenced_code, and
Pandoc GFM. They do not test hosted GitHub, VS Code or Jupyter.
GFM: github.github.com/gfm/
Markdown reference | Core and extensions kept separate | 2