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Discord Tool

Discord Markdown Guide

Interactive reference for Discord text formatting with live preview.

Bold

Syntax

**bold text**

Preview

bold text

Italic

Syntax

*italic text*

Preview

italic text

Underline

Syntax

__underline text__

Preview

underline text

Strikethrough

Syntax

~~strikethrough text~~

Preview

strikethrough text

Inline Code

Syntax

`inline code`

Preview

inline code

Code Block

Syntax

```language code here ```

Preview

code here

Block Quote

Syntax

> quoted text

Preview

quoted text

Spoiler

Syntax

||spoiler text||

Preview

Headers

Syntax

# Header 1 ## Header 2 ### Header 3

Preview

Header 1

Header 2

Header 3

Lists

Syntax

- Item 1 - Item 2 - Item 3 1. First 2. Second 3. Third

Preview

• Item 1

• Item 2

1. First

2. Second

Links

Syntax

[link text](https://example.com)

Preview

link text

Try It Yourself

Type Discord markdown below and see how it renders in real time.

Start typing to see the preview...

Introduction

Discord supports a layered markdown dialect that mixes bold, italic, strikethrough, code blocks, spoiler tags, and nested formatting in ways that are not always intuitive. Markdown Guide is an interactive reference that lets you type or select formatting combinations and instantly see the rendered output alongside the exact syntax Discord expects.

What Is Markdown Guide?

Markdown Guide is an interactive cheat-sheet and sandbox for Discord's text formatting syntax. Unlike static markdown references, it accounts for the quirks specific to Discord's parser — for example, that ~~strikethrough~~ does not render inside a code block, that nested bold-italic requires triple asterisks rather than separate wrappers, and that block quotes (>) propagate to all subsequent lines until a blank line breaks them. These edge cases trip up even experienced users and are the reason this tool goes beyond a simple formatting table.

The tool also documents formatting that Discord added in later updates which many users have not discovered: header lines prefixed with #, ##, or ###; bulleted lists with - or *; numbered lists; and the > single-line block quote versus >>> multi-line block quote. Each entry includes a compatibility note indicating whether the format renders on mobile, desktop, or both, since some formats like masked links only work in embed descriptions on mobile clients. Each of these newer additions has subtle parsing rules that the guide documents with interactive examples you can tweak in real time.

The sandbox feature lets you type free-form text and apply formatting buttons, so you can compose an entire formatted message and copy the final markdown without memorizing any syntax. This is particularly useful for longer messages with mixed formatting — announcements that combine bold section headers, inline code for command references, and spoiler tags for plot-sensitive content. The composed markdown transfers cleanly to Discord without the formatting errors that typically come from typing raw syntax from memory.

Markdown Guide Examples

InputOutput
Applying bold + italic to: The raid starts at 8pm sharp***The raid starts at 8pm sharp*** (renders as bold-italic text in Discord)
Creating a spoiler block for: Darth Vader is Luke's father||Darth Vader is Luke's father|| (renders as a blacked-out spoiler that reveals on click)
Multi-line block quote containing: Join us for the event\nSign up in #events\nSee you there>>> Join us for the event\nSign up in #events\nSee you there (all three lines rendered as a block quote)
Inline code with syntax highlighting for: const xp = level * 50;```js\nconst xp = level * 50;\n``` (renders as a JavaScript-highlighted code block)

Key Features of Markdown Guide

  • Live dual-pane editor showing raw markdown on the left and rendered Discord output on the right as you type
  • Nesting validator that warns when formatting combinations will not render — for example, strikethrough inside a code block
  • Compatibility annotations indicating whether each format renders on desktop, mobile, or both
  • Syntax-highlighted code-block support with language identifiers for js, python, css, json, and 40+ other languages
  • Copy-single-click on any example tile to grab just the markdown wrapper (e.g., **** or ||) or the full example string
  • Search bar that filters formatting entries by keyword so you can find 'mask link' or 'header' without scrolling

How It Works

1

Browse the Formatting Reference

Scroll through an organized reference of every Discord markdown syntax — from basic bold and italic to advanced techniques like nested code blocks, block quotes, and spoiler tags. Each entry shows the exact syntax you need to type alongside a live preview of how Discord renders it.

2

Try Formatting in the Interactive Playground

Type or edit text directly in the playground area to experiment with markdown in real time. Combine multiple formatting types like bold italic headers, inline code within block quotes, or masked links to see how they layer together before you commit the syntax to a real Discord message.

3

Copy the Syntax You Need

Click any formatting example to copy its raw syntax to your clipboard. Paste it into Discord, fill in your own text, and the formatting works immediately — no guesswork about whether you need single or double asterisks, backticks, or pipes.

Who Uses This

Community Moderators

formatting server rules, FAQ posts, and pinned messages with clear headers, bullet points, and code blocks so that important information is scannable and professional-looking rather than a wall of plain text

New Discord Users

learning the differences between Discord's markdown and standard markdown, especially Discord-specific features like spoiler tags, masked links, and timestamp formatting that do not exist in other platforms

Bot Developers

testing how rich text formatting renders in embed descriptions and field values, ensuring their bot's output looks polished across both desktop and mobile Discord clients

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Discord support standard Markdown?
Discord supports a subset of standard Markdown with some additions and differences. It handles bold, italic, strikethrough, code blocks, block quotes, and headers, but does not support tables, images via markdown, or HTML tags. Discord also adds its own syntax for spoilers, masked links, and timestamps that are not part of standard Markdown.
Why is my nested formatting not working?
Discord has specific rules for nesting — the outer formatting must use the wider syntax. For example, bold italic requires three asterisks on the outside, not bold wrapping italic separately. The guide shows the exact nesting order for each combination so you never have to guess.
Does formatting render differently on mobile?
Most formatting renders identically on desktop and mobile, but code blocks with language-specific syntax highlighting may display without colors on mobile. Header sizes also render more uniformly on mobile. The guide notes these differences where they matter.