---
title: "Basic Markdown syntax"
slug: "basic-markdown-syntax"
description: "Master Markdown in Document360 with this guide on commands, formatting, and Unicode characters to create professional content effortlessly."
tags: ["Editor"]
updated: 2026-06-02T13:21:14Z
published: 2026-06-02T13:21:14Z
---
> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.document360.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Basic Markdown syntax
The Markdown editor is a powerful tool for creating clear, organized, and professional content in Document360. Whether you are new to Markdown or already familiar, this article will help you learn the basic commands and formatting options step by step.
Markdown is a lightweight markup language that lets you format text easily using special characters. You don't need coding knowledge to use itβjust follow the syntax provided in this guide to create headings, lists, links, and more.
---
## Markdown commands
NOTE
As of 22 Nov 2025, the Markdown editor has been upgraded from **v1.4.10** to **v3.2.2**. The toolbar, layout, icons, and editor structure remain unchanged. One visible change is the updated color styling of the rendered preview within the editor.
Other updated include:
1. **LaTeX syntax changes**
- Double dollar signs (`$$`) are no longer supported for inline or block-level LaTeX.
- Single dollar signs (`$`) must be used for both inline and block-level LaTeX expressions.
2. **Indented content handling**
- Any content that begins with four spaces is now treated as a code block in the upgraded Markdown editor.
To format your text using Markdown commands, follow the table below to understand how to type Markdown commands and what they do. Here, **syntax** represents the way you type the content in your editor. You can use the examples in the **Example** column as reference.
For some Markdown commands, you also have alternate keyboard shortcuts, which you can use to quickly format your text. You can find these shortcuts in the **Notes** column in the below table.
| Feature | Syntax | Example | Output | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Headings (H2, H3, H4)** | `##`, `###`, `####` before the text | `## Heading 2` | ## Heading 2 | This syntax helps in creating section titles. Use 1-6 hash symbols for heading levels. Document360 restricts H1 for article titles. |
| **Bold** | `**text**` | `**bold**` | **bold** | This syntax helps emphasize important text. Shortcut: Ctrl+B / Cmd+B |
| **Italics** | `*text*` or `_text_` | `*italics*` | *italics* | This syntax helps highlight text subtly. Shortcut: Ctrl+I / Cmd+I |
| **Strikethrough** | `~~text~~` | `~~strikethrough~~` | ~~strikethrough~~ | This syntax helps to cross out text. No shortcut available |
| **Numbered List** | `1.` followed by text | `1. First item` | 1. First item | Numbered lists automatically increment |
| **Bulleted List** | `*` or `-` followed by text | `* Bullet item` | * Bullet item | Use an asterisk `*` or a hyphen `-` |
| **Link** | `[text](URL)` | `[Document360](https://docs.document360.com)` | [Document360](https://docs.document360.com) | Links are displayed as clickable text |
| **Blockquote** | `>` before text | `> This is a quote` | Creates a callout/blockquote | For quoting or highlighting text |
| **Horizontal Line** | `***` | `***` | Creates a horizontal line | Used to separate sections |
---
## Heading levels
| Heading Level | Syntax | Example | Output |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| H2 | `## Heading 2` | `## This is Heading 2` | ## This is Heading 2 |
| H3 | `### Heading 3` | `### This is Heading 3` | ### This is Heading 3 |
| H4 | `#### Heading 4` | `#### This is Heading 4` | #### This is Heading 4 |
TIP
Ensure a blank line above Heading tags and a space between hash symbols and text.
---
## Styling text
| Style | Syntax | Example | Output |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Bold** | `**text**` | `**bold text**` | **bold text** |
| *Italics* | `*text*` or `_text_` | `*italic text*` or `_italic text_` | *italic text* or *italic text* |
| ~~Strikethrough~~ | `~~text~~` | `~~strikethrough text~~` | ~~strikethrough text~~ |
| **Highlight** | `==text==` | `==highlighted text==` | ==highlighted text== |
| **Superscript** | `text^superscript` | `E = mc^2` | E = mc2 |
| **Subscript** | `text~subscript` | `H~2~O` | H2O |
TIP
Avoid spaces between syntax and text for proper styling.
---
## Lists
| List Type | Syntax | Example | Output | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Numbered List** | `1. Item` | `1. First item` | 1. First item | Automatically increments numbers for each item. |
| | `2. Item` | `2. Second item` | 2. Second item | Use this format for each subsequent item. |
| | `3. Item` | `3. Third item` | 3. Third item | |
| **Bulleted List** | `* Item` | `* Bullet item` | - Bullet item | Use an asterisk (`*`), hyphen (`-`), or plus (`+`). |
| | `- Item` | `- Another bullet item` | - Another bullet item | Any of these symbols will create a bulleted item. |
| | `+ Item` | `+ Yet another bullet item` | + Yet another bullet item | |
---
## Links and blockquotes
| Feature | Syntax | Example | Output |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Link | `[text](URL)` | `[Document360](https://docs.document360.com)` | [Document360](https://docs.document360.com) |
**Blockquote** Include quotes or highlight important points by using '>' before the text. `> This will quote the entire line of text` Output:
> This will quote the entire line of text
---
## Horizontal line
You can enter a horizontal line to divide two lines of text using the three asterisks.
`***` Output:
---
## Quick tips for beginners
1. Use Headings to structure your content (e.g., sections and subsections).
- Example: Use `##` for large headings and `###` for smaller ones.
2. Highlight key points with **Bold** or *Italics* to make the text easier to read.
3. Add Lists to organize information.
- Use `1.` for numbered lists or `*` for bullet points.
4. Use **Links** to direct users to additional resources or websites.
---
## More elements
| Feature | Syntax | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Image | `` | `` |
| Reference Link | `[Link text][ref]` `[ref]: URL` | `[Document360][doc]` `[doc]: https://docs.document360.com` |
| Escaping Characters (to avoid special characters being processed) | `\character` | `\*This is not italic\*` |
| YouTube Video | `<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>` | `<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQw4w9WgXcQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>` |
| Vimeo Video | `<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/VIDEO_ID" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>` | `<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/76979871" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>` |
If you're unsure about HTML, simply copy and paste the examples provided, replacing the URL with your own video link.
---
## Emoji usage
You can copy and paste the emojis directly into your document from the table below.
| **Emoji** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| π | Memo |
| βοΈ | Writing Hand |
| π | Page Facing Up |
| π | Books |
| π | Open Book |
| ποΈ | Fountain Pen |
| π | Bookmark Tabs |
| π | Magnifying Glass |
| π
| Calendar |
| π» | Laptop |
| π | Bar Chart |
| π | Chart with Upwards Trend |
| ποΈ | Card Index Dividers |
| βοΈ | Pencil |
| π | Smiling Face |
| β€οΈ | Red Heart |
| π | Star |
| π₯ | Fire |
| π | Party Popper |
Simply copy the emoji you want and paste it wherever you need it! You can also insert icons into your editor by pasting the HTML code from FontAwesome.
---
## Using Unicode characters in the Markdown editor
Unicode characters help you add symbols, special characters, and non-Latin scripts to your Markdown documents. This includes currency symbols, mathematical operators, arrows, and accented letters, which enhance your content's clarity and style.
### Syntax for inserting Unicode characters
In the Markdown editor, you can insert Unicode characters using either of the following methods:
1. **Direct copy-paste:** Copy the desired character from any Unicode reference site and paste it directly into your Markdown content.
**Example:**
```
★ Star symbol
```
**Output:** β
Star symbol
2. **HTML entity code:** Use the Unicode hexadecimal code with the format `&#xXXXX;`, where `XXXX` is the character's hex code.
**Example:**
```
🚀 Rocket symbol
```
**Output:** π Rocket symbol
### Common Unicode characters
Here are some frequently used Unicode characters:
| Character | Description | Unicode (Hex) | HTML entity code |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| β
| Star symbol | 2605 | `★` |
| β | Check mark | 2714 | `✔` |
| β | Envelope | 2709 | `✉` |
| Β© | Copyright | 00A9 | `©` |
| β¬ | Euro sign | 20AC | `€` |
| β | Right arrow | 2192 | `→` |
| β» | Recycling symbol | 267B | `♻` |
#### Finding more Unicode characters
For an extensive list of Unicode characters and their corresponding codes, refer to the following resources:
- [Unicode Character Table](https://unicode-table.com/)
- [Unicode.org Code Charts](https://www.unicode.org/charts/)
Copy the character you need and paste it into your Markdown document, or use its HTML entity code for precise control.
---
## Unsupported Markdown syntax
The Advanced WYSIWYG editor does not support the following Markdown syntax. Use the toolbar or keyboard shortcuts instead.
### Tables
Markdown table syntax does not render as a table in this editor. Use the **Insert Table** option from the toolbar instead.
```
| header | header |
| --- | --- |
| cell | cell |
```
### Subscript
The `~text~` Markdown syntax for subscript is not supported. Apply subscript manually via **Format** in the toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl` + `,` (Windows) / `β` + `,` (Mac).
### Superscript
The `^text^` Markdown syntax for superscript is not supported. Apply superscript manually via **Format** in the toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl` + `.` (Windows) / `β` + `.` (Mac).
---
## Example: Creating a simple article
Letβs bring it all together with an example.
```
#### Welcome to Markdown
Learn how to use **Markdown** in Document360 to format your articles.
#### Why use Markdown?
* Easy to learn
* Clean and organized formatting
* Saves time
#### Useful tips
1. Use headings to structure your content.
2. Add links for more resources: [Learn Markdown](https://markdownguide.org)
3. Use `***` to create a divider.
```
### Output
#### Welcome to Markdown
Learn how to use **Markdown** in Document360 to format your articles.
#### Why use Markdown?
- Easy to learn
- Clean and organized formatting
- Saves time
#### Useful tips
1. Use headings to structure your content.
2. Add links for more resources: [Learn Markdown](https://markdownguide.org)
3. Use `***` to create a divider.
---
For more advanced Markdown syntax commands, refer to the official [Markdown syntax guide](https://www.markdownguide.org/basic-syntax/). With these tips, youβll be formatting your articles like a pro in no time!
Tags in Document360 used to structure subheadings in an article. H1 is automatically applied to article titles and cannot be used in the editor. H2, H3, and H4 are available for creating subheadings, with each level displaying progressively smaller text.
A lightweight text-to-HTML conversion tool used to format content such as lists, headers, images, videos, and links. Document360 includes a powerful markdown editor as one of its two basic editors.
## Related
- [Markdown](/markdown-editor.md)