Markdown syntax

iA Writer uses punctuation symbols to indicate formatting. For more information, see this help topic: Formatting in iA Writer.

Open iA Writer

Headings (“# ”):
# Heading
## Sub-heading… (up to 6 # characters)
Numbered Lists (“1. ”):
1. Ordered list item
8. The number used is not important
1.1. A nested list item…
Bulleted Lists (“* ” etc.):
* Unordered list item
- You can also use - or +
** A nested list item…
Inline Formatting:
*Asterisks* or _underscores_ for emphasis (=italic).
Two **asterisks** or __underscores__ for importance (=bold).
~~Double tildes~~ for strikethrough.
`Backticks` for code (other inline formatting is ignored).
Links:
Inline link: [iA Writer’s website](http://www.iawriter.com/)
Reference link: [iA Writer’s website][writer]. The reference link URL can be at the end of the document, for example:

[writer]: http://www.iawriter.com/
Footnotes:
Footnotes are like reference links, and use a caret plus a number[^1].

[^1]: The number used is not important
Images:
Image: ![iA Writer’s logo](http://www.iawriter.com/logo.png)
Reference link image: ![iA Writer’s logo][logo]. The image URL can be at the end of the document, for example:

[logo]: http://www.iawriter.com/logo.png
Blockquotes (“> ”):
> A blockquote
>> A nested blockquote
Code Blocks:
    A code block has four spaces or a tab at the start of a line.
        Formatting in code blocks is *ignored*.
Fenced Code Blocks:
```
A fenced code block begins _and_ ends with triple backticks.
```
Horizontal Rules:
Any combination of three or more asterisks or hyphens, with optional spaces, on a line. For example:
* * *
---------------

Differences with MultiMarkdown

iA Writer’s default syntax Writer Flavored Markdown also includes some minor changes from MultiMarkdown. These include:

  • Only a single return is needed between paragraphs.
  • Nested list items can use additional list syntax (** list item), in addition to tab indentation ( * list item).

For more detail on the formatting iA Writer supports, please read our knowledge base article Markdown syntax reference guide.

For keyboard shortcuts to apply formatting, please see this help topic: Keyboard Shortcuts