--- title: "Discord Markdown: Format Messages Like a Pro (2025 Guide)" description: "A complete reference for Discord Markdown — bold, italics, code blocks, spoilers, headers, lists, quotes, and the hidden tricks power users rely on every day." date: "2025-11-20" author: "Markdown Viewer Team" tags: ["markdown", "discord", "formatting", "guide"] cover: "/og.png" --- Discord supports Markdown — but a slightly different flavor than GitHub or Notion. If you've ever typed `*bold*` and watched it render as italic, you know the pain. This guide is the complete reference: every Markdown feature Discord supports, the quirks that trip up new users, and the tricks power users (community moderators, bot devs, gamers) use every day. ## What Markdown looks like in Discord When you type Markdown in the Discord chat box and press Enter, Discord formats your message using a CommonMark-like flavor with a few additions and a few omissions. The five most-used: | You type | Result | | ------------------ | ------------- | | `**bold**` | **bold** | | `*italic*` | _italic_ | | `__underline__` | underline (Discord-specific!) | | `~~strikethrough~~`| ~~strike~~ | | `` `code` `` | `code` | That table covers ~90% of everyday Discord formatting. The rest is in the details below. ## Bold, italic, and underline The basics: ``` **bold text** *italic text* or _italic text_ __underline text__ ***bold italic*** __**bold underline**__ ``` Two things that surprise new users: 1. **Underline uses double underscores.** In most Markdown flavors, `__text__` is bold. Discord uses it for underline. 2. **Italic uses single asterisks or single underscores.** Both work. Pick one and stick with it. You can mix freely: ``` This is ***bold italic***, this is __**bold underline**__, and this is ***__bold italic underline__***. ``` ## Strikethrough ``` ~~This is crossed out.~~ ``` Same syntax as GFM. Useful for marking things as done or for jokes. ## Inline code and code blocks Inline code uses single backticks: ``` Run the `/help` command for a list. ``` Multi-line code blocks use three backticks: ```` ``` const greeting = "Hello, Discord!"; console.log(greeting); ``` ```` Discord supports syntax highlighting if you specify a language: ```` ```js const greeting = "Hello, Discord!"; ``` ```` Languages Discord highlights well: `js`, `ts`, `py`, `bash`, `json`, `yaml`, `html`, `css`, `sql`, `cpp`, `rs`, `go`, `java`, `md`, `diff`. The list is shorter than GitHub's — when in doubt, use plain triple backticks. ## Headers (H1, H2, H3) Discord added header support in 2023: ``` # Big header ## Medium header ### Small header ``` A few rules: - Only three header levels (`#`, `##`, `###`). - The space after the `#` is required. - Headers don't work inside DMs in some older clients — use server channels. In long posts (server rules, announcements), headers make the content **dramatically** easier to skim. ## Quotes A single `>` at the start of a line is a quote block: ``` > This is a quoted line. ``` Three `>` quotes everything that follows: ``` >>> This and everything after is part of the quote. ``` Discord's `>>>` is unusual — most Markdown flavors don't have it. Use it for replies or for callouts. ## Lists Bulleted lists: ``` - Item one - Item two - Sub-item - Item three ``` Numbered lists: ``` 1. First 2. Second 3. Third ``` Discord doesn't auto-renumber. If you write `1. 1. 1.`, that's what you'll see. ## Spoilers A Discord exclusive: hide content behind a spoiler tag: ``` ||spoiler text|| ``` The text appears blacked out until clicked. Use for plot twists, surprise reveals, or rate-limited info. You can spoil entire blocks, mixed with formatting: ``` ||This is **bold** and _italic_ inside a spoiler|| ``` Click-to-reveal works on every Discord client. ## Mentions Not strictly Markdown, but worth covering: | Type | Syntax | | ---------- | ------------------- | | User | `@username` or `<@USERID>` | | Channel | `#channel-name` or `<#CHANNELID>` | | Role | `@role-name` or `<@&ROLEID>` | | Everyone | `@everyone` | | Here | `@here` | | Slash command | `` | Discord clients auto-suggest most of these as you type `@` or `#`. The bracketed forms are useful for bots and webhooks that don't have access to the auto-suggestion. ## Custom emoji and reactions Standard emoji shortcodes work: ``` :thumbsup: :rocket: :heart: ``` Server-specific custom emoji use the same syntax — Discord replaces them automatically. Animated emoji (Nitro feature) work the same way. To **mention** a custom emoji without the image (in a code block, for example), wrap it in inline code: ``` `:thumbsup:` becomes :thumbsup: ``` ## Time and date stamps Discord has a special syntax for timestamps that respects each viewer's timezone: ``` // November 14, 2023 10:13 PM // 2 years ago // Tuesday, November 14, 2023 10:13 PM ``` The number is a **Unix timestamp** (seconds since 1970). Suffixes: - No suffix or `:f` → short date and time - `:F` → full date and time - `:d`, `:D` → short or long date - `:t`, `:T` → short or long time - `:R` → relative (e.g. "in 3 hours") This is a lifesaver for international communities — everyone sees the time in their own timezone. ## Links Auto-linking works for raw URLs: ``` Check out https://trymarkdownviewer.com for details. ``` Discord generates an **embed preview** automatically for most URLs. To suppress the preview, wrap the URL in angle brackets: ``` Check out for details. ``` The link is still clickable but no embed appears below. You can also use the standard Markdown link syntax — but **only in embeds and webhooks**, not in regular chat messages. In normal chat, `[text](url)` shows as literal text. This is one of Discord's biggest Markdown quirks. ## Headers + spoilers + code blocks together You can combine most of these for rich posts. A typical "announcement" pattern: ``` # 🎉 Patch 2.5 is live ## What's new - Spoiler tag now works in voice channels: ||top secret|| - Slash command improvements - New **role colors** ## Known issues > Voice channels may occasionally desync on Firefox. > A fix is in progress. ## Commands ```bash /help # show help /report # report a bug ``` ``` This kind of structured post looks dramatically more professional than a wall of plain text. ## Escaping Markdown To show Markdown syntax **literally**, escape with a backslash: ``` \*not italic\* \**not bold\** ``` Or wrap it in inline code: ``` `*not italic*` ``` This is useful when explaining Markdown to other users — meta, but common in community help channels. ## Limits and gotchas A few things to know: - **Message length:** 2,000 characters (4,000 with Nitro). Markdown counts toward the limit. - **Code blocks count too.** A 1,800-character message with a fenced code block can push you over. - **No tables.** Discord doesn't support GFM tables. If you need a table, take a screenshot or use a `code block` for monospaced alignment. - **No images via Markdown.** Image upload is a separate UI affordance — `![](url)` doesn't work in chat. - **No nested blockquotes.** A `>` inside another `>` is treated as part of the quoted content. ## Bot formatting (webhooks and embeds) If you're writing a Discord bot, embeds give you **richer** formatting: ```json { "embeds": [{ "title": "Announcement", "description": "**Bold**, *italic*, [a link](https://example.com)", "color": 5814783, "fields": [ { "name": "Build", "value": "`v2.5.1`", "inline": true }, { "name": "Status", "value": "✅ green", "inline": true } ] }] } ``` Inside an embed's `description` and `value`: - Markdown links (`[text](url)`) **do** work. - Headers (`#`, `##`, `###`) work in `description` since 2023. - Mentions and timestamps work. - Code blocks work. The full embed reference is in the [Discord developer docs](https://discord.com/developers/docs/resources/channel#embed-object). ## Markdown tricks Discord power users love A few patterns you'll see in well-run servers: ### 1. ASCII art borders ``` ┌─────────────────────┐ │ Welcome to the server │ └─────────────────────┘ ``` Wrap in a code block so the monospace font keeps it aligned. ### 2. Multi-line "ASCII tables" Discord doesn't support real tables, but code-block alignment is a workable substitute: ``` | Build | Status | Notes | | ----- | ------ | ------------ | | 2.5.1 | ✅ | stable | | 2.5.2 | ⚠️ | beta | ``` Inside a code block this renders with consistent column widths. ### 3. Folded long announcements with quotes Lead with the headline, then use `>` quotes for context — readers can skim the headline first: ``` **New: voice channel screen sharing** > We've added full-screen sharing to voice channels. > It's available now for all users — no Nitro required. ``` ### 4. Hidden "ping list" using spoiler tags Tag everyone who needs to see something without spamming the chat with mentions: ``` Update for our build squad: || @builder1 @builder2 @builder3 || ``` Only the relevant people get notified. ## Common Discord Markdown mistakes **1. Forgetting that `__` is underline.** In every other Markdown flavor, `__text__` is bold. **2. Using `[text](url)` in chat.** It renders as literal text. Use bare URLs in chat or use the embed for rich links. **3. Trying to embed images with Markdown syntax.** Use the upload affordance instead. **4. Long code blocks pushing over the 2000-char limit.** Split them, or screenshot. **5. Inconsistent escape characters.** Discord ignores most escape sequences in normal chat — wrap in code for the most reliable literal display. ## Try it before you post Want to preview your Discord post before hitting send? Paste it into the [Markdown editor](/editor) — most Discord Markdown features render the same way. The biggest differences: - Discord uses `__` for underline (we render it as bold). - Discord supports `||spoilers||` (we render them as plain text). - Discord auto-resolves `` to a localized timestamp (we render them as text). For everything else — bold, italic, code blocks, lists, quotes, headers — what you see in our preview is what your Discord audience sees. ## Related articles - [Markdown cheat sheet](/blog/markdown-cheat-sheet) — every Markdown feature on a single page - [Markdown vs HTML](/blog/markdown-vs-html) — when each is the right tool - [Markdown syntax guide](/blog/markdown-syntax-guide) — CommonMark and GFM, end to end ## Quick reference ``` **bold** Bold *italic* or _italic_ Italic __underline__ Underline (Discord-specific) ~~strikethrough~~ Strike `inline code` Inline code ``` … ``` Code block ```lang … ``` Code block with highlighting > quote Single-line quote >>> quote Multi-line quote # H1, ## H2, ### H3 Headers - item Bulleted list 1. item Numbered list ||spoiler|| Spoiler Timestamp <@USERID> User mention <#CHANNELID> Channel mention Link without embed preview ``` That's the full Discord Markdown toolkit. With these patterns your messages will look better than 95% of the server.