---
title: Discord Markdown — Text Formatting Cheat Sheet
description: "Free Discord markdown guide with a live editor. Bold, italic, strikethrough, spoiler tags, -# small subtext, headers, code, quotes, and lists — copy and paste into Discord."
image: "https://discorder.tools/discorder-tools-icon.svg"
---
# Discord Markdown — Text Formatting Cheat Sheet

Free Discord markdown guide with a live editor. Bold, italic, strikethrough, spoiler tags, -# small subtext, headers, code, quotes, and lists — copy and paste into Discord.

Use the generator on this page in your browser, then copy the result into Discord. No Discord login or bot token is required for the core tools.

## Discord markdown (text formatting) basics

Discord uses a Markdown-like system for chat formatting. Wrap text in special characters and Discord renders bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, spoilers, code, quotes, headers, and subtext when the message sends.

Common starters: **bold**, *italic*, __underline__, ~~strikethrough~~, ||spoiler||, `inline code`, and -# for small gray subtext on its own line. Headers use # / ## / ### at the start of a line. Official reference: Discord’s Markdown Text 101 help article.

## How to bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough

Bold: **text**. Italic: *text* or _text_. Bold italic: ***text***. Underline: __text__. Strikethrough (cross out): ~~text~~. On desktop you can also highlight text and use the formatting toolbar or shortcuts (Ctrl/⌘+B, I, U).

These only work in messages. They do not style nicknames, display names, or About Me — for those fields use the Discord Font Generator (Unicode), not markdown.

- [Discord spoiler tag tool](https://discorder.tools/discord-spoiler-tag/)
- [Small text / subtext tool](https://discorder.tools/discord-small-text-generator/)
- [Fancy Unicode fonts](https://discorder.tools/discord-font-generator/)

## Small text (-# subtext) and line breaks

Native small text in chat is **subtext**: put `-# ` (hyphen, hash, space) at the start of a line. The whole line becomes smaller and gray. Missing the space breaks it. For a dedicated walkthrough and Unicode nickname alternatives, use the [Discord small text generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-small-text-generator/).

Line breaks: press Shift+Enter (desktop) to add a new line without sending. On mobile, use the return key depending on your keyboard’s send behavior. Lists and headers also need to start at the beginning of a line.

## Markdown vs fonts vs colored text

**Markdown** (this page) — chat formatting Discord parses. **Unicode fonts** — [Discord Font Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-font-generator/) for nicknames and bios. **ANSI color** — [Colored Text Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-colored-text-generator/) for ```ansi code-block colors. Pick the layer that matches where you’re posting.

## How It Works

Learn Discord markdown in seconds.

- **Type Discord markdown:** Use the live editor for bold, italic, spoilers, subtext, headers, code, and more.
- **Preview instantly:** See a Discord-style preview as you type so you know how chat will look before you paste.
- **Copy & paste:** Copy the markup and paste it into any Discord message, announcement, or DM.

## Expected Results

What this Discord markdown hub gives you.

- **Full syntax reference:** Cheat sheet for Discord text formatting: bold, strike, spoiler, -# subtext, quotes, lists, and line breaks.
- **Clear intent split:** Markdown for chat. Unicode fonts for nicknames. ANSI colors for callouts — linked from one hub.
- **Works everywhere Discord parses markdown:** Desktop, web, and mobile chat — same ** || ~~ and -# syntax Discord documents officially.

## Use Cases

Who uses Discord markdown every day?

- **Mods & admins:** Rules, pins, and announcements with headers, spoilers, and subtext footnotes.
- **Creators & communities:** Readable event posts without stuffing every line with color codes.
- **Everyday chat:** Bold a key phrase, hide a spoiler, or add a quiet -# note under a message.

## Customer Reviews

- “Live preview + spoilers and -# subtext in one place. Bookmarked for our mod team.” — Maya R.
- “Helped me stop mixing up markdown bold with those fancy Unicode letters.” — Jordan Lee
- “Headers and spoilers make announcement posts way cleaner.” — Server Admin Sam
- “Type, preview, copy. Exactly what I needed for Discord text formatting.” — Alex Chen

## Related Discord tools

### Find communities & Look up users/servers

Resolve Discord IDs, inspect public profiles, and browse servers by category.

- [Discord Server Finder](https://discorder.tools/discord-server-finder/): Find and join the best Discord servers, with live member counts.
- [Discord User ID Lookup](https://discorder.tools/discord-id-lookup/): Look up a Discord user or account by ID and view the public profile.
- [Discord Server ID Lookup](https://discorder.tools/discord-server-id-lookup/): Find the unique ID number for any Discord server.
- [Discord Snowflake Decoder](https://discorder.tools/discord-snowflake-decoder/): Decode any Discord ID into creation timestamp, worker, process, and increment.

### Download profile media

Grab high-resolution avatars and banners from any public Discord profile.

- [Discord PFP Grabber, Downloader & Viewer](https://discorder.tools/discord-pfp-downloader/): Grab, download, and view Discord pfps by User ID as PNG or GIF.
- [Discord Banner Downloader](https://discorder.tools/discord-banner-downloader/): View and download Discord profile banners in HD, with profile pictures available too.

### Size converters

Convert banners and emoji to Discord’s exact pixel and file-size limits.

- [Discord Banner Size Converter](https://discorder.tools/discord-banner-size-converter/): Convert images to profile 600×240, server 960×540, or invite splash 1920×1080 — free in-browser.
- [Discord Emoji Size Converter](https://discorder.tools/discord-emoji-size-converter/): Convert custom emoji to 128×128 and compress under Discord’s 256 KB upload limit.

### Format messages & text

Markdown formatting, spoilers, small text, timestamps, ANSI colors, and Unicode fonts.

- [Discord Spoiler Tag](https://discorder.tools/discord-spoiler-tag/): Hide text with Discord ||spoiler|| tags — generate and preview.
- [Discord Small Text Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-small-text-generator/): Make small Discord text with -# subtext or Unicode tiny letters.
- [Discord Timestamp Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-timestamp-generator/): Create dynamic, auto-updating Discord timestamps.
- [Discord Font Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-font-generator/): Generate fancy Unicode fonts for Discord messages, nicknames, and bios.
- [Discord Colored Text Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-colored-text-generator/): Create colored text for Discord easily with our free tool.
- [Discord Symbols](https://discorder.tools/discord-symbols/): Click-to-copy symbols for Discord names, bios, and channels.

### Generate bios, names & templates

Bios, statuses, usernames, rules templates, replies, and developer calculators.

- [Discord Bio Ideas & Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-bio-generator/): Copy Discord bio ideas for About Me, or generate a custom bio with AI.
- [Discord Status Ideas](https://discorder.tools/discord-status-ideas/): Copy funny, aesthetic, gaming, and chill custom Discord statuses.
- [Discord Username Generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-username-generator/): Generate Discord usernames and display names that follow platform rules.
- [Discord Rules Template](https://discorder.tools/discord-rules-template/): Copy-paste Discord server rules templates with markdown formatting.
- [Discord Permissions Calculator](https://discorder.tools/discord-permissions-calculator/): Build permission bitfield integers and OAuth2 bot invite URLs.
- [AI Reply Generator](https://discorder.tools/reply-generator/): Create contextual, engaging replies with AI for Discord.

### Guides

How-tos for Nitro and emoji — informational only, no scam generators.

- [How to Cancel Discord Nitro](https://discorder.tools/guides/how-to-cancel-discord-nitro/): Cancel Nitro on desktop, mobile, Apple, or Google Play before the next bill.
- [Discord Emoji Guide](https://discorder.tools/guides/discord-emoji-guide/): Custom emoji, stickers, Nitro vs boosts, and how to upload the right size.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is Discord markdown?

Discord markdown is the set of text shortcuts (like **bold**, ||spoilers||, and -# subtext) Discord parses in messages to format chat.

### How do I bold text in Discord?

Put two asterisks around the text: **like this**. On desktop you can also highlight text and press Ctrl/⌘+B or use the formatting menu.

### How do I strikethrough or cross out text?

Wrap the text in double tildes: ~~like this~~. That is native markdown — different from Unicode strikethrough used in nicknames.

### How do I make small text in Discord?

For chat, use subtext: start a line with -# and a space. For nicknames or bios, use Unicode small text on our small text generator or font generator.

### Does markdown work in Discord bios and nicknames?

No. Profile fields don’t parse ** or ||. Use Unicode fonts for those, or keep markdown for chat messages only.

### Where can I learn spoilers and colored text?

Use the [spoiler tag tool](https://discorder.tools/discord-spoiler-tag/) for ||spoilers||, and the [colored text generator](https://discorder.tools/discord-colored-text-generator/) for ANSI colors inside code blocks.

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