Introduction
Markdown is a text-to-HTML converter that enables writers to create rich text without needing to learn complex coding concepts. Text is converted to HTML using symbols that denote the type of formatting that should be applied to selected words or sentences.
For example:
| Markdown | Output |
|---|---|
Markdown easily adds formatting to text, such as *italics*, **bold**, or ***both***. | Markdown easily adds formatting to text, such as italics, bold, or both. |
ManagementStudio adds support for Markdown in email communications, surveys and custom forms to provide a quick and intuitive way of creating rich text.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Markdown Syntax
Markdown uses a set of reserved symbols to denote the text that should be formatted. The table below lists the most common text formatting used.
| Format | Markdown | Notes & Examples | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heading | # H1 ## H2 ### H3 | Always ensure that white space is present between the # and the text. E.g. # Introduction | ||||||||||||||
| Line Breaks | End the line with two or more spaces and press the Return/Enter key. | White spaces are difficult to read, the HTML tag <br> could also be used. | ||||||||||||||
| Bold | **bold text** | Spaces should not be used when swapping text with asterisks. E.g. This text is **bold** Markdown for bold and italics can be combined. E.g. This text is ***bold and italics*** | ||||||||||||||
| Italic | *italicised text* | E.g. This text is *italics* Markdown for bold and italics can be combined. E.g. This text is ***bold and italics*** | ||||||||||||||
| Blockquote | > blockquote | Start each line that's part of the blockquote with the > symbol. Blockquotes can span multiple paragraphs and be nested. E.g. > This is the first line of a quote > > This is the second line >> This is a nested quote >> that spans two lines > > End of quote | ||||||||||||||
| Ordered List | 1. First Item 2. Second Item 3. Third Item | Indented items are supported: 1. First Item 2. Second Item 3. Third Item 1. Sub Item 1 2. Sub Item 2 4. Fourth Item Sequential numbers will always be honoured in the output, regardless of the numbering specified in the markdown. For example:
| ||||||||||||||
| Unordered List | - First Item - Second Item - Third Item | In addition to dashes (-), markdown also supports the plus (+) and asterisk (*) symbols to denote an unordered list. Symbols, however, should not be mixed in the same list. Like ordered lists, sub-items are denoted by an indentation: - First Item - Second Item - Third Item - Sub-item 1 - Sub-item 2 - Fourth Item | ||||||||||||||
| Code | `Code` | Code is denoted by enclosing the code with a back-tick (or grave accent) ` symbol. If the text to appear as code already includes a back-tick, the word or phrase should be wrapped using double back-ticks. For example:
Alternatively, each line of code should be indented by four spaces or a single tab. For example: var x = 5; var y = 6; var z = x + y; | ||||||||||||||
| Horizontal Rule | Three or more dashes (---) denote a horizontal rule. | Always add a blank line before and after the horizontal rule to avoid marking the text above as a heading (dashes beneath text are also used to denote a level 2 heading). Asterisks (***) and underscores (___) are also used to denote a horizontal rule but are discouraged due to confusion with bold/italics and headings. | ||||||||||||||
| Link | Link with a description: [link description](https://linkURL) Link, description and title attribute: [link description](https://linkURL "Link Title Text") Note: The URL and title above are separated by a space. URL only: <https://linkURL> Email address: <help@server.local> | Examples:
To format links, nest the link in the appropriate markdown. For example: Visit **<https://server.local>** Note: Spaces in links are not valid and should be replaced with %20 or removed entirely. For example: https://server.com/My Documents/ should be converted to https://server.com/My%20Documents/ | ||||||||||||||
| Image |  | Alt text should always be specified to improved accessibility. The Title attribute is optional. For example: The migration options are accessed via the configuration panel, as illustrated in Figure 2, below.  To add a hyperlink to an image, specify the image properties in the link description. In the example below, the red text denotes the Link markdown, green text denotes the image markdown: [](URL "Title") For example: [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpDO2RQfOBk) | ||||||||||||||
| Table | | Heading | Heading | | --- | --- | | Cell 1 | Cell 2 | | Cell 3 | Cell 4 | | Cells are separated by the pipe | symbol. Each column header should be denoted by three or more dashes (---). For example: Markdown | Property | Description | | --- | --- | | Internal Name | String | | Display Name | String | | Display Order | Integer | | Width | Integer | | Visible | Checkbox | | Read-only | Checkbox | Output
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Limitations
Email clients have different levels of support for Markdown. All formatting should be thoroughly tested prior to moving into production.
For security reasons, HTML and markdown can't be mixed in the same line. For example:
**This email address is not monitored.** Should you need to contact the project team please email us at <a href="mailto:info@myproject.com>info@myproject.com</a>
The email address isn't detected and the bold symbols (**) are printed to the screen.
Further Support
If you require further support, please visit ManagementStudio's Service Desk to search the knowledge base or create a new support ticket.