Markdown is a lightweight plain-text formatting language used across GitHub for READMEs, issues, pull requests, discussions, wikis, and agent instruction files. One syntax set covers headers, bold, italic, blockquotes, code blocks, links, and lists. It also works outside GitHub: note-taking apps, blog platforms, and documentation tools all support it.
The original article walks through the full syntax with live examples you can test immediately by creating a .md file directly in any repository you own, using the built-in Preview button to render output without committing. The progression is deliberate: headers use 1 to 3 pound signs, emphasis uses single, double, or triple asterisks or underscores, and blockquotes use the greater-than symbol per line. The full piece continues into code blocks, links, images, and lists, which is where most beginners make formatting mistakes.
This is part of GitHub's ongoing 'GitHub for Beginners' series, with companion videos at gh.io/gfb. If you write READMEs, file issues, or build agent prompts and your formatting is inconsistent, this is the reference you need.
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