Obsidian Markdown: The Complete Guide to Syntax, Tables & Cheat Sheet

Does Obsidian Support Markdown?

Yes. Obsidian uses plain markdown (.md) files as its native format. It supports CommonMark, GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) features like tables and task lists, footnotes in reading view, and adds its own extensions: wiki-links for internal note references, callouts for styled blocks, embeds that pull one note into another, highlights, block references, nested tags, and LaTeX math through MathJax. There is nothing to convert or export - your notes are already markdown.

Because every note is a plain text file on your disk, Obsidian markdown is compatible with any other markdown editor. Open a vault folder in VS Code, Typora, or iA Writer, and the same .md files render with the same formatting. Only Obsidian-specific syntax like [[wiki-links]] or > [!callouts] will show as plain text in tools that do not understand them, but the underlying file stays intact.

In short, Obsidian does not fork markdown. It starts from the standard spec and layers extra syntax on top. Read on for the full syntax reference, a copyable cheat sheet, and a feature matrix that compares CommonMark, GFM, and Obsidian-specific extensions side by side.

Obsidian Markdown Syntax

Every syntax Obsidian supports, grouped by category. Each example is copyable. For a quick reference, jump to the cheat sheet. For the CommonMark baseline, see our markdown syntax reference and extended syntax guide.

Headings, paragraphs, and line breaks

Obsidian uses standard # hash syntax for headings, one hash per level up to six. A blank line between blocks creates a new paragraph. End a line with two spaces or a backslash to force a line break.

# H1 - top of page
## H2 - main section
### H3 - subsection

A paragraph of text. End with two spaces  
to force a line break.

Bold, italic, strikethrough, and highlights

Bold uses two asterisks, italic uses one. Strikethrough uses two tildes (GFM). Highlights are an Obsidian extension that wraps text in == double equals.

**bold**
*italic*
***both***
~~strikethrough~~
==highlight==
`inline code`

Lists and task lists

Unordered lists use dashes, ordered lists use numbers, task lists use GFM checkbox syntax. Indent with four spaces (or a tab) to nest.

- Unordered item
    - Nested item

1. First
2. Second

- [ ] Open task
- [x] Completed task

Links: wiki-links, aliases, and external URLs

Obsidian's signature syntax is the wiki-link: double square brackets around a note title. Obsidian resolves the link against filenames in your vault. Pipe-separated aliases give the link custom display text. External URLs still use standard CommonMark syntax.

[[Other note]]
[[Other note|Display text]]
[[Other note#Heading]]
[[Other note#^block-id]]
[External link](https://obsidian.md)

Wiki-links are portable within a vault but render as plain text in non-Obsidian parsers. If you need cross-app compatibility, use standard [text](path.md) links instead.

Embeds: inline notes, headings, images, and PDFs

Prefix a wiki-link with ! to embed the referenced content inline. Embeds pull in other notes, specific headings, blocks, images, PDFs, and audio files. Useful for maps-of-content, atomic note composition, and transclusion workflows.

![[Other note]]
![[Other note#Heading]]
![[Other note#^block-id]]
![[image.png]]
![[document.pdf]]

Code blocks and inline code

Fenced code blocks use three backticks. Add a language identifier after the opening fence for syntax highlighting. Obsidian supports most common languages out of the box.

```js
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}
```

Inline: `const x = 1;`

Obsidian markdown tables

Obsidian supports GFM-style pipe tables. Column alignment uses colons in the divider row::--- for left,:---: for center,---: for right. For an interactive builder, try our visual markdown table generator.

| Task      | Owner  | Due        |
| :-------- | :----: | ---------: |
| Draft PR  | Alice  | 2026-05-01 |
| Review    | Bob    | 2026-05-02 |

Blockquotes and callouts

Standard blockquotes use a greater-than sign. Obsidian extends this with callouts: prefix the first line with [!type] to get a styled, colored block. Supported types include note, abstract, info, tip, success, question, warning, failure, danger, bug, example, quote. Append - for collapsed by default or + for expanded by default.

> Plain blockquote text.

> [!note]
> This is a styled note callout.

> [!warning] Custom title
> Foldable warning content.

> [!tip]- Click to expand
> Hidden tip, collapsed by default.

LaTeX math (MathJax)

Wrap an expression in single dollar signs for inline math, or double dollar signs for display math. Obsidian renders LaTeX through MathJax. Most standard commands work, and you can add custom macros in Settings → Editor.

Inline: $E = mc^2$

Block:
$$
\int_0^1 x^2 \, dx = \frac{1}{3}
$$

Footnotes

Footnotes render in reading view only. Use [^label] where you want the reference, and define the body elsewhere in the file.

This claim has a footnote[^source].

[^source]: Obsidian Help, accessed 2026-04.

Tags, block references, and other extras

Tags start with # and support nesting with slashes. Block references assign an id to any block; link to that block from anywhere using [[Note#^id]].

#project/active #status/in-progress

A quotable paragraph. ^paragraph-1

Link to it: [[This note#^paragraph-1]]

Obsidian Markdown Cheat Sheet

Every Obsidian markdown syntax in one table. Copy any row's code with the button next to it. For a printable version, use the copy-all button below, or see our general-purpose markdown cheat sheet.

# H1
## H2
### H3

**bold text**

*italic text*

***both***

~~struck~~

==highlight==

`code`

- Item one
- Item two

1. First
2. Second

- [ ] Open task
- [x] Done task

- Parent
    - Child

[[Note Title]]

[[Note Title|Display text]]

[[Note Title#Section]]

[[Note Title#^block-id]]

[Obsidian](https://obsidian.md)

![[Note Title]]

![[Note Title#Section]]

![[image.png]]

![[doc.pdf]]

> Quoted text

> [!note]
> This is a note callout.

> [!tip]- Click to expand
> Hidden tip.

```js
console.log('hi');
```

| A | B |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | 2 |

$E = mc^2$

$$\int_0^1 x^2 dx$$

Text[^1]

[^1]: Footnote body

A paragraph. ^block-id

#project/active

---

\*not italic\*

Obsidian Markdown Support Features

Obsidian markdown support spans three layers: CommonMark (the baseline spec), GitHub Flavored Markdown (adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, autolinks), and Obsidian's own extensions. The matrix below shows which features come from which layer, so you can tell what will survive in a non-Obsidian editor.

How Obsidian Stores Notes as Local Markdown Files

Obsidian stores every note as a plain .md text file inside a folder called a vault. A vault is just a regular folder on your disk. Notes sit as .md files; images, PDFs, and other attachments sit alongside them as regular files. There is no proprietary database, no hidden container, and no required cloud service. You own every byte.

That local-first architecture is why people call Obsidian a knowledge base rather than just a note app. You can:

• -Back up your entire vault with any file-sync tool (iCloud, Dropbox, Syncthing, Git).
• -Open the same .md files in VS Code, Typora, or any other markdown editor.
• -Version-control your notes with Git for a full history of every change.
• -Grep or ripgrep across thousands of notes instantly, because they are plain text.
• -Read your notes in 20 years, regardless of what happens to the Obsidian app.

For the canonical reference, see Obsidian's official docs on local markdown files.

How to Use Markdown in Obsidian

Four common tasks, each with copyable syntax and a step list. For CommonMark basics outside Obsidian, start with our complete markdown guide.

How to create a table in Obsidian markdown

Obsidian uses GFM pipe tables. Separate columns with vertical bars, add a divider row of dashes under the header, then one row per record. Obsidian renders the table in live preview and reading mode.

1. Type a header row, columns separated by pipes.
2. Add the divider row: pipes and at least three dashes per column.
3. Add one data row per record.
4. Switch to live preview or reading mode to see the rendered table.

| Task      | Owner  | Due        |
| :-------- | :----: | ---------: |
| Draft PR  | Alice  | 2026-05-01 |
| Review    | Bob    | 2026-05-02 |

Tip: install the Advanced Tables community plugin for tab-key navigation, auto-alignment, and sort-by-column while editing.

How to import markdown files into Obsidian

Because Obsidian stores notes as plain .md files on disk, there is no import step. Copy the files into the vault folder and they appear in the sidebar immediately.

1. Export your notes as .md from the source app (Notion, Bear, Logseq, Apple Notes, etc.).
2. Open Obsidian Settings, then Files and links, and note the vault folder path.
3. Drag or copy the exported .md files into the vault folder using your OS file manager.
4. Open Obsidian. The new notes appear in the file sidebar automatically.

For Notion imports, the official Obsidian Importer plugin converts Notion exports and rewrites links to wiki-link format. For Bear or Apple Notes, the exported .md files work as-is, though internal links remain in standard [text](path.md) form.

How to underline text in Obsidian

Obsidian has no native markdown syntax for underline. Neither CommonMark nor GFM defines one, and the Obsidian team has not added a custom symbol. Three workarounds:

This word is <u>underlined</u>.

How to query markdown tables with Dataview

Dataview is a community plugin that treats your vault like a database. Give your notes frontmatter fields, then query them with SQL-like blocks that render as live tables.

1. Install Dataview: Settings → Community plugins → Browse → Dataview → Install and Enable.
2. Add YAML frontmatter to notes you want to query.
3. Write a Dataview query in a fenced code block.
4. Switch to reading mode to see the live table.

```dataview
TABLE status, priority, due
FROM #project
WHERE status = "active"
SORT priority DESC
```

Obsidian Markdown Editor

The Obsidian markdown editor has three viewing modes:

Obsidian ships with standard shortcuts (Cmd/Ctrl + B for bold, Cmd/Ctrl + I for italic, Cmd/Ctrl + E to toggle source/preview). Community plugins extend the editor with Advanced Tables, Templater, Dataview, Calendar, and hundreds more. If you just want to try markdown without installing Obsidian, use our free online markdown editor in the browser.

Obsidian runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The desktop app is free for personal use; paid add-ons include Sync (encrypted cloud sync) and Publish (publish vaults as websites).

Obsidian vs Standard Markdown

Obsidian follows CommonMark plus GFM for core syntax, then adds extensions that only render inside Obsidian. Here is what changes between a standard markdown file and an Obsidian markdown file.

If cross-app portability matters, stick to CommonMark plus GFM and avoid Obsidian-only syntax in those notes. For knowledge-base notes that live in your vault, Obsidian extensions give you linking, embedding, and querying that standard markdown cannot match. Compare other apps in our Notion markdown support or Logseq markdown guides.

Frequently Asked Questions