Introduction

Markdown is a lightweight and straightforward markup language that you can use for formatting text. It’s popular among developers primarily due to its ease of use and simplicity. Notably, Reddit provides support for a simplified version of Markdown in its comments and text posts. This quickstart guide aims to introduce you to the basics of using Reddit’s Markdown mode for improving your Reddit posting experiences.

Enabling Reddit Markdown Mode

Before getting started, ensure that you’re using the Markdown mode on Reddit. When creating a new text post or comment, click on the Switch to markdown link found below the text box. After enabling Markdown mode, you’re ready to style your text.

Enabling Markdown

Basic Text Formatting

In Reddit’s Markdown mode, you can easily change the formatting of your text. Here are a few examples:

Bold

To make your text bold, wrap it with two asterisks or underscores.

**This text is bold**
__This text is also bold__

When posted on Reddit, it appears as: This text is bold

Italics

Similarly, to put text in italics, wrap it with a single asterisk or underscore.

*This text is in italics*
_This text is also in italics_

When posted on Reddit, it appears as: This text is in italics

Strikethrough

The strikethrough effect can be achieved by wrapping text in double tildes.

~~This text is strikethrough~~

When posted on Reddit, it appears as: This text is strikethrough

For more detailed information on text formatting in Markdown, please check our blog post about how to bold text in markdown.

Lists

Lists in Reddit’s Markdown mode look like this:

- Item 1
- Item 2
    - Sub-item 1
    - Sub-item 2
- Item 3

This will render as:

  • Item 1
  • Item 2
    • Sub-item 1
    • Sub-item 2
  • Item 3

Note that you need to press space four times to create a sub-item.

To create a hyperlink, wrap the link text in square brackets and the URL in parentheses immediately after with no spaces.

[This is a link](https://www.reddit.com)

This will appear as a clickable link: This is a link

Blockquotes

Blockquotes are an excellent way to set apart a large chunk of text. When you want to create a markdown blockquote, you can use this syntax:

> This is a blockquote.

Which gives us:

This is a blockquote.

Closing Remarks

While Reddit’s Markdown mode lacks some features offered by full-fledged Markdown, it offers a simple way for you to improve the formatting and readability of your posts and comments. It’s also worth noting that knowing Reddit’s Markdown mode proves beneficial, especially for software developers and technical writers who are required to write reader-friendly text.

Further, to enhance your Markdown skills and learn advanced concepts, check our detailed guide on using nested lists and sub-bullets in markdown and explore our plethora of articles about Markdown usage on our homepage. Happy learning and Markdown-ing!