About Discord Markdown Reference — Bold, Code & Spoilers
Discord's markdown dialect borrows from standard Markdown but diverges in critical ways: spoiler tags use || instead of standard syntax, masked links work in messages but not in standard Markdown, code blocks accept language identifiers for syntax highlighting that renders differently on mobile, and nesting rules require specific ordering of markers (triple asterisks for bold italic, not bold wrapping italic). There's no native reference for these Discord-specific behaviors — the official docs describe each format individually but don't explain nesting order, mobile rendering differences, or which contexts support which formats. This guide covers every Discord formatting syntax with a live playground and one-click copy so you never have to count asterisks or guess at backtick placement.
How to Use This Tool
Follow these simple steps to get accurate results in seconds. The whole process takes less than a minute for most inputs.
- 1
Browse the Formatting Reference
Scroll through the organized reference to find the formatting type you need. Each entry shows the exact syntax alongside a live preview of how Discord renders it, including any mobile rendering differences.
- 2
Experiment in the Playground
Type or edit text in the interactive playground to combine multiple formatting types and see how they layer together — test bold inside block quotes, spoilers with code blocks, or underlined headers.
- 3
Click to Copy Any Syntax
Click any formatting example to copy its raw markdown to your clipboard. Paste it into Discord and replace the placeholder text — the formatting markers are already correct.
- 4
Check Mobile Differences
Review the notes on formatting that renders differently on mobile to ensure your messages look correct for all viewers, not just desktop users.
How It Works
The technical details of how this tool processes your input and produces accurate results.
Discord's Markdown Parser Rules
Discord processes markdown in a specific order: it resolves code blocks first (content inside backticks is not processed further), then inline code, then bold/italic/underline/strikethrough based on marker count, then block quotes, then spoiler tags. This parsing order means you can put **bold** inside a block quote but not inside inline code — the code block is resolved first and its contents are treated as literal text.
Nesting and Marker Resolution
Discord resolves formatting markers by count: single * or _ for italic, double for bold or underline (asterisks = bold, underscores = underline), triple for bold-italic. Nesting requires the outer format to use the wider syntax — ***text*** produces bold-italic because the three asterisks are parsed together, not as bold wrapping italic. Attempting **bold *italic* bold** often fails because Discord doesn't reliably nest different marker types.
Live Preview Rendering
The playground simulates Discord's rendering by applying the same parsing rules in JavaScript — resolving code blocks first to prevent inner formatting, then processing markers in Discord's documented order. The preview matches Discord desktop rendering; mobile differences are noted separately since Discord's mobile client uses a different rendering engine for syntax highlighting and header sizing.
Key Features
Built to handle real workflows quickly and accurately. Each feature solves a specific problem you'd otherwise need multiple tools or manual steps to address.
Complete Formatting Reference
Documents every Discord markdown syntax — bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, inline code, code blocks, block quotes, spoiler tags, headers, masked links, and nested combinations — each with the exact syntax and a rendered preview.
Interactive Playground
Type and edit text in a live editing area to experiment with formatting combinations, seeing how bold-italic headers, inline code within block quotes, and other layered formats render before you send them in Discord.
One-Click Syntax Copy
Click any formatting example to copy its raw markdown to your clipboard — no guesswork about asterisk counts, backtick placement, or nesting order. Paste into Discord and replace the placeholder text.
Discord-Specific Syntax Coverage
Documents Discord-exclusive features absent from standard Markdown: spoiler tags (||), masked links ([text](url)), timestamp formatting (<t:epoch:format>), and the specific nesting rules Discord enforces for combined formatting.
Mobile Rendering Notes
Highlights formatting differences between desktop and mobile Discord clients — code block syntax highlighting that loses colors on mobile, header size rendering variations, and masked link display inconsistencies — so your messages look correct for all viewers.
Benefits of Using Discord Markdown Reference — Bold, Code & Spoilers
Why this tool matters and how it improves your daily work.
Explains Discord's Non-Standard Nesting Rules
Standard Markdown doesn't restrict nesting order, but Discord does. ***bold italic*** works, but **bold with *italic* inside** often doesn't render correctly. The guide shows the exact marker order for every combination — triple asterisks for bold-italic, underscore-asterisk pairs for underline-italic — so nested formatting works on the first attempt.
Covers Discord-Only Formats Not in Standard Markdown
Spoiler tags, masked links, and timestamp tags are Discord additions with no standard Markdown equivalent. Most generic Markdown guides skip these entirely, leaving users to discover them through trial and error. The guide documents every Discord-exclusive format with syntax and rendering behavior.
Reveals Mobile Rendering Differences Before You Send
Code blocks with language-specific highlighting display colored syntax on desktop but plain monochrome text on mobile. Headers render as large bold text on desktop but smaller and less distinct on mobile. The guide flags these discrepancies so you can design messages that work on both platforms.
Eliminates Asterisk Counting and Backtick Guesswork
Is it * or ** for bold? One backtick or three? Two tildes or one? The one-click copy puts the exact syntax on your clipboard — no memorization, no counting markers, no sending a test message to see if you got it right.
Common Use Cases
Real scenarios where this tool saves time and produces better results than manual methods.
Server Rules and FAQ Posts with Clear Structure
A moderator formatting a pinned rules message with ## headers for each section, numbered lists with bold labels, code blocks for command examples, and spoiler tags for collapsible details — ensuring the post is scannable on both desktop and mobile instead of an impenetrable wall of plain text.
Bot Embed Text Styling Verification
A bot developer testing how __underline__, ~~strikethrough~~, and > block quotes render inside embed descriptions and field values, where some formatting behaves differently than in regular messages — discovering that headers don't render in embeds before deploying the code.
Learning Discord-Exclusive Syntax
A new Discord user who knows standard Markdown discovering that ||spoiler||, [masked](https://example.com), and <t:1700000000:R> are Discord-only features with no equivalent in GitHub-flavored Markdown or CommonMark.
Technical Documentation in Code Channels
A developer posting configuration examples in a support channel using ```yaml code blocks with syntax highlighting, inline `code` for variable names, and > block quotes for command output — making the instructions copy-pasteable and visually distinct from the surrounding conversation.
Who Uses This Tool
Community Moderators
formatting server rules, FAQ posts, and pinned messages with headers, bullet points, code blocks, and spoiler tags so that important information is scannable and professional — not an undifferentiated wall of text that members scroll past
Bot Developers
testing how markdown renders inside embed descriptions and field values, where some formats behave differently than in regular messages — headers don't render in embeds, and code block highlighting may vary
New Discord Users Familiar with Standard Markdown
learning the differences between Discord's markdown and standard Markdown — especially Discord-exclusive features like spoiler tags, masked links, and timestamp formatting, plus the nesting rules that differ from CommonMark behavior
Pro Tips
Practical advice to get the most out of this tool, based on how experienced users actually work with it.
Use block quotes for callout sections in long messages. A > or >>> block quote with **bold** headers inside creates visually distinct sections that break up walls of text without needing embeds — this is especially useful for pinned messages and channel topics where embeds aren't available.
When posting code examples in a support channel, always use triple backticks with a language identifier: ```python or ```yaml. This triggers Discord's syntax highlighting on desktop, making the code significantly easier to read. On mobile the highlighting is lost, but the monospace formatting is preserved.
Combine spoiler tags with code blocks for collapsible technical details: ||```json\n{\"config\": \"value\"}\n```|| creates a blacked-out section that reveals formatted JSON on click. This keeps long configuration examples from dominating a message while keeping them available for members who need them.
For numbered lists in Discord, use bold numbers instead of Markdown numbered lists (which Discord doesn't support reliably): **1.** First item \n**2.** Second item renders consistently on all platforms, unlike 1. First item which may lose its numbering in certain contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about this tool. If your question isn't here, contact our support team.