Write and preview your Reddit posts with proper markdown formatting. Bold, italic, lists, tables, and more. Copy and paste directly into Reddit.
Your formatted preview will appear here as you type...
**bold**Bold text*italic*Italic text~~strikethrough~~Strikethrough# HeadingHeading (use ## for smaller)[text](url)Hyperlink> quoteBlock quote`code`Inline code```code block```Multi-line code- itemUnordered list1. itemOrdered list^(superscript)Superscript text---Horizontal dividerWell-formatted posts are easier to scan, easier to trust, and easier to respond to. A wall of text gets scrolled past. Structured content with headings, bold key points, and lists gets read all the way through, and Reddit's markdown makes that structure possible in both posts and comments.
Redditors scan before they commit to reading. Clear headings, bolded takeaways, and short paragraphs signal that a post rewards the time it takes to read, which is what gets a post past the first few seconds of a scroll.
Break a post into labeled sections or a numbered list and readers can respond to a specific point instead of the post as a whole. That is usually the difference between a thread with two vague comments and one with dozens of specific replies.
Unclosed bold tags, mangled tables, and links that did not parse make a post look careless. Reddit's own submission form has a Preview tab for exactly this reason. Use one before you post, not after readers already saw it break.
Markdown is not limited to the body of a self-post. According to Reddit's own Formatting Guide, the same syntax works across several surfaces on the platform, each with its own quirks:
Post self-text and comments. The primary use case, and the one this tool previews.
Subreddit wikis and the site-wide wiki. Some subreddits maintain their own wiki pages, formatted with the same markdown.
Subreddit sidebar and rules pages. These are displayed in multiple places, including a subreddit's about and rules pages.
The New Reddit submission text area. The subreddit-specific instructions shown while composing a post.
Reddit's docs are explicit that support for these surfaces is not identical across Old Reddit and New Reddit, so the same markdown can render slightly differently depending on where it is displayed. When in doubt, use the Preview tab on whichever surface you are posting to.
Every row below is checked against Reddit's Formatting Guide and the old.reddit.com markdown wiki page. Type any of these into the editor above to see it rendered instantly.
| Syntax | Renders as | Notes |
|---|---|---|
*italic* or _italic_ | italic | Single asterisk or single underscore on each side |
**bold** or __bold__ | bold | Double asterisk or double underscore on each side |
***bold italic*** or ___bold italic___ | bold italic | Triple asterisk or triple underscore |
~~strikethrough~~ | strikethrough | Double tilde on each side |
>!spoiler text!< | spoiler (hidden until clicked) | Wrap the spoiler text in >! and !< |
^text or ^(a longer phrase) | superscript | Caret before a single word, or parentheses for multiple words |
`code` | inline code | Single backticks around the text |
4-space indent, or ```code``` | code block | Indented blocks work everywhere; fenced triple-backtick blocks are New Reddit only |
# H1 through ###### H6 | heading, 6 levels | One to six leading hash characters plus a space |
- item or * item | bullet list | Do not use a plus sign, it fails to parse as a list on New Reddit |
1. item | numbered list | Use a period. Parenthesized numbering like 1) only works on New Reddit |
> quoted text | blockquote | Leading greater-than sign and a space |
[text](https://example.com) | hyperlink | Square-bracketed text followed by a parenthesized URL |
[text](https://example.com "title") | hyperlink with hover title | Use quotes around the title, not parentheses, for Old Reddit compatibility |
| h1 | h2 |
|----|----|
| a | b | | table | Pipe-delimited columns with a dashed separator row under the header |
Two trailing spaces, or a trailing backslash | line break | Two spaces work on both Old and New Reddit; the backslash is New Reddit only |
Most Reddit formatting guides list the syntax and stop there. The part that actually breaks posts is that New Reddit's parser and Old Reddit's parser do not agree on every edge case. Reddit's help docs call these out directly:
Backslash line breaks are New Reddit only. Ending a line with a backslash creates a line break on New Reddit, but Old Reddit needs two trailing spaces instead. Use two trailing spaces if you want a post to render correctly for both audiences.
Parenthesized ordered lists only work on New Reddit. Writing 1) instead of 1. for a numbered list renders on New Reddit but fails on Old Reddit, which only ever supported the period.
A plus sign as a bullet marker fails on New Reddit. Standard markdown allows +, -, or * for bullet lists, but Reddit's New Reddit parser presently does not parse a leading plus sign as a list at all. Stick to - or *.
Fenced code blocks are New Reddit only. Triple-backtick code fences render on New Reddit, but Old Reddit only ever supported indenting code by four spaces. If Old Reddit compatibility matters, indent instead of fencing.
Parenthesized link titles only work on New Reddit. A title written as (title) after the URL renders on New Reddit but not Old Reddit, which requires the title in quotes instead.
Mobile apps default to the rich text editor. Reddit's docs note that by default, both web and app submissions go through the WYSIWYG "Fancy Pants" editor, not raw markdown. On mobile, that means typed markdown symbols can display literally until you switch that specific post or comment into markdown mode.
This is not a theoretical problem. A thread in r/oldreddit has multiple users comparing notes on why their bold and italic markdown was not rendering, tracing it back to their specific app, browser, and font settings rather than a syntax mistake. When formatting looks broken and your syntax is correct, the platform or client is usually the variable, which is exactly why previewing before posting matters.
Skipping the blank line between paragraphs. Reddit's parser links adjacent lines into a single paragraph. A single line break is invisible in the rendered post. You need a full blank line to start a new paragraph, not just a new line in the editor.
Never leaving the rich text editor. If you never click "Switch to markdown," none of your typed asterisks or hashes will render as formatting. They will show up as literal characters, which reads as a mistake rather than a stylistic choice.
Using a plus sign for bullet points. It is valid in general markdown, but Reddit's New Reddit parser does not currently treat a leading + as a list marker. Use a hyphen or asterisk instead.
Trusting backslash line breaks everywhere. They only work on New Reddit. If any part of your audience reads on Old Reddit or a third-party client that mirrors it, use two trailing spaces instead.
Wrapping link titles in parentheses. This only renders on New Reddit. Use quotes around the title, like [text](url "title"), so the link still works everywhere.
Forgetting the dashed separator row in a table. A markdown table needs a row of dashes directly under the header row. Without it, the pipes just render as plain text instead of a table.
Bolding everything. When every sentence is bold, nothing stands out and the post reads as harder to skim, not easier. Reserve bold for the one or two points you actually want a skimming reader to catch.
Posting without hitting Preview. Reddit's own submission form includes a Preview tab specifically because markdown mistakes are easy to make and easy to miss. Use the preview panel above, or Reddit's own preview, before you submit.
If your post is properly formatted but still is not landing, the problem might not be the formatting at all. Run your draft through the Reddit Title Analyzer to check whether the headline itself is the bottleneck before you assume formatting is to blame.
Same content, same length, radically different odds of getting read past the first sentence.
Before (wall of text)
I built a small tool that tracks your Reddit karma over time and I wanted to share it with people who might find it useful, it started as a side project because I kept losing track of which posts actually did well and I couldn't find a simple dashboard for it so I built one myself using a free API and it took about three weekends to get it working the way I wanted and now it shows your karma growth day by day plus your best performing posts and I would love feedback on what else people would want to see in something like this, let me know what you think and thanks for reading this far.
After (formatted)
## I built a free tool to track Reddit karma over time **The problem:** I kept losing track of which posts actually performed, and couldn't find a simple dashboard for it. **What it does:** - Tracks karma growth day by day - Surfaces your best performing posts - Built on a free API, took about 3 weekends **What I'd love feedback on:** 1. What else would you want to see? 2. Would a weekly email summary be useful? Happy to answer anything in the comments.
Paste one of these into the editor above, replace the bracketed placeholders, and check the preview before you post.
AMA opener
# I am [who you are], ask me anything **Proof:** [link or description of your verification] **A bit about me:** [2 to 3 sentences of real background, no sales pitch] **Ask me about:** - [Topic 1] - [Topic 2] - [Topic 3] I'll be here answering questions from [start time] to [end time] [timezone]. Fire away.
Product or project launch
## I built [product name] to solve [specific problem] **The problem:** [1 to 2 sentences on the pain point, written like you're telling a friend] **What it does:** - [Core feature 1] - [Core feature 2] - [Core feature 3] **Why I'm posting here:** [honest reason, e.g. "looking for feedback before a wider launch"] [Link, if the subreddit's self-promotion rules allow it] Happy to answer questions about how it works or why I built it this way.
Detailed question post
## [Specific, searchable question in the title, not repeated here] **Context:** [1 to 2 sentences on your situation] **What I've already tried:** 1. [Attempt 1] -> [result] 2. [Attempt 2] -> [result] **What I'm actually asking:** [the specific decision or answer you need] Appreciate any input, especially from anyone who has dealt with this directly.
[text](url) format and, if you added a title, that it is in quotes rather than parentheses.Once the formatting is locked in, a lot of founders skip the step that matters most: making sure the post lands somewhere it can actually be seen. Tools like MediaFast can help you find and rank the subreddits most likely to respond well to the exact post you just formatted, instead of guessing.
If you cannot guarantee your whole audience is on New Reddit, Reddit's own compatibility guidance boils down to these choices.
MediaFast matches your formatted Reddit post to the communities most likely to upvote it, so your formatting effort actually pays off.
Once your post is formatted, pair it with a stronger draft from the Reddit Post Generator or check exact character counts with the Reddit Character Counter before you hit submit.
Everything you need to know about formatting posts on Reddit.
Reddit renders a Reddit-flavored version of Markdown. You wrap text in special characters to style it: **bold** for bold, *italic* for italic, and ~~text~~ for strikethrough. Reddit's own Formatting Guide describes this as "a Reddit-specific variation of the Markdown format," and the parsing differs slightly between Old Reddit and New Reddit. This tool's toolbar inserts the correct syntax for you so you do not need to memorize it.
The most common cause is that you are typing in the default Fancy Pants rich text editor, which does not interpret raw markdown symbols as formatting. Reddit's help docs note that by default you submit non-markdown content via that editor, and you have to click "Switch to markdown" (or enable Markdown Mode in a Reddit app) before **bold** and *italic* syntax will render. The other common cause is an unclosed marker, like typing **bold without a closing **.
They share the same core syntax but differ on a handful of edge cases. New Reddit supports backslash line breaks, parenthesized ordered lists like 1), and parenthesized link titles, none of which render correctly on Old Reddit. Old Reddit only supports indented code blocks, not fenced triple-backtick blocks. If your audience might view your post on Old Reddit or a client that mirrors it, stick to the more universally supported syntax covered in the reference table below.
Yes. Reddit supports GitHub-flavored markdown tables. Separate columns with pipes and add a dashed row directly under the header row to mark it as a table header. Our formatter's table button inserts a ready-made three-column template you can edit directly, and the preview panel renders it exactly as Reddit would.
Reddit's mobile apps often default to the rich text editor, which interprets typed symbols literally instead of as markdown, so pasted **bold** syntax can show up as literal asterisks until you switch that post or comment into markdown mode. Font and rendering differences between app builds and browsers can also make formatting appear inconsistent, which is why previewing before you post matters more on Reddit than on most platforms.
No. Reddit's default Fancy Pants editor is a toolbar-based rich text editor that handles bold, italics, lists, and links without any syntax knowledge. Markdown mode is for people who want more precise control, need a feature Fancy Pants does not expose, or are pasting text that already contains markdown. This tool lets you use either approach: click the toolbar buttons or type the syntax directly.