MarkdownPaper Open reader

Guide

Markdown example file, explained

This is a Markdown file made for learning. Every section shows one feature and says, in plain words, which symbols make it. Open it in a reader to see the result, then in a text editor to see the source, and you have learnt Markdown by comparing the two.

Download markdown-example.md Open it in the reader

It covers headings, paragraphs, line breaks, bold and italic, lists, task lists, links, images, code, quotes, callouts, tables, footnotes, horizontal rules, escaping, maths and a diagram. It is free to use and share.

3 min read5 sectionsUpdated 1 Oct 2026

On this page

How to use it

  1. Download the file.
  2. Open it in the reader to see it formatted. Nothing is uploaded.
  3. Open the same file in a text editor, like Notepad, TextEdit or VS Code.
  4. Read the two side by side. Each section tells you what to look for.
  5. Change something and look again. The fastest way to learn is to break it.

What is inside

Here are a few parts of the file, as the source and as the page.

Headings and emphasis

You write

## Emphasis

Two asterisks make **bold text**. One makes *italic text*. Three make
***bold and italic***. Two tildes make ~~struck through~~ text.

You see

Emphasis

Two asterisks make bold text. One makes italic text. Three make bold and italic. Two tildes make struck through text.

Lists and tasks

You write

- Bread
- Milk
  - Indent two spaces to nest a line under the one above

- [x] Write the draft
- [ ] Send it for review

You see

  • Bread

  • Milk

    • Indent two spaces to nest a line under the one above

  • Write the draft

  • Send it for review

A table with alignment

The colons in the line of dashes set each column's alignment: left, center and right.

You write

| Fruit  | Color | Price |
| :----- | :----: | ----: |
| Apple  | Red    | $1.20 |
| Banana | Yellow | $0.50 |

You see

FruitColorPrice
AppleRed$1.20
BananaYellow$0.50

Code with colors

You write

```python
def greet(name):
    return f"Hello, {name}"
```

You see

def greet(name):
    return f"Hello, {name}"

A callout

You write

> [!TIP]
> Keep this file open next to your own while you learn.

You see

Tip

Keep this file open next to your own while you learn.

Example file or sample file?

This site has two downloadable files, and they do different jobs.

  • This example file teaches. It explains itself as it goes, and it only uses Markdown you would write in a real document.
  • The sample Markdown file tests. It is built to find the places a Markdown renderer goes wrong, including unsafe HTML that should be refused. Use it to check an app, not to learn.

Questions

What is a .md file example?

A .md file is a plain text file written in Markdown. This page's download is one: open it in any text editor to see what a .md file looks like inside.

Can I use this file in my own project?

Yes. It is free to copy, change and share.

Why does the top of the file have lines between dashes?

That block is frontmatter, details about the file such as its title. Most Markdown apps hide it. You can delete it if you do not need it.

Why does a feature not show in my app?

Basic Markdown works everywhere. Callouts, maths and diagrams need an app that supports them, such as GitHub or MarkdownPaper. In other apps they show as plain text.

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