To add formatting to plain text documents, you can use a markup language called Markdown. For example, to create a heading, start a line with a hashtag followed by a space, like "# Heading". You can use Markdown to quickly add formatting elements to your Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings. With Markdown, you can format text to add:
- Italics
- Bold
- Strikethrough
- Links
On Google Docs, you can also use Markdown to create different headings.
Turn Markdown on or off
- On your computer, open a file in Google Docs, Google Slides, or Google Drawings.
- Go to Tools
Preferences.
- Check or uncheck the box next to "Enable Markdown”.
Preferences.Convert Markdown to Google Docs content on paste
- Copy the Markdown content to your clipboard
- On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
- Right-click and select Paste from Markdown. The Markdown will be converted to Google Docs content and be pasted.
Copy Google Docs content as Markdown
- On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
- Select the content you want to copy.
- Right-click and select Copy as Markdown.
Export a Google Doc as Markdown
You can export the document as Markdown for use in another application. You’ll download a Markdown file (.md).
- On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
- Click File
- Select Markdown (.md).
Import Markdown as a Google Doc
When in Google Docs:
- Click File
- Select your Markdown file, this is uploaded and opens up automatically.
When in Drive:
- Upload your Markdown file.
- Right-click the uploaded file
Create headings with Markdown in Google Docs
If you’re on Google Docs, you can also use Markdown to create up to 6 different headings.
To create a heading,
- Start at the beginning of a paragraph.
- Add number signs (#) in front of your heading text. The number of number signs you use corresponds to the heading level.
- For example, to create a heading 2, use two number signs (e.g., ## My Header).
- Write your heading text.
- Important: Make sure you include a space between the number sign(s) and the heading text.
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Text in Markdown |
How it appears |
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Heading 1 |
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Heading 2 |
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Heading 3 |
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Heading 4 |
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Heading 5 |
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Heading 6 |
Italicize, bold, and strikethrough text with Markdown
- To format text as italic, enclose it in a single asterisk or underscore.
- To format text as bold, enclose it in two asterisks or underscores.
- To format text as italic and bold, enclose it in three asterisks or underscores.
- To format text in strikethrough, enclose it in a single tilde.
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Text in Markdown |
How it appears |
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This text isitalic. |
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This text isbold. |
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This text isitalic and bold. |
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This text is instrikethrough. |
Add links with Markdown
To create a link with Markdown:
- Write the linked text in brackets (e.g. [Google Docs]).
- After the bracketed text, write the URL in parentheses (e.g. (https://docs.google.com/document/)).
- Important: Don’t include a space between the text in brackets and the URL in parentheses.
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Text in Markdown |
How it appears |
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Open a file in Google Docs. |