Discord Text Formatting: Complete Markdown Guide

You have probably seen a Discord message with huge text, a hidden spoiler, a clickable word, or a timestamp that changes for every reader and wondered, “How did they type that?”

The answer is usually Discord Markdown. A few symbols placed around your words can make text bold, italic, underlined, crossed out, hidden, quoted, or organized into a proper announcement. It works in regular messages and does not require Nitro, a bot, or a special font generator.

This guide gives you the exact Discord text formatting codes, copy-and-paste examples, and the small rules that stop them from working. Bookmark it for the next time your server announcement turns into a wall of text.

Discord Text Formatting Cheat Sheet

Here is the fast version. Replace your text with whatever you want to say.

| Format | What to type | | --------------- | ---------------------------------- | --- | --------- | --- | --- | | Bold | **your text** | | Italic | *your text* | | Underline | __your text__ | | Strikethrough | ~~your text~~ | | Bold italic | ***your text*** | | Underlined bold | __**your text**__ | | Spoiler | | | your text | | | | Inline code | `your text` | | Large header | # Your heading | | Medium header | ## Your heading | | Small header | ### Your heading | | Subtext | -# your small text | | Quote | > your text | | Masked link | [link text](https://example.com) |

Discord uses a subset of Markdown, a lightweight system that styles plain text. Most formatting works on the desktop app, browser, Android, and iPhone because Discord renders the symbols after you send the message.

Quick tip: type formatting symbols directly instead of copying “fancy text” from a font generator. Those generators often use unusual Unicode characters that can be difficult to search, copy, or read with accessibility tools.

How to Make Text Bold, Italic, and Underlined

The most useful Discord formatting codes wrap text with a matching pair of symbols. Do not leave a space between the symbol and the first or last word.

Bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough

To make text bold, place two asterisks on both sides:

**Game night starts in 10 minutes**

To make text italic, use one asterisk on both sides:

*probably the last round*

Discord also accepts a single underscore for italics, but asterisks are usually easier to read when you are combining styles.

To underline text, use two underscores:

__Read the rules before joining__

To cross out text, use two tildes:

~~We never throw ranked games~~

Strikethrough is great for corrections and jokes. It is not a good way to hide sensitive information because everyone can still read it.

How to combine Discord text styles

You can nest formatting symbols when one style is not enough. Three asterisks create bold italic text:

***This is extremely important***

Place underscores outside the asterisks to add an underline:

__***Underlined, bold, and italic***__

Combined formatting is useful for a short warning or announcement title. Using it across a whole paragraph makes the message harder to scan, so save it for the words that genuinely need attention.

On Discord desktop and web, you can also highlight text in the message box to open the formatting controls. Common keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl + B or Cmd + B for bold and Ctrl + I or Cmd + I for italics work too. Learning the symbols is still useful because you can type them quickly on any device.

How to Use Spoiler Text on Discord

Wrap text in two vertical bars on each side to hide it behind a spoiler cover:

The final boss is ||the friendly shopkeeper||.

People must click or tap the covered section to reveal it. Spoiler formatting is useful for movie endings, game answers, puzzle solutions, and surprise announcements.

You can also highlight text in the desktop message box and select the eye-shaped spoiler control. To hide an entire message, type /spoiler before the message. Discord’s official Spoiler Tags guide also explains how to mark image and file attachments as spoilers before uploading them.

There are two limitations worth remembering:

Spoiler bars inside a code block do not hide the text.
A Discord server invite embed cannot be hidden behind a spoiler tag.

Do not use spoiler tags for passwords, private keys, reward codes, or personal information. They hide text visually; they do not encrypt it or restrict who can reveal it.

Headers, Subtext, Lists, and Quotes

Good formatting is not only about making words look different. Headers, lists, and quotes make a long message much easier to follow, especially in rules, FAQ, onboarding, and announcement channels.

Discord headers and small text

Put one, two, or three hash symbols at the beginning of a new line to create a header. You must include a space after the last hash:

# Server Tournament
## Match Schedule
### Round One

One hash creates the largest heading. Two produces a medium heading, and three produces the smallest heading. The syntax has to start on a new line, so typing a hash in the middle of a sentence will not suddenly turn the rest into a title.

Discord subtext makes a line smaller and more muted. Put -# followed by a space at the very beginning of the line:

-# Times may change if a match runs late.

Subtext works well for a brief note, image credit, or secondary detail. Important rules should stay in normal-sized text where members will not miss them.

Bulleted and numbered lists

Start each line with a hyphen or asterisk followed by a space to create bullets:

- Join the waiting room
- Check your microphone
- Choose your team role

Use a number and period for an ordered list:

1. Read the rules
2. Pick your roles
3. Introduce yourself

You can indent a list item by placing two spaces before its marker. Lists are much cleaner than packing six instructions into one paragraph. If you are rebuilding a welcome flow, our Discord community onboarding guide shows how to keep those first steps short and useful.

Single-line and multi-line quotes

Put a greater-than symbol and a space at the start of a line to quote it:

> This event is open to every server member.

Use three greater-than symbols followed by a space to quote everything that follows in the message:

>>> Patch notes
The tournament begins on Friday.
Teams must register before Thursday.

Quotes are useful when replying to one sentence from a longer post or separating a note from the rest of an announcement. Discord already has a normal Reply feature, so use that when you want to preserve a clickable connection to the original message.

Code Blocks and Escaping Markdown

Inline code adds a monospace background around a short piece of text. Wrap it in one backtick:

Use the command `npm run dev` to start the project.

This is useful for commands, file names, bot options, and any text that people need to copy exactly.

For several lines, place three backticks on the line before the content and three on the line after it. Here is what you would type:

```
Line one
Line two
Line three
```

Developers can add a supported language name immediately after the opening backticks, such as js, json, css, or python, to request syntax highlighting:

```js
const greeting = 'Hello, Discord!';
console.log(greeting);
```

Code blocks preserve spacing and prevent most normal Markdown from rendering. They are ideal for code, logs, configuration, and copyable templates, but they are not a replacement for normal announcement formatting.

If you want Discord to show the actual Markdown symbols instead of styling the message, place a backslash before each symbol:

\*This displays asterisks instead of italics\*

That backslash is called an escape character. It is especially helpful when you are teaching someone else how to format text or posting a template for members to copy.

If you are ready to turn formatted bot responses into something interactive, our Discord.js beginner guide walks through building a first bot and slash command.

How to Create Masked Links on Discord

A masked link hides a long URL behind readable link text. Put the visible words in square brackets and the full URL immediately after them in parentheses:

[Read the tournament rules](https://example.com/tournament-rules)

This is much cleaner than pasting a long tracking URL into an announcement. It is also useful for documentation, event registration, source links, and server resources.

Masked links deserve a little caution because the visible words do not prove where the link goes. Discord shows a destination confirmation when someone opens a masked link, so read that prompt before continuing. Avoid vague link labels like “click here.” A label such as “Discord’s account safety guide” gives readers useful context before they open it.

Server owners should also avoid using masked links to make unofficial pages look official. If your community shares giveaways, promotions, or rewards, our account safety guide explains how to spot fake login pages and suspicious Nitro links.

How to Make Discord Timestamps

Discord timestamps solve a problem every international server eventually hits: “Does 8 PM mean my time or yours?”

The basic timestamp format is:

<t:UNIX_TIMESTAMP:STYLE>

Replace UNIX_TIMESTAMP with the event time as a Unix timestamp in seconds. Discord then displays the date or time in each reader’s own timezone and locale. For example, the same timestamp can appear as morning for one member and evening for another.

The style letter controls the output:

Style	Output type
`t`	Short time
`T`	Time with seconds
`d`	Short date
`D`	Long date
`f`	Date and short time
`F`	Weekday, date, and short time
`s`	Short date and time
`S`	Short date and time with seconds
`R`	Relative time, such as “in 2 hours”

If you omit the style, Discord uses the equivalent of f. For event announcements, F gives readers the full date while R creates a useful countdown. You can place both in one message:

Game night starts <t:UNIX_TIMESTAMP:F> (<t:UNIX_TIMESTAMP:R>).

You can generate Unix timestamps with a reputable timestamp converter or a Discord bot you already trust. Double-check the date before sending the announcement. A perfectly formatted timestamp with the wrong underlying number is still the wrong time.

Discord documents every supported timestamp style in its official Message Formatting reference.

Can You Make Colored Text on Discord?

Discord does not offer a normal Markdown code for choosing text colors. You may find guides that use ANSI escape sequences or syntax highlighting inside code blocks to imitate red, green, blue, or orange text. Those methods are workarounds, not dependable message styling.

The result can vary by Discord client, theme, code language, and device. It may also be difficult to read and will appear inside a code block instead of looking like a regular message. Unicode “font” generators have similar problems and can make text less accessible.

For an important server message, use reliable formatting instead:

Add a clear header.
Bold the one sentence that matters most.
Use a warning or checkmark emoji sparingly.
Break instructions into bullets.
Let roles, channels, and Discord’s interface provide color.

Clear structure beats a fragile color trick. This is particularly important for rules and safety instructions, where every member needs to understand the message on any device.

Why Discord Formatting Is Not Working

If a message sends as plain symbols, check these common causes:

There is an extra space inside the symbols. Type **bold**, not ** bold **.

A header is not at the start of a new line. Headers and subtext only work when their syntax begins the line, and they need a space after the hash.

The symbols do not match. Count the asterisks, underscores, tildes, pipes, or backticks on both sides.

The text is inside a code block. Code formatting intentionally prevents most other Markdown, including spoiler rendering.

Smart punctuation replaced a character. Some phone keyboards and writing apps substitute lookalike punctuation. Type the symbols directly in Discord if pasted formatting behaves strangely.

The format is not actually supported. Discord does not support every feature found in GitHub Markdown or standard document editors. Tables, arbitrary font sizes, custom fonts, and native text colors are not regular Discord message options.

When a complex message breaks, test one style at a time. Start with the plain words, add the inner formatting, and then add any outer underline or spoiler symbols.

A Clean Discord Announcement Template

Here is a practical template that combines headers, bold text, a list, a timestamp, and subtext without turning the message into formatting soup:

# Friday Game Night

**We are playing community games this Friday.**

- Join the Game Night voice channel
- Bring one game suggestion
- Keep teams friendly and balanced

Start time: <t:UNIX_TIMESTAMP:F>
Countdown: <t:UNIX_TIMESTAMP:R>

-# Reply in this channel if you want a reminder ping.

Replace the timestamp placeholder before posting. This structure works because each format has a job: the header names the event, bold text states the point, bullets explain the steps, and subtext holds the least important detail.

For staff-only messages and server rules, formatting cannot replace correct access control. Use our Discord permissions audit checklist to make sure the right roles can view, post, and mention members in important channels.

Final Takeaway

You do not need to memorize every Discord Markdown code today. Start with the four formats you will use constantly:

**bold** for emphasis
||spoiler|| for hidden text
# Header for structure
- List item for readable instructions

Add code blocks, masked links, and timestamps when the message calls for them. Keep the formatting simple enough that people notice the information, not the symbols used to present it.

Sources Checked

Reviewed on July 11, 2026: