Hugo Markdown: Complete Guide
Hugo is one of the fastest static site generators available. It uses markdown files for content and the Goldmark parser for rendering. Hugo supports front matter, shortcodes for reusable content, and can build thousands of pages in seconds.
Markdown support:Full
Markdown Support in Hugo
| Format | Syntax | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | **text** | Yes |
| Italic | *text* | Yes |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | Yes |
| Headings | # H1 ... ###### H6 | Yes |
| Links | [text](url) | Yes |
| Images |  | Yes |
| Blockquotes | > quote | Yes |
| Ordered Lists | 1. item | Yes |
| Unordered Lists | - item | Yes |
| Code (inline) | `code` | Yes |
| Code Blocks | ```lang\ncode\n``` | Yes |
| Tables | | col | col | | Yes |
| Task Lists | - [ ] task | Yes Requires enabling the extension in config |
| Footnotes | [^1] | Yes Supported via Goldmark extensions |
| Horizontal Rule | --- | Yes |
Things to know
- Uses Goldmark as the default markdown parser (replaced Blackfriday in v0.60+).
- Shortcodes provide reusable template snippets inside markdown.
- Front matter supports YAML, TOML, or JSON format.
- Extremely fast build times, even for sites with thousands of pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hugo support markdown?
Yes. Hugo uses markdown as its primary content format. It parses markdown with Goldmark (CommonMark compliant) and supports tables, footnotes, task lists, and custom shortcodes.
How do you bold text in Hugo?
Use standard markdown syntax: **bold text**. Hugo processes your markdown content files and renders them as HTML pages in your static site.
What markdown parser does Hugo use?
Hugo uses Goldmark, a CommonMark-compliant markdown parser written in Go. It replaced the older Blackfriday parser starting with Hugo v0.60.
Is Hugo free?
Yes. Hugo is free and open source, released under the Apache 2.0 license. It is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.