Telegram Markdown: Complete Guide
Telegram supports basic markdown-style formatting in messages. Desktop and mobile apps provide keyboard shortcuts and formatting menus for bold, italic, code, and more. The Telegram Bot API also supports MarkdownV2 parse mode for programmatic message formatting.
Markdown support:Partial
Markdown Support in Telegram
| Format | Syntax | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | **text** | Yes **text** in Bot API; use Ctrl/Cmd + B in apps |
| Italic | *text* | Yes __text__ in Bot API; use Ctrl/Cmd + I in apps |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | Yes ~text~ in Bot API; select text and choose strikethrough |
| Headings | # H1 ... ###### H6 | No Not supported |
| Links | [text](url) | Yes [text](url) in Bot API; use link formatting in apps |
| Images |  | No Send images as attachments |
| Blockquotes | > quote | Yes >text in Bot API MarkdownV2 |
| Ordered Lists | 1. item | No Not supported natively |
| Unordered Lists | - item | No Not supported natively |
| Code (inline) | `code` | Yes `code` in Bot API and apps |
| Code Blocks | ```lang\ncode\n``` | Yes ```lang\ncode\n``` in Bot API |
| Tables | | col | col | | No Not supported |
| Task Lists | - [ ] task | No Not supported |
| Footnotes | [^1] | No Not supported |
| Horizontal Rule | --- | No Not supported |
Things to know
- The Telegram app uses keyboard shortcuts and menus for formatting, not raw markdown typing.
- The Bot API supports MarkdownV2 parse mode for programmatic formatting.
- Spoiler text uses ||text|| syntax in the Bot API.
- Some formatting requires selecting text first and choosing the format from a menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Telegram support markdown?
Telegram supports markdown-style formatting for bold, italic, code, links, and strikethrough. In the app, use keyboard shortcuts or the formatting menu. The Bot API supports MarkdownV2 with richer syntax.
How do you bold text in Telegram?
Select the text and press Ctrl/Cmd + B, or right-click and choose Bold. In the Bot API, use **text** with MarkdownV2 parse mode.
Does Telegram support code blocks?
Yes. In the Bot API, use triple backticks for code blocks. In the app, select text, right-click, and choose Mono or Code formatting.
What is MarkdownV2 in Telegram?
MarkdownV2 is a parse mode in the Telegram Bot API that supports bold (**), italic (__), strikethrough (~), code (`), links, spoilers (||), and blockquotes (>). It is used when sending messages programmatically via bots.