Markdown Quote: How to Use Blockquotes in Markdown

A markdown quote uses the > character to create blockquotes that visually separate cited text, callouts, or notes from the rest of your content. Blockquotes work across every major markdown platform, including GitHub, Obsidian, and VS Code. This guide covers single-line quotes, nested blockquotes, and advanced formatting you can use inside them.

What Is a Markdown Blockquote?

A blockquote in markdown starts with the > symbol followed by a space. The parser renders it as an indented block with a left border, which makes it easy to spot. Blockquotes exist in the original markdown spec from 2004 and are supported by CommonMark 0.31, GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), and every other major parser.

Here is the basic syntax:

> This is a blockquote in markdown.

This is a blockquote in markdown.

The rendered output displays as an indented paragraph with a vertical bar on the left side. Most editors style this with a gray or blue left border and a subtle background color.

How Do You Create a Markdown Quote?

Creating a markdown quote takes one character. Place > at the start of a line, add a space, then type your text. You can write a single-line quote or span multiple lines.

Single-line blockquote:

> Markdown is intended to be as easy-to-read as possible.

Markdown is intended to be as easy-to-read as possible. Multi-line blockquote (lazy continuation):

> This is a longer quote that spans\
> multiple lines. Each line starts\
> with the greater-than symbol.

This is a longer quote that spans
multiple lines. Each line starts
with the greater-than symbol.

You can also use "lazy continuation" where only the first line needs the > prefix. The CommonMark spec allows this, though we recommend using > on every line for clarity. In our testing, lazy continuation can break in some editors like Obsidian when combined with lists.

Lazy continuation example:

> This paragraph continues on the next line
without a greater-than symbol. CommonMark still
treats it as one blockquote.

This paragraph continues on the next line without a greater-than symbol. CommonMark still treats it as one blockquote.

Nested Blockquotes in Markdown

You can nest blockquotes by stacking multiple > characters. This technique is useful for showing threaded conversations or multi-level citations. Each additional > adds one level of nesting.

> First level quote
>> Second level (nested) quote
>>> Third level quote

First level quote

Second level (nested) quote

Third level quote

Nesting works reliably up to 3 or 4 levels deep on most platforms. Going beyond that can cause rendering issues in GitHub and some static site generators. Keep nesting to 2-3 levels for the best cross-platform results.

Combining Blockquotes with Other Markdown Elements

Markdown quotes can contain nearly any other markdown element inside them. This is one of the most powerful features of the blockquote syntax.

Quote with bold and italic text:

> **Important:** You can use *any* formatting inside a blockquote.

Important: You can use any formatting inside a blockquote.

Quote with a list:

> Things to remember:
> - Use `>` on every line
> - Add a blank line to end the quote
> - Nest with `>>` for deeper levels

Things to remember:

• Use > on every line
• Add a blank line to end the quote
• Nest with >> for deeper levels

Quote with a code block:

> Here is an example command:
>
> \`\`\`bash
> npm install markdown-it
> \`\`\`

Here is an example command:

```bash npm install markdown-it ```

Quote with a link:

> Read the full spec at [CommonMark](https://commonmark.org).

Read the full spec at CommonMark.

One thing to watch out for: you need a blank line with just > between a paragraph and a code block inside a blockquote. Skipping that blank line causes the code block to break on GitHub.

Platform Differences for Markdown Quotes

Not all platforms render blockquotes the same way. Here are the key differences we found in our testing:

GitHub Flavored Markdown supports a special alert syntax inside blockquotes since 2023. You can use > [!NOTE], > [!WARNING], > [!TIP], > [!IMPORTANT], and > [!CAUTION] to create colored callout boxes. These render with icons and distinct background colors on GitHub.

> [!NOTE]
> This renders as a blue info box on GitHub.

> [!WARNING]
> This renders as a yellow warning box on GitHub.

Obsidian uses a different callout syntax that looks similar but adds more types. Obsidian callouts use > [!info], > [!tip], > [!warning], and dozens of other types. Obsidian also supports foldable callouts with + and - after the type.

Slack does not support the > blockquote syntax. Instead, Slack uses > or its own rich text quoting feature. If you are writing markdown for Slack, check our Slack markdown formatting guide.

Standard CommonMark parsers like markdown-it, marked, and our own editor render blockquotes as HTML <blockquote> elements without any special callout features.

Common Mistakes with Markdown Blockquotes

Mistake 1: Forgetting the space after >.

>This won't render as a blockquote in strict parsers.
> This will render correctly.

Most parsers are lenient here, but CommonMark requires the space. Always include it.

Mistake 2: Not adding a blank line to end the quote.

> This is a quote.
This line might still be inside the quote (lazy continuation).

This line is definitely outside the quote.

Add a blank line after your blockquote to guarantee the next paragraph is outside it.

Mistake 3: Nesting too deep.

Going beyond 3 levels of nesting causes inconsistent rendering across platforms. GitHub renders it fine, but some static site generators and email clients break at 4+ levels.

Try Markdown Blockquotes in Our Editor

Paste any of the examples above into our editor and see the rendered output side by side. The preview updates as you type, so you can experiment with nested quotes, callouts, and combined formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

The markdown quote syntax is one of the simplest and most useful formatting tools available. Use > for single-level quotes, >> for nested conversations, and combine blockquotes with bold text, lists, code blocks, and links for rich content. Platform-specific callouts on GitHub and Obsidian extend the basic blockquote into a full notification system. Open our markdown editor to practice these patterns with real-time preview, or check the markdown cheat sheet for a quick reference of all syntax.

Written by the Markdown Editor Online team. Last updated April 2026.