Notion Markdown Guide: Shortcuts and Formatting

Notion markdown support lets you use keyboard shortcuts and slash commands to format text without leaving the keyboard. Notion is not a full markdown editor, but it borrows many markdown conventions for quick formatting. Bold, italic, headings, code blocks, and lists all work with familiar syntax. This guide covers what markdown Notion supports, what it does not, and how to import and export markdown content.

How Does Markdown Work in Notion?

Notion uses markdown-like shortcuts as a formatting input method, not as a storage format. When you type **bold** in Notion, it immediately converts to bold text and removes the asterisks. You cannot see raw markdown in Notion the way you can in a code editor or our markdown editor.

This "live markdown" approach means you get the speed of markdown shortcuts with the visual feedback of a rich text editor. It works well for users transitioning from markdown editors to Notion.

Markdown Shortcuts That Work in Notion

These markdown shortcuts are recognized as you type in any Notion text block:

Text Formatting

Markdown Shortcut	Result	Notes
**text**	Bold	Converts immediately on closing **
*text*	Italic	Single asterisks
`code`	Inline code	Backticks
~~text~~	Strikethrough	Double tildes

Headings

Shortcut	Result	How
# + space	Heading 1	Type # then space at line start
## + space	Heading 2	Type ## then space
### + space	Heading 3	Type ### then space

Notion supports only 3 heading levels (H1, H2, H3). There is no H4 through H6. For deeper hierarchy, use toggle blocks or indentation.

Lists

Shortcut	Result
- or * + space	Bulleted list
1. + space	Numbered list
[] + space	To-do checkbox

Nested lists work by pressing Tab to indent. Notion converts the indented items into child blocks.

Other Block Types

Shortcut	Result
> + space	Toggle block (collapsible)
" + space	Quote block
---	Divider (horizontal rule)
```	Code block

The code block shortcut creates a full code block with language selection. Triple backticks on a new line trigger the conversion.

Markdown That Does NOT Work in Notion

Several standard markdown features are not supported as shortcuts in Notion:

Feature	Standard Markdown	Notion Status
Links	[text](url)	Not auto-converted (use Ctrl+K)
Images		Not supported (use /image command)
Tables	Pipe-and-dash syntax	Not supported (use /table command)
Footnotes	[^1]	Not supported
HTML tags	<span>, <div>	Not supported
Math equations	$...$	Use /math or inline equation block
Blockquotes	> creates toggle, not blockquote	Different behavior

The biggest surprise for markdown users is that > creates a toggle (collapsible) block in Notion, not a blockquote. Use /quote or the quote block type for actual blockquotes.

Links require the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac) to create. You cannot type [text](url) and have it convert to a link.

Notion Keyboard Shortcuts for Formatting

Beyond markdown-style shortcuts, Notion has keyboard shortcuts for formatting:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl/Cmd + B	Bold
Ctrl/Cmd + I	Italic
Ctrl/Cmd + U	Underline
Ctrl/Cmd + E	Inline code
Ctrl/Cmd + K	Add link
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + S	Strikethrough
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + H	Highlight
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + M	Comment

These shortcuts work in any text block and are often faster than markdown syntax for single formatting operations.

How to Import Markdown into Notion

Notion can import markdown files and convert them to Notion pages:

Step 1: Click the three-dot menu (...) at the top right of any Notion page.

Step 2: Select "Import" from the dropdown.

Step 3: Choose "Text & Markdown" and select your .md file.

Notion converts headings, lists, bold, italic, code blocks, and horizontal rules into native Notion blocks. Tables convert to Notion database tables. Images referenced by URL are embedded.

Limitations of markdown import: footnotes are dropped, HTML tags are stripped, and complex nested structures may not convert perfectly. Review imported pages for formatting issues.

How to Export Notion Pages as Markdown

Notion can export individual pages or entire workspaces as markdown:

Single page: Click the three-dot menu > Export > Markdown & CSV. The download includes a .md file with images in a subfolder.

Entire workspace: Settings & Members > Settings > Export all workspace content > Markdown & CSV.

The exported markdown is clean and compatible with static site generators. Notion databases export as CSV files alongside the markdown pages. This makes Notion a viable content drafting tool for teams that publish with Hugo, Jekyll, or other static generators.

Notion vs Dedicated Markdown Editors

Feature	Notion	Markdown Editor Online
Raw markdown editing	No (auto-converts)	Yes (full control)
Markdown shortcuts	Partial (text formatting only)	Full CommonMark + GFM
Link syntax [](url)	Not supported	Supported
Tables as markdown	Not supported	Full pipe syntax
Export to PDF	Yes	Yes
Export to DOCX	No	Yes
Collaboration	Yes (real-time)	Not yet
Databases	Yes	No
Free tier	Yes (limited)	Yes (3 exports/day)

Notion excels at project management, databases, and team collaboration. Our markdown editor excels at pure markdown writing, conversion tools, and export to multiple formats. Many teams use both: Notion for planning and collaboration, markdown editors for content that needs to be published as HTML, PDF, or committed to Git.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

Notion markdown support covers the basics: bold, italic, headings, lists, code, and strikethrough work with familiar shortcuts. Links, images, tables, and advanced features need Notion-specific methods (Ctrl+K, slash commands, database blocks). Import and export markdown files through Notion's built-in tools for content migration. For full markdown control with live preview and multi-format export, use our markdown editor. Check the markdown cheat sheet for the complete syntax reference, and see our other platform guides for Obsidian, GitHub, and Slack.

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