This guide demonstrates the Markdown syntax you can use in Hugo blog posts. Each section includes both the Markdown code and its rendered output.

Basic Syntax

Headers

In Markdown, you create headers using the # symbol. The number of # determines the header level:

# Header 1
## Header 2
### Header 3
#### Header 4
##### Header 5
###### Header 6

Text Formatting

Here’s how to format text in different ways:

**Bold text** or __bold text__
*Italic text* or _italic text_
***Bold and italic text***
~~Strikethrough text~~

Renders as:

Bold text or bold text Italic text or italic text Bold and italic text Strikethrough text

Links

There are several ways to create links:

[Basic link to Google](https://www.google.com)
[Link with title](https://www.google.com "Google's Homepage")
[Reference link][reference-id]

[reference-id]: https://www.google.com

Images

Images are similar to links but start with an exclamation mark:

![Alt text for the image](markdown-image.png "Optional title")

Lists

Unordered Lists

* First item
* Second item
  * Nested item
  * Another nested item
* Third item

Renders as:

• First item
• Second item
  • Nested item
  • Another nested item
• Third item

Ordered Lists

1. First step
2. Second step
   1. Sub-step A
   2. Sub-step B
3. Third step

Renders as:

1. First step
2. Second step
   1. Sub-step A
   2. Sub-step B
3. Third step

Code

Inline Code

Use backticks for inline code.

Code Blocks

For multiple lines of code, use triple backticks with optional language specification:

def hello_world():
    print("Hello, World!")

function sayHello() {
    console.log("Hello, World!");
}

Tables

Create tables using pipes and hyphens:

| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   | Cell 3   |
| Cell 4   | Cell 5   | Cell 6   |

Renders as:

Blockquotes

For quotes and citations:

> This is a blockquote
> It can span multiple lines
>
> > And can be nested

Renders as:

This is a blockquote It can span multiple lines

And can be nested

Task Lists

Create checkable task lists:

- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Incomplete task
- [x] Another completed task

Renders as:

• Completed task
• Incomplete task
• Another completed task

Advanced Features

Footnotes

Add footnotes to your text¹.

Definition Lists

Term
: Definition for the term
: Another definition for the term

Another Term
: Definition of another term

Emoji

Many Markdown processors support emoji shortcodes: 😄 ❤️ 👍

Tips for Blog Writing

1. Use headers to organize your content
2. Include code blocks with syntax highlighting when sharing code
3. Use lists to break down complex information
4. Add images to make your posts more engaging
5. Use blockquotes to highlight important information
6. Include links to reference materials

Conclusion

This guide covers the most commonly used Markdown syntax for blog writing. For more detailed information, visit the official Markdown guide.