Markdown syntax

Altretta notes are plain Markdown, so the syntax you already know just works — and renders live as you type. This page is a quick reference to the everyday formatting; wikilinks, embeds, callouts, math, and diagrams have their own pages.

Headings

Start a line with one to six # characters. More hashes mean a deeper level.

markdown
# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

Your headings also populate the Outline panel and become link targets you can point a wikilink at.

Bold, italic & more

markdown
**bold**  or  __bold__
*italic*  or  _italic_
***bold italic***
~~strikethrough~~

Lists

Use - (or *) for bullets and 1. for numbered lists. Indent to nest.

markdown
- First idea
  - A supporting point
  - Another one
- Second idea

1. Step one
2. Step two

Task lists

Add - [ ] for an unchecked task and - [x] for a completed one. Checkboxes are clickable in the editor and reading mode.

markdown
- [ ] Draft the outline
- [x] Collect references
- [ ] Write the first section

Task lists are a lightweight to-do system on their own, and they pair well with properties — put a status property on a note and track its checklist inside.

Code

Wrap inline code in single backticks: `like this`. For a block, fence it with triple backticks and name the language for syntax highlighting.

markdown
```python
def greet(name):
    return f"Hello, {name}"
```

Quotes

Prefix a line with > to create a blockquote. Blockquotes nest and can span multiple lines.

markdown
> Your knowledge is yours.
> Your AI is yours.

The same > syntax with a [!tag] marker becomes a callout — see Callouts, math & diagrams.

Tables

Build a table with pipes and a divider row of dashes. Colons in the divider set column alignment.

markdown
| Feature      | Obsidian | Altretta |
| ------------ | :------: | :------: |
| Markdown     |    ✓     |    ✓     |
| Signed history |   —    |    ✓     |

Footnotes

Add a reference with [^1] inline and define it anywhere in the note. Altretta collects footnotes and links them.

markdown
Altretta writes to plain files.[^1]

[^1]: Every note is a standard `.md` file on your disk.

Horizontal rules & line breaks

A line of --- (three or more dashes) draws a horizontal rule.
End a line with two spaces, or leave a blank line, to break to a new line.

Beyond this core syntax, Altretta also renders wikilinks and embeds, callouts, KaTeX math, and Mermaid diagrams, and reads YAML frontmatter properties from the top of a note.

Next steps

Connect notes with Links & embeds.
Add richer blocks with Callouts, math & diagrams.

Writing & editing

Links & embeds

Callouts, math & diagrams

Tags & properties

Search