Markdown Heading Syntax

Headings are the most important elements for organizing document structure. Markdown supports two heading syntaxes: ATX style and Setext style.

ATX Style Headings

To create a heading, add a hash (#) before a word or phrase. The number of hashes represents the heading level.

# Heading Level 1
## Heading Level 2  
### Heading Level 3
#### Heading Level 4
##### Heading Level 5
###### Heading Level 6

Rendered Output

Heading Level 1

Heading Level 2

Heading Level 3

Heading Level 4

Heading Level 5

Heading Level 6

Optional Closing Syntax

You can optionally "close" ATX style headings, which is purely for aesthetics:

# Heading Level 1 #
## Heading Level 2 ##
### Heading Level 3 ###

The number of # at the end does not need to match the beginning; the number at the start determines the heading level.

Setext Style Headings

You can also add any number of = signs below text for a level 1 heading, or - signs for a level 2 heading.

Heading Level 1
===============

Heading Level 2
---------------

Rendered Output

Heading Level 1

Heading Level 2

Heading Best Practices

Compatibility Considerations

When there is no space between the hash (#) and the heading text, different Markdown applications may handle it differently. For compatibility, add a space between the hash and the heading text.

✅ Recommended	❌ Not Recommended
# This is a heading	#This is a heading

Use of Blank Lines

For compatibility, add blank lines before and after headings.

This is a paragraph.

# This is a heading

This is another paragraph.

Heading Levels

• Each document should use only one level 1 heading
• Keep heading levels logical; do not skip levels
• Headings should reflect the document's structural hierarchy

Heading Text Guidelines

• Heading text should be concise and clear
• Avoid punctuation (especially periods)
• Use gerunds or noun phrases
• Keep formatting consistent for headings of the same level

HTML Output

Markdown headings are converted to the corresponding HTML heading tags:

# Heading       →  <h1>Heading</h1>
## Heading      →  <h2>Heading</h2>
### Heading     →  <h3>Heading</h3>
#### Heading    →  <h4>Heading</h4>
##### Heading   →  <h5>Heading</h5>
###### Heading  →  <h6>Heading</h6>

Heading IDs (Extended Feature)

Many Markdown processors automatically generate IDs for headings, which can be used to create anchor links:

<h1 id="markdown-heading-syntax">Markdown Heading Syntax</h1>

This allows you to link to a specific heading:

[Link to heading](#markdown-heading-syntax)

Practical Example

Below is an example of a document with a well-structured heading hierarchy:

# User Manual

## Quick Start

### Installation Steps

#### System Requirements

#### Download and Install

### Basic Configuration

## Advanced Features

### Custom Settings

### Plugin Management

## Troubleshooting

### FAQ

### Contact Support

Such a clear heading structure makes the document easy to read and navigate.

Related Syntax

• Paragraphs and Line Breaks
• Lists
• Links