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To use Markdown in WordPress, enable Markdown in the writing settings, open the Block Editor, insert the Jetpack Markdown block, type your Markdown, and use the block’s Preview control before publishing. The block works on Jetpack-connected sites and follows CommonMark through the markdown-it parser. The Classic Editor has a separate Markdown workflow based on Markdown Extra, so the same text can render differently depending on which editor you use.
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What Markdown support means in WordPress
Markdown is plain-text notation that becomes formatted content when WordPress parses it. You can type markers for headings, emphasis, lists, links, images, quotations, code and horizontal rules instead of selecting formatting buttons for every element.
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WordPress does not expose one identical Markdown mode in every editing screen. Your workflow depends on the editor and the site configuration:
| Workflow | Where it works | Parser or behavior | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jetpack Markdown block | Block Editor on a Jetpack-connected site | markdown-it with CommonMark support |
Insert a dedicated Markdown block, write inside it, and use its Preview control. Jetpack’s Markdown Block documentation describes the supported syntax. |
| Classic Editor Markdown | Sites using the Classic Editor with the documented Markdown feature | Markdown Extra | Tables, inline HTML, code handling and other edge cases may differ from the block. See Jetpack’s Classic Editor instructions. |
| Ordinary WordPress blocks | Block Editor without a Markdown block | Block controls rather than a Markdown parser | Paragraph, heading, list, image, video and other blocks remain independently editable. The Jetpack Blocks overview and WordPress block guide explain this approach. |
That distinction explains why a Markdown tutorial written for the Classic Editor may not match what you see in a current Block Editor installation. Decide which editor you will use before troubleshooting syntax.
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Check your prerequisites before writing
- Block Editor route: you need the Block Editor and Jetpack-connected blocks enabled so the Markdown block is available.
- Classic Editor route: you need the Classic Editor Markdown workflow instead of the block interface.
- Permissions: you must be able to open the site’s writing settings and create or edit a post or page.
- A preview habit: save a draft and inspect the front end when you use footnotes or other behavior that may not be obvious inside the editor.
If your site is self-hosted, whether Markdown appears is a configuration choice rather than a universal WordPress default. A site administrator may need to connect Jetpack or enable the relevant blocks before authors can use them.
Enable Markdown in WordPress
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- Open the WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Settings → Writing.
- Turn on the option to write posts or pages in plain-text Markdown syntax.
- Save the setting, then open a draft and confirm that the Markdown workflow is available.
WordPress.com documents the Markdown block and its settings path in Markdown block in WordPress. Labels can vary slightly with the dashboard design, but the setting remains under Writing.
Plugin-enabled or self-hosted site
- In the dashboard, open Jetpack → Settings → Writing.
- Find Write posts or pages in plain-text Markdown syntax.
- Enable it and save.
- Open a post or page in the Block Editor and test the block inserter.
This path applies when your installation exposes Jetpack settings. If your administrator has disabled Jetpack Blocks, the setting alone will not make the block appear.
Confirm that the Block Editor is active
Start a new post or page. If you see the block inserter plus button and can add paragraph, heading or image blocks, you are in the Block Editor. WordPress’s Work with blocks guide covers the inserter and block editing model.
If the screen opens as one large visual or HTML editing area with no block inserter, the Classic Editor is active. The Markdown block cannot be inserted into that screen. You can either enable the Block Editor and let users switch editors, or stay with the Classic Editor Markdown workflow described below.
Add and use the Jetpack Markdown block
- Open a post or page in the Block Editor.
- Click the + Block Inserter, or place the cursor in the editor and type
/. - Search for Markdown.
- Select the Markdown block supplied by Jetpack.
- Click inside the block and type or paste plain-text Markdown.
- Choose Preview in the block to see the rendered result without leaving the editor.
The block is not the same as a Code block. A Code block displays code as code; the Markdown block parses Markdown and displays the resulting headings, links, lists and other elements. Keep your source in the Markdown block if you want to continue editing it as Markdown.
You can add other WordPress blocks before or after the Markdown block. This is useful when a post needs a native video, gallery or call-to-action block alongside a Markdown-written section. Each block remains separately editable.
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Markdown syntax supported by the block
The Jetpack block uses markdown-it and supports the CommonMark specification. The following patterns are documented for the block:
| Purpose | Markdown to type | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Heading 1 | # Heading 1 |
A top-level heading |
| Heading 2 | ## Heading 2 |
A second-level heading |
| Heading 3 | ### Heading 3 |
A third-level heading |
| Italic text | *italic* or _italic_ |
Emphasized text |
| Bold text | **bold** or __bold__ |
Strongly emphasized text |
| Unordered list | * item, - item or + item |
Bulleted list |
| Ordered list | 1. item |
Numbered list |
| Link | [link text](https://example.com) |
Clickable link |
| Image |  |
Image with alternative text |
| Blockquote | > quote |
Indented quotation |
| Inline code | `code` |
Code within a sentence |
| Code block | ``` on lines surrounding the code |
Multiline code formatting |
| Horizontal rule | Three or more -, * or _ characters on their own line |
A dividing rule |
Leave a blank line where the Markdown grammar requires one, especially between paragraphs, headings, lists and fenced code. If a marker appears as literal text, check for missing spaces, unmatched backticks or characters placed on the wrong line before assuming the parser is broken.
A practical Markdown post workflow
1. Outline with headings
Start with one # heading for the document title only when the content is being rendered as a standalone document. Use ## for major sections and ### for subsections. In a WordPress post, the post title field normally supplies the page title, so avoid creating a duplicate title inside the content unless you specifically need one.
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Separate paragraphs with a blank line. Use one pair of asterisks or underscores for italics and two for bold. Keep emphasis meaningful rather than wrapping whole paragraphs, because excessive styling makes instructions harder to scan.
3. Add lists and links
Use a consistent marker for each unordered list and a number followed by a period for ordered steps. A link contains visible text in square brackets followed immediately by its destination in parentheses:
[Read the block documentation](https://jetpack.com/support/jetpack-blocks/markdown/)Use descriptive link text instead of pasting a long address into a sentence. WordPress.com warns that shortcodes take priority over Markdown links and should not be used as link text; if a shortcode is involved, choose ordinary words for the linked text and test the rendered result. The warning appears in the Markdown Quick Reference.
4. Describe images with useful alternative text
Put a concise description between the exclamation mark, brackets and image URL:
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The description should communicate the image’s purpose, not repeat a file name. If the image is decorative, consider adding it with a native Image block so you can use the site’s normal media and accessibility controls.
5. Format quotations and code
Prefix each quoted line with >. Surround short commands, filenames and variable names with single backticks. Put triple backticks on separate lines around a multiline example. Preview code carefully: the Markdown block formats it, but it does not execute commands or validate that a snippet is safe.
Preview Markdown before publishing
Click Preview in the Markdown block while you work. This is the fastest way to catch a missing closing marker, an incorrectly formed link or a list that has become ordinary text.
Previewing the block is not the same as checking the final page. Use this publishing sequence:
- Preview each Markdown block in the editor.
- Save the post as a draft.
- Open the draft or previewed front end in a new tab.
- Check headings, spacing, links, images, quotations, code and horizontal rules at the page width used by readers.
- Follow every link you added, especially links created by pasted text.
- For footnotes or other rendered behavior, rely on the saved-draft front-end view rather than only the editor preview; Jetpack specifically recommends this check.
- Publish only after the front-end result matches the source you intended.
Use the front-end check after changing themes or plugins as well. The Markdown parser may produce the same HTML while the theme’s styles change how headings, lists or code appear.
CommonMark in the block versus Markdown Extra in the Classic Editor
The two workflows are related but not interchangeable. The Markdown block follows CommonMark through markdown-it; Jetpack’s Classic Editor documentation and WordPress.com’s quick reference describe Markdown Extra for that editor. Consequently, a document that renders one way in the Classic Editor can change when pasted into a Markdown block.
| Comparison point | Markdown block | Classic Editor Markdown |
|---|---|---|
| Editor required | Block Editor | Classic Editor |
| Documented syntax standard | CommonMark | Markdown Extra |
| Parser named by documentation | markdown-it |
Not the same parser as the block |
| Preview control | Dedicated Preview option in the block | Use the Classic Editor’s documented preview or the saved-draft front end |
| Potential differences | CommonMark parsing of tables, inline HTML and code-related edge cases | Markdown Extra behavior for tables, inline HTML, code and other extensions |
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Use Markdown with the Classic Editor
If your site deliberately keeps the Classic Editor, follow Jetpack’s separate instructions instead of searching for a block that cannot be inserted there:
- Open the post or page in the Classic Editor.
- Enable the Markdown feature through the site’s documented Jetpack or WordPress.com writing settings.
- Enter Markdown in the Classic Editor’s Markdown editing area.
- Preview or save a draft and inspect the front end.
If you want the Block Editor’s Markdown block, deactivate the Classic Editor or enable the option that lets users switch editors. Jetpack lists those remedies for sites where the block is missing.
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There is no Markdown block in the inserter
- Confirm that the post is open in the Block Editor, not the Classic Editor.
- Check that Jetpack is connected and Jetpack Blocks are enabled.
- Return to Jetpack → Settings → Writing and verify that plain-text Markdown is enabled on a plugin-enabled site.
- On WordPress.com, check Settings → Writing and confirm the Markdown option is on.
- Ask an administrator whether a plugin or site policy has disabled the block.
If the site must remain on the Classic Editor, use its Markdown workflow rather than trying to add a block.
Markdown appears as plain text
Plain text usually means the content was pasted into a Paragraph or Code block, or the parser did not recognize the syntax. Move the source into a Jetpack Markdown block, then check spaces, blank lines and closing markers. A Code block intentionally displays Markdown characters literally.
Formatting changed after switching editors
Identify which parser handled the content. CommonMark in the Markdown block and Markdown Extra in the Classic Editor can differ in tables, inline HTML, code behavior and other features. Re-test the affected passage in the destination editor and rewrite it using syntax supported by that workflow.
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Check that the visible text is enclosed in square brackets and the URL in parentheses, with no missing closing bracket or parenthesis. Also check for a shortcode in the link text: WordPress.com says shortcode processing takes priority over Markdown links. Replace shortcode text with ordinary words, then preview the result.
Footnotes or another element looks wrong in the editor
Save a draft and inspect the front end. Jetpack recommends the saved-draft view for footnotes and other rendered behavior because the editor preview may not show the final page exactly.
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I want normal block editing instead
Markdown is optional. Use native Paragraph, Heading, List, Image, Video and other blocks when your team needs each element to be independently editable through WordPress controls. You can combine those blocks with a Markdown block in the same post.
When Markdown is the right WordPress workflow
- Choose the Markdown block when you already write in plain text, want a portable source format, and can use the Block Editor on a Jetpack-connected site.
- Choose Classic Editor Markdown when an existing site depends on the Classic Editor and its Markdown Extra behavior.
- Choose native blocks when editors need visual controls, media management, per-element revisions or a workflow that does not require Markdown syntax.
For import/export, broader Classic Editor compatibility or features beyond Jetpack’s block, evaluate a Markdown-focused plugin or editor extension for your own WordPress version and hosting policy. Confirm its parser, conversion behavior and preview method before converting an established archive.
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- Am I using the intended editor and parser?
- Is Markdown enabled in the correct Writing settings?
- Is the source inside a Markdown block rather than a Paragraph or Code block?
- Do headings, emphasis, lists, links, images, quotations, code and rules render in Preview?
- Does every image have appropriate alternative text?
- Have I checked shortcode precedence and tested every link?
- Did I save a draft and inspect the front end, including footnotes or other special rendering?
- Does the final page look correct at the reader’s screen width?
Frequently asked questions
Does the Jetpack Markdown block support CommonMark?
Yes. Jetpack states that the block uses the markdown-it parser, which supports the CommonMark specification. That statement applies to the Block Editor Markdown block, not automatically to the Classic Editor workflow.
Can I use Markdown without the Block Editor?
Yes, but you must use the Classic Editor’s separate Markdown path. You cannot insert the Jetpack Markdown block into a Classic Editor screen.
Why does the same Markdown render differently in two WordPress posts?
The posts may be using different workflows: the block uses CommonMark, while the Classic Editor documentation describes Markdown Extra. Their handling of tables, inline HTML, code and other extensions can differ.
Should I write a WordPress post entirely in Markdown?
Only if the chosen parser, editor permissions and publishing checks fit your workflow. A mixed post is also valid: keep Markdown where plain-text editing helps and use native blocks for media or elements that need independent visual controls.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Jetpack Markdown block support CommonMark?
Yes. Jetpack says the Block Editor Markdown block uses the markdown-it parser, which supports CommonMark.
Can I use Markdown without the Block Editor?
Yes. Use the Classic Editor’s separate Markdown workflow; the Jetpack Markdown block itself requires the Block Editor.
Why can identical Markdown render differently in WordPress?
The Block Editor Markdown block uses CommonMark, while the Classic Editor workflow is documented as Markdown Extra, so edge cases can differ.
Should every WordPress post be written entirely in Markdown?
No. Use Markdown where plain-text editing helps and native blocks where independent media or visual controls are more useful.
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