Basic and multi-paragraph quotes
Blockquotes can contain any other Markdown: emphasis, lists, code blocks, even headings.
> Simple quote.
> First paragraph.
>
> Second paragraph with **bold**.Nested quotes
Stack the markers to nest one quote inside another, useful for quoting email threads.
> Outer quote
>> Nested replyGitHub alerts
On GitHub, special blockquote openers render as colored callout boxes. These are GitHub-specific and render as regular blockquotes elsewhere.
> [!NOTE]
> Useful information.
> [!WARNING]
> Critical content.All five alert types, Obsidian’s foldable callouts and a fallback that works everywhere are covered in the callouts guide.
Lists, code and headings inside a quote
Everything after the > marker is parsed as normal Markdown, so you can quote a whole section of a document. Prefix every line, including the lines of a fenced code block and the blank lines between elements.
> ### Release notes
>
> - Faster PDF export
> - New dark theme
>
> ```bash
> npm install mdtool
> ```Quotes with attribution
Markdown has no citation syntax. The common convention is a final line starting with an em dash, separated from the quote by a > line so it renders as its own paragraph. Where HTML is allowed, wrap the source in a <cite> tag for semantic markup.
> Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.
>
> Edsger W. DijkstraLazy continuation lines
CommonMark lets you drop the > on continuation lines of a paragraph that is already inside a quote, so hard-wrapped text pasted from an email still stays quoted. It is convenient but fragile: a list marker or a blank line on an unprefixed line ends the quote. Prefixing every line is the safer habit.
> This paragraph starts in a quote
and this lazy line is still part of it.
This paragraph is outside the quote.Where blockquotes work
Blockquotes are core Markdown and render nearly everywhere, but a few apps attach a different meaning to the > key.
| Platform | Syntax | Note |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub, GitLab | > text | Also used for alert callouts |
| Obsidian | > text | > [!type] turns a quote into a callout |
| VS Code preview | > text | - |
| Notion | " then space | Typing > then space creates a toggle, not a quote |
| > text | Blank line needed to end the quote | |
| Discord | > one line, >>> rest of message | No nesting |
Common pitfalls
A quote that will not end needs a truly blank line after it. A quote that swallows a code sample usually has the code indented four spaces after the >, which turns it into an indented code block. And a line that should start with a literal > (a shell prompt in prose, say) needs escaping as \> so it is not read as a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I end a blockquote in Markdown?
Leave a completely blank line (no > marker). The next non-prefixed paragraph starts outside the quote.
How do I make a note or warning box in Markdown?
On GitHub and GitLab, start a blockquote with > [!NOTE] or > [!WARNING] on its own line. Obsidian supports the same idea with more types. Other renderers show it as a plain quote, so use > **Note:** text as a fallback.
Why does typing > in Notion create a toggle instead of a quote?
Notion maps > plus space to its toggle block. Type a double quote (") followed by a space to create a quote block.
How do I quote a message in Discord?
Start the line with > and a space for a single-line quote, or >>> and a space to quote everything after it in the message. Discord does not support nested quotes.
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