</>MDTooltools

Markdown Checkboxes (Task Lists)

Create a checkbox in Markdown with a list item followed by square brackets: "- [ ]" for an unchecked box and "- [x]" for a checked one. This is GitHub Flavored Markdown task list syntax.

Task list syntax

The space inside the empty brackets is required — "- []" without it will not render as a checkbox on GitHub.

- [ ] Write the report
- [x] Convert it to PDF
- [ ] Send for review

Where checkboxes work

Task lists are a GFM extension, not core Markdown. They render on GitHub (issues, PRs, READMEs), GitLab, Obsidian, Notion, and in MDTool converters — but not in strict CommonMark parsers.

On GitHub issues and PRs, checkboxes are interactive — clicking them updates the source. In READMEs they render as static checked/unchecked boxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Markdown checkbox not rendering?

Three usual causes: no space inside the empty brackets ("- []" instead of "- [ ]"), no space after the hyphen, or a parser that only supports core Markdown without the GFM task-list extension.

Do Markdown checkboxes convert to PDF and Word?

Yes — MDTool renders task list items as checked/unchecked boxes in both its PDF and Word converters.

Try it live

Paste this syntax into the free markdown to pdf converter and see the rendered output instantly — no signup, everything runs in your browser.

Open Markdown to PDF Converter →

More Markdown syntax:

Markdown Headings →Bold and Italic in Markdown →Markdown Links →Markdown Images →Full Cheat Sheet →