</>MDTooltools

Markdown Lists

Create an unordered list in Markdown by starting lines with a hyphen, asterisk, or plus sign (- item). Create an ordered list by starting lines with a number and period (1. item).

Unordered lists

Hyphens, asterisks, and plus signs are equivalent; pick one and stay consistent within a list.

- First item
- Second item
- Third item

Ordered lists

The numbers do not have to be sequential — parsers renumber automatically. Writing "1." for every item is a common trick that keeps diffs clean when reordering.

1. Install the CLI
1. Run the converter
1. Download the PDF

Nested lists

Indent nested items so they align with the first character of the parent item text — 2 spaces for "-" lists, 3 for "1." lists. Four spaces always works in GFM.

- Fruits
  - Apples
  - Oranges
- Vegetables
  1. Carrots
  2. Peas

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my nested Markdown list not rendering?

Insufficient indentation. Nested items must be indented enough to align with the parent item content — when in doubt, use four spaces. Tabs mixed with spaces are another frequent culprit.

How do I add a paragraph inside a list item?

Leave a blank line and indent the paragraph to match the list item content (typically 2–4 spaces). The same works for code blocks inside list items.

Try it live

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

Open Markdown to HTML Converter →

More Markdown syntax:

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