Markdown formatting guide

Eden's notes support full markdown formatting. You can format text using the bubble menu (appears when you highlight text), the / menu (type / to open it), or by typing markdown syntax directly. This guide covers everything Eden supports.

Headings

Headings create structure and hierarchy in your notes.

Using the menus:

• Highlight text and select a heading level from the bubble menu

• Type / and select Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3

Using markdown syntax:

Type the # symbols at the start of a line, add a space, then type your heading text.

Text formatting

Bold

Make text stand out with bold formatting.

• Menus: Highlight text and click the B button in the bubble menu, or type /bold

• Syntax: **bold text** or __bold text__

• Shortcut: Cmd+B (Mac) or Ctrl+B (Windows)

Italic

Emphasize text with italics.

• Menus: Highlight text and click the I button in the bubble menu, or type /italic

• Syntax: *italic text* or _italic text_

• Shortcut: Cmd+I (Mac) or Ctrl+I (Windows)

Strikethrough

Cross out text to show deletions or completed items.

• Menus: Highlight text and select strikethrough from the bubble menu

• Syntax: ~~strikethrough text~~

Code (inline)

Format text as code for technical references or commands.

• Menus: Highlight text and select Code from the bubble menu, or type /code

• Syntax: ` code text `

• Shortcut: Cmd+E (Mac) or Ctrl+E (Windows)

Combining formats

You can combine bold, italic, and other formats:

• ***bold and italic*** renders as bold and italic

• **bold with code inside** renders as bold with `code` inside

Lists

Bulleted lists

Create unordered lists for items without a sequence.

• Menus: Type / and select Bullet list

• Syntax: Start a line with *, -, or + followed by a space

• Shortcut: Type * or - followed by a space at the start of a line

Numbered lists

Create ordered lists for sequential items.

• Menus: Type / and select Numbered list

• Syntax: Start a line with 1. followed by a space (numbering continues automatically)

• Shortcut: Type 1. followed by a space at the start of a line

Nested lists

Indent list items to create hierarchy.

• Syntax: Add 2-4 spaces or a tab before the list marker

Task lists

Create checkable to-do items.

• Menus: Type / and select Task list

• Syntax: - [ ] for unchecked, - [x] for checked

- [ ] Unchecked task- [x]

Links

Basic links

Link to external websites or other resources.

• Syntax: [link text](https://eden.so)

Auto-linking

Paste a URL directly and it becomes a clickable link:

Images

Embed images in your notes.

• Menus: Type / and select Image

• Drag and drop: Drag and drop an image into the note

Quotes

Format text as a blockquote for citations or emphasis.

• Menus: Type / and select Quote

• Syntax: Start a line with > followed by a space

> This is a quote.> It can span multiple lines.

Code blocks

Display multiple lines of code with syntax highlighting.

• Menus: Type / and select Code block

• Syntax: Wrap code in triple backticks

With syntax highlighting:

Specify the language after the opening backticks:

• Shortcut: Type three backticks and press Enter

Horizontal rules

Add a visual divider between sections.

• Menus: Type / and select Divider

• Syntax: Three or more hyphens, asterisks, or underscores on their own line

Tables

Create structured data with rows and columns.

• Menus: Type / and select Table

• Syntax:

Alignment:

Use colons in the separator row to align columns:

• :--- = left aligned

• :---: = center aligned

• ---: = right aligned

Escaping characters

If you want to display markdown syntax literally (like showing **bold** without making it bold), put a backslash before the character:

\*\*This won't be bold\*\*

Pasting formatted text

When you paste text from other apps, Eden attempts to preserve basic formatting:

• From markdown-compatible apps: Formatting pastes cleanly

• From rich text editors: Basic formatting (bold, italic, headings, lists) usually converts correctly

• From web pages: Results vary — you may need to clean up the formatting

If pasted content looks wrong, use Cmd+Shift+V (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+V (Windows) to paste as plain text, then reformat using the menus.

Common questions

Can I undo formatting?

Yes. Use Cmd+Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows) to undo any formatting change. You can also highlight formatted text and remove formatting using the bubble menu.

What happens if I type markdown syntax incorrectly?

Eden won't render it as formatted text — it'll just display the raw syntax. For example, **bold (missing the closing **) will show as literal text.

Can I mix markdown syntax with the visual menus?

Absolutely. Use whichever method is faster for you. The output is identical.

Can I use custom HTML in my notes?

Markdown supports some inline HTML, but Eden's editor is optimized for standard markdown. Stick to markdown syntax for the best experience.

What if I want to see the raw markdown?

Download the note (right-click → Download) and open it in any text editor to see the raw markdown source.