Markdown syntax

How to Underline Text in Markdown
(there is no native syntax)

You are trying to underline text in Markdown and nothing you type works. Here is the honest answer: Markdown has no native underline. _text_ and *text* give you italic, not an underline. But there are a couple of ways to get a real underline, or the emphasis you actually want.

Why there is no underline in Markdown

Markdown only has emphasis marks for italic and bold: a single * or _ is italic, and doubling them is bold. There is simply no character combination for underline.

Part of the reason is that underlined text looks like a link on the web, which is confusing for readers. So Markdown left it out on purpose.

You write You get
_text_ or *text* Italic (not underline)
__text__ or **text** Bold (not underline)
<u>text</u> Underline, via HTML (renders in NoteLoom’s reading view)
==text== Highlighted background (NoteLoom extension)

The HTML way: <u>

If you need a true underline, use the HTML underline tag around your text:

This is <u>underlined</u> text.

In NoteLoom, the reading view renders <u> as underlined text, because u is one of the inline HTML tags NoteLoom allows.

The catch: this is HTML, not Markdown. Tools that do not render inline HTML, and some strict Markdown exports, will show the raw tag or drop it. So an underline is less portable than plain bold or italic.

Often better: bold, italic, or highlight

If what you really want is to make text stand out, there are portable options that stay real Markdown:

  • Bold or italic with **text** or *text* is the native, works-everywhere way to emphasize.
  • Highlight with ==text== makes text stand out with a colored background, like a highlighter. NoteLoom supports this extension, and it renders in the reading view.

These stay in your Markdown and do not depend on inline HTML, so they travel better between tools than <u>.

See it rendered

In a plain text editor you just see the tags and symbols. To see the underline, bold, and highlight actually rendered, open the .md in a Markdown editor.

  1. Open app.noteloom.cc in Chrome / Edge / Arc and mount the folder with your file.
  2. Open the .md in the reading view to see <u>, **bold**, and ==highlight== rendered.
  3. Your file stays a plain .md on disk; nothing is uploaded.

Related reading

How do you use emoji in Markdown? Another platform-dependent one: pasted emoji always work, :shortcodes: only sometimes. Markdown bold or italic not working? The * and _ emphasis marks, and why they sometimes fail. How to strike through text in Markdown Unlike underline, ~~strikethrough~~ is real Markdown (GFM). How to make a heading in Markdown The # levels for titles above your text. How to write Markdown The core syntax in one place, from emphasis to links.

FAQ

Can you underline text in Markdown?
Not with native Markdown syntax; there is no underline mark the way *italic* and **bold** exist. You can use the HTML tag <u>text</u>, or use bold, italic, or highlight instead.
Why does _text_ not underline in Markdown?
Because _text_ and *text* mean italic, and __text__ and **text** mean bold. Underline was left out on purpose, partly because underlined text is easily mistaken for a clickable link.
How do you underline with HTML in Markdown?
Wrap the words in <u> tags: <u>underlined</u>. It renders in tools that display inline HTML, including NoteLoom’s reading view, but it is HTML rather than Markdown, so strict Markdown tools may ignore it.
What should I use instead of underline?
For emphasis, bold or italic are the portable, native choice. To make text stand out like a highlighter, NoteLoom supports ==highlight==, which renders a colored background and stays in your Markdown.
Does <u> work everywhere?
No. It depends on whether the tool renders inline HTML. Many Markdown viewers do, but some strict or export tools do not, so <u> is less portable than plain bold or italic.
Does NoteLoom render underline?
Yes. NoteLoom’s reading view renders <u>text</u> as underlined text, since u is one of the inline HTML tags it allows. Your file stays a plain .md, with nothing uploaded.

See your formatting rendered

Write your <u>, **bold**, and ==highlight== in a .md file, open NoteLoom in Chrome / Edge / Arc, mount the folder, and read it rendered in the reading view. No install, no account.

Open NoteLoom and try it