WhatsApp text formatting: bold, italic, strikethrough, monospace, lists, quotes
Updated
WhatsApp formats text with single marker characters: *bold*, _italic_, ~strikethrough~ and ```monospace```, plus newer * /- bullets, 1. numbers, > quotes and `inline code`. It is not markdown: there are no headings, underline, tables, named links or images. Syntax below is from WhatsApp's own help page; API limits from Meta's template and text message docs.
WhatsApp formatting syntax table
| Effect | Type this | Recipient sees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold | *text* | text in bold | One asterisk, not two. |
| Italic | _text_ | text in italics | One underscore each side. |
| Strikethrough | ~text~ | text crossed out | One tilde, not two. |
| Monospace | ```text``` | fixed-width text | Three backticks; no language tag. |
| Inline code | `text` | short fixed-width span | Newer feature; single backtick each side. |
| Bold italic | *_text_* | bold and italic | Nest the pairs properly. |
| Bulleted list | * item or - item | • item | Marker, then a space, at line start. |
| Numbered list | 1. item | 1. item | Number, period, space. |
| Quote | > text | indented quote bar | Angle bracket, then a space. |
| Link | https://example.com | clickable URL | Auto-linked; no [text](url) form. |
Inline formatting
All four effects use one marker character on each side of the text, directly touching it. The right-hand column shows what the recipient sees.
Bold
Meeting moved to *Thursday 3pm*Meeting moved to Thursday 3pm
A single asterisk each side; **double** asterisks leave stray characters.
Italic
Bring the _signed_ copyBring the signed copy
Underscores inside a word (snake_case_name) can trigger italics; add a space or rephrase.
Strikethrough
Price: ~$49~ $39Price: $49 $39
One tilde, not the double tilde of GitHub markdown.
Monospace
Your code is ```X7K-22Q```Your code is X7K-22Q
Three backticks each side; everything inside is shown verbatim, so * and _ do not format.
Inline code
Run `npm install` firstRun npm install first
Single backticks are a newer addition listed on WhatsApp's help page; older app versions show them literally.
Combined
*_Urgent:_* reply by ~Friday~ *Monday*Urgent: reply by Friday Monday
Nest the pairs (open *_ … close _*); overlapping pairs cancel each other.
Lists and quotes
Block formatting is newer than the inline codes. Each marker must be at the start of a line and followed by a space.
Bulleted list
* Milk
* Eggs
- Bread- Milk
- Eggs
- Bread
Asterisk or hyphen plus a space; without the space, * starts bold instead.
Numbered list
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Account
3. Tap Privacy- Open Settings
- Tap Account
- Tap Privacy
Number, period, space; there is no nesting and no auto-renumbering.
Quote
> Can you send the invoice?
Sent, check your inbox.Can you send the invoice?
Sent, check your inbox.
Only the line that starts with "> " is quoted; the next line is normal text.
Links and what stays plain
Links are automatic
Docs: https://docs-md.com/whatsapp-formattingA bare URL becomes clickable; markdown [text](url) shows the brackets and only links the URL part.
Headings and tables do not exist
# Agenda
| Item | Owner |
|------|-------|WhatsApp sends these characters as typed — use *bold* for a title and a ```monospace``` block for aligned columns.
What WhatsApp does not support
Markdown pasted from a document, a ChatGPT answer or a README arrives with these characters shown literally.
| Feature | If you type | WhatsApp shows | Workaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headings | # Title | Literal "# Title" | Bold line: *Title* |
| Underline | __text__ or <u> | Literal characters | Use bold or italic |
| Double-marker bold | **text** | *text* with stray asterisks | Single asterisk: *text* |
| Double-tilde strike | ~~text~~ | Stray tildes | Single tilde: ~text~ |
| Tables | | a | b | | Pipes and dashes as text | Monospace block with aligned spaces |
| Named links | [text](url) | Brackets shown, URL still clickable | Paste the bare URL |
| Inline images |  | Literal text | Attach the image |
| Code with language | ```js | "js" shows inside the block | Plain ``` block |
| Spoilers | ||text|| | Literal pipes | None (use view-once media) |
| Horizontal rule | --- | Three hyphens | A line of ─ characters |
| Checkboxes | - [ ] task | Bullet with "[ ] task" | Use ☐ / ☑ characters |
| Nested lists | - sub-item | Flat bullet or literal | Single-level lists only |
Platform notes: iOS, Android, Web, Business API
| Platform | Typed markers | Formatting menu | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone | All markers | Select the text, then pick Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Monospace from the selection menu | Same markers as every other client; the menu inserts them for you. |
| Android | All markers | Select the text, then pick the effect from the selection (⋮) menu | Same markers; nothing Android-specific. |
| WhatsApp Web / Desktop | All markers | Double-click the text → Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Inline code | WhatsApp's help page: "New text formatting is only available on Web and Mac desktop" (newer list/quote/inline-code features arrive here first). |
| Business app | All markers | Same as the consumer app on the same OS | Formatting is identical to personal chats. |
| Cloud API text message | * _ ~ ``` | n/a | Body up to 4,096 characters; URLs auto-linked; preview_url controls the link preview. |
| Message template (header) | None | n/a | "Do not use Markdown special characters in this component." Max 60 characters. |
| Message template (body / footer) | * _ ~ ``` in body | n/a | Body max 1,024 characters, footer max 60. Variables are {{1}}, {{2}} or named. |
How do I make text bold in WhatsApp?
Put a single asterisk on both sides of the text with no spaces inside: *bold*. WhatsApp's help page says to "place an asterisk on both sides of the text". Double asterisks (**bold**) are GitHub markdown, not WhatsApp — they show up as literal asterisks around bold text.
How do I italicize or strike through text in WhatsApp?
Italic is a single underscore on each side (_italic_), strikethrough is a single tilde on each side (~strikethrough~). Both use one character, unlike markdown's ~~double tilde~~. Spaces directly inside the markers break the formatting.
How do I send monospace or code in WhatsApp?
Three backticks on both sides give monospace text: ```like this```. For a short inline snippet, WhatsApp also recognises a single backtick on each side: `text`. There is no language tag and no syntax highlighting.
Can I combine bold and italic in WhatsApp?
Yes, by nesting the markers: *_bold italic_* or _*bold italic*_. Keep the pairs properly nested (open and close in reverse order) and keep the markers touching the text.
Does WhatsApp support headings, links, tables or underline?
No. WhatsApp has no heading, underline, table, hyperlink-with-text or image-in-text syntax. URLs are auto-linked as plain text, # at the start of a line is just a character, and a markdown table arrives as a wall of pipes. Use bold for titles and a monospace block for anything that needs column alignment.
Why is my formatting not working in WhatsApp?
The four usual causes: a space between the marker and the text (* bold* fails), markers on different lines (formatting does not span line breaks), double markers copied from markdown (**bold**, ~~strike~~) and the newer features (lists, quotes, inline code) on an app version that does not render them yet — WhatsApp's help page notes that "new text formatting is only available on Web and Mac desktop" in some rollouts.
Can I format text in a WhatsApp Business API message template?
The body of a text message sent through the Cloud API renders the same *bold*, _italic_, ~strikethrough~ and ```monospace``` markers as the app. Template text headers are the exception: Meta's template documentation says "Do not use Markdown special characters in this component". Limits from the same docs: 60 characters for a text header, 1,024 for the body, 60 for the footer; a free-form text message body is capped at 4,096 characters.
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