Got used to typing ## for headings and ** for bold in other apps? Wish Markdown worked its magic right inside Google Docs — no Ctrl- or Command-key dance needed? Find out here how to type Markdown directly in a Google Docs document ⤓ and format just by typing.
First, One Way to Make Pesto
There’s one way to make pesto according to the Genovese Pesto Consortium. Let’s be clear: there is one way to make pesto (and no other).
The recipe is reassuringly simple: basil, olive oil, cheese, garlic, pine nuts, walnuts and salt ground, by hand, in a mortar — as fast as possible.
That’s not entirely unlike typing Markdown in Google Docs. It’s just one way to make text bold or add a heading by hand, on a keyboard — but it might be the fastest possible:
How to Type Markdown Directly in Google Docs
Time needed: 2 minutes
To apply text formatting and structure in a Google Docs document with Markdown markup:
- Turn on Markdown support for Google Docs.
Here’s how: Select Tools | Preferences and check Enable Markdown on the General tab.
- Type in a Google Docs document the text using Markdown formatting.
Here’s what: See below for the Markdown markup you can use in Google Docs.
Example: Type**bold**to insert bold text. - See Google Docs apply the formatting or structure immediately.
Example:
**bold**turns intobold.
How to Type Markdown Directly in Google Docs: FAQ
Which Markdown elements can I use for typing in Google Docs?
Headings
# Heading level 1## Heading level 2
etc.
Emphasis
**bold**__bold__
*italic*_italic_
***bold italic***___bold italic___
~~strikethrough~~
Lists
- Item 1
- Item 2
* Item 1
* Item 2
+ Item 1
+ Item 2
1. Item 1
2. Item 2
Code
`inline code`
Links
[Text](https://ladedu.com)
How can I undo Google Docs applying Markdown formatting?
To remove Markdown formatting automatically applied in Google Docs:
- Press Backspace immediately after Google Docs has replaced the plain text with formatted text.
Undo: You can also select Edit | Undo from the menu or press Ctrl Z (Windows, Linux and ChromeOS) or Command Z (Mac).
For formatting and structure added earlier:
- Highlight the passage and use Google Docs’s formatting tools to undo what Markdown formatting has been applied.
Can I prevent Markdown formatting to be applied?
To stop Google Docs from interpreting Markdown, disable its support in preferences (see above). To prevent Markdown formatting just intermittently, undo its application immediately (see just above).
(Tested with Google Docs; first published April 2026)