Content Syntax
Master Markdown and Memos-specific syntax for rich, formatted content.
Content Syntax
Memos supports rich content formatting through GitHub-flavored Markdown with additional enhancements. This guide covers everything from basic formatting to advanced features.
Basic Markdown
Text Formatting
**Bold text** or __Bold text__
*Italic text* or _Italic text_
***Bold and italic*** or ___Bold and italic___
~~Strikethrough text~~
`Inline code`
This is a paragraph with **bold**, *italic*, and `code` text.
Result:
Bold text, Italic text, Bold and italic, Strikethrough text, Inline code
Headers
# Header 1
## Header 2
### Header 3
#### Header 4
##### Header 5
###### Header 6
Headers automatically generate anchor links for easy linking and navigation.
Lists
Unordered Lists
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Nested item
- Another nested item
- Item 3
* Alternative syntax
+ Another alternative
Ordered Lists
1. First item
2. Second item
1. Nested item
2. Another nested item
3. Third item
1. Lists can start with any number
5. The numbers don't need to be sequential
2. Markdown will auto-number them
Task Lists
- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Incomplete task
- [x] Another completed task
- [ ] Nested task
- [x] Completed nested task
Result:
- Completed task
- Incomplete task
- Another completed task
Links and References
Basic Links
[Link text](https://example.com)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Tooltip text")
Auto-links: https://example.com
Email links: <email@example.com>
Reference Links
[Link text][reference-id]
[Another link][1]
[reference-id]: https://example.com
[1]: https://example.com "Optional title"
Internal Links
[Other memo](/docs/guides/getting-started)
[Specific section](/docs/guides/content-syntax#headers)
Images
Basic Images


Image with Link
[](https://example.com)
Image Storage: Upload images directly to your Memos instance or reference external URLs.
Code and Syntax Highlighting
Inline Code
Use `const` for constant values.
File paths like `/etc/hosts` are formatted as code.
Code Blocks
Basic Code Blocks
```
Plain code block without syntax highlighting
```
With Syntax Highlighting
```javascript
function greet(name) {
return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}
const message = greet('World');
console.log(message);
```
Supported Languages
Popular languages supported:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
echo "Shell script"
```
```python
def hello_world():
print("Hello, World!")
```
```sql
SELECT * FROM users WHERE active = true;
```
```yaml
version: '3.8'
services:
memos:
image: neosmemo/memos:stable
```
```json
{
"name": "memos",
"version": "1.0.0"
}
```
```dockerfile
FROM alpine:latest
RUN apk add --no-cache ca-certificates
```
Code Block Features
```javascript title="example.js"
// Code with title
const greeting = "Hello World";
```
```bash showLineNumbers
# Code with line numbers
npm install
npm start
```
Advanced Formatting
Tables
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Row 1 | Data | More data |
| Row 2 | Data | More data |
| Left | Center | Right |
|:-----|:------:|------:|
| L | C | R |
Result:
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
---|---|---|
Row 1 | Data | More data |
Row 2 | Data | More data |
Blockquotes
> This is a blockquote.
>
> It can span multiple lines.
> **Note:** You can use other markdown inside blockquotes.
>
> - Including lists
> - And other elements
Result:
This is a blockquote.
It can span multiple lines.
Horizontal Rules
Three or more hyphens:
---
Three or more asterisks:
***
Three or more underscores:
___
Memos-Specific Features
Tags
Tags help organize and categorize your memos:
#work #project #urgent
#personal #ideas
#tech #programming #javascript
Tag Best Practices
- Use lowercase for consistency
- Separate words with hyphens:
#project-alpha
- Create hierarchies:
#work/project/alpha
- Be specific but not overly granular
Mentions
Reference other users or memos:
@username mentioned in this memo
Reference another memo: [[memo-title]]
Special Syntax
Timestamps
Current time: {{NOW}}
Specific date: {{2025-08-19}}
Variables
{{VARIABLE_NAME}} will be replaced with defined values
Mathematical Expressions
Memos supports LaTeX-style mathematical notation:
Inline Math
The quadratic formula is $x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}$.
Block Math
$$
\begin{aligned}
\nabla \times \vec{\mathbf{B}} -\, \frac1c\, \frac{\partial\vec{\mathbf{E}}}{\partial t} &= \frac{4\pi}{c}\vec{\mathbf{j}} \\
\nabla \cdot \vec{\mathbf{E}} &= 4 \pi \rho \\
\nabla \times \vec{\mathbf{E}}\, +\, \frac1c\, \frac{\partial\vec{\mathbf{B}}}{\partial t} &= \vec{\mathbf{0}} \\
\nabla \cdot \vec{\mathbf{B}} &= 0
\end{aligned}
$$
Diagrams with Mermaid
Create diagrams using Mermaid syntax:
Flowcharts
```mermaid
graph TD
A[Start] --> B{Is it working?}
B -->|Yes| C[Great!]
B -->|No| D[Debug]
D --> B
C --> E[End]
```
Sequence Diagrams
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
participant U as User
participant M as Memos
participant D as Database
U->>M: Create memo
M->>D: Save data
D-->>M: Confirm
M-->>U: Success response
```
Git Graphs
```mermaid
gitgraph
commit id: "Initial"
branch develop
checkout develop
commit id: "Feature A"
checkout main
commit id: "Hotfix"
checkout develop
commit id: "Feature B"
checkout main
merge develop
```
Embeds and Media
YouTube Videos

External Content
[Embed: Website Title](https://example.com)
HTML Support
Limited HTML is supported for advanced formatting:
<details>
<summary>Click to expand</summary>
This content is hidden by default.
</details>
<kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>C</kbd> for copy
<mark>Highlighted text</mark>
<sub>Subscript</sub> and <sup>Superscript</sup>
Tips and Best Practices
Writing Effective Memos
- Use descriptive titles - Make memos easy to find
- Structure with headers - Break up long content
- Tag consistently - Develop a tagging strategy
- Link related content - Create connections between memos
Performance Tips
- Optimize images - Use appropriate file sizes
- Limit large tables - Break into smaller sections
- Moderate math expressions - Complex formulas can slow rendering
Accessibility
- Use alt text for images - Describe images for screen readers
- Meaningful link text - Avoid "click here" links
- Proper heading hierarchy - Use h1, h2, h3 logically
- High contrast - Ensure text is readable
Pro Tip
Use the preview mode while editing to see how your content will render before saving!
Quick Reference
Common Shortcuts
Element | Syntax |
---|---|
Bold | **text** |
Italic | *text* |
Code | `text` |
Link | [text](url) |
Image |  |
Header | # text |
List | - item |
Task | - [x] done |
Tag | #tag |
Quote | > text |
Advanced Features
Feature | Syntax |
---|---|
Table | | col | col | |
Code block | ```lang |
Math inline | $formula$ |
Math block | $$formula$$ |
Mermaid | ```mermaid |
HTML | <tag>content</tag> |
Ready to put your formatting skills to practice? Create a new memo and experiment with different syntax elements. Check out the keyboard shortcuts guide to speed up your writing workflow!