# Markdown Basics > [!abstract] What this note is > The five things you need to write 90% of your notes: headings, emphasis, paragraphs, line breaks, and horizontal rules. Markdown is plain text with light punctuation — the punctuation tells Obsidian how to *display* the text. ## Headings Start a line with `#` symbols. More `#` = smaller heading. ```markdown # Heading 1 — the note's title ## Heading 2 — major sections ### Heading 3 — subsections ``` > [!tip] Rule of thumb > One `# Heading 1` per note (usually matching the filename), `##` for sections. Headings aren't just cosmetic — Obsidian's outline pane, "link to heading" feature, and folding all use them. ## Emphasis | You type | You get | |---|---| | `*italic*` or `_italic_` | *italic* | | `**bold**` | **bold** | | `***bold italic***` | ***bold italic*** | | `~~strikethrough~~` | ~~strikethrough~~ | | `==highlight==` | ==highlight== (Obsidian-specific) | ## Paragraphs and line breaks Markdown ignores single line breaks. Two things beginners hit immediately: - **New paragraph:** leave a **blank line** between blocks of text. - **Line break without a new paragraph:** end the line with **two spaces**, or press `Shift+Enter`. ```markdown This is one paragraph. This continues the SAME paragraph, even on a new line. A blank line above makes this a new paragraph. ``` ## Horizontal rule Three dashes on their own line make a divider: ```markdown --- ``` > [!warning] Gotcha > `---` at the very *top* of a note starts [[Frontmatter and Tags|frontmatter]], not a divider. Dividers need text above them. ## Related - [[Markdown Reference Index]] — the full reference map - [[Lists and Checkboxes]] — the next most-used syntax