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How to List Things in Markdown (Properly)

Most Markdown tutorials show the basics, - for bullets, 1. for steps - but miss the nuances that make your lists clean, readable, and platform-safe. Here’s a quick look at two things most people get wrong: Using 1. for Every Step (Yes, Really) You can write: 1. Wake up 1. Make coffee 1. Write code And it renders as: Wake up Make coffee Write code This trick makes your Markdown easier to maintain - especially when you reorder or copy steps. Nested Lists That Don’t Break To nest properly, indent using 2 or 4 spaces, not tabs: - Groceries - Fruit - Apples - Vegetables Many Markdown renderers (especially in static sites) will choke on tabs or inconsistent spacing. Want to see every type of list Markdown supports (including checkboxes, edge cases, and weird platform behavior)? Full guide here: https://opengridlab.org/guides/how-to-list-things-in-markdown.html Covers all 7 list types with examples - including task lists, description lists, and nested code.

Apr 9, 2025 - 07:33
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How to List Things in Markdown (Properly)

Most Markdown tutorials show the basics, - for bullets, 1. for steps - but miss the nuances that make your lists clean, readable, and platform-safe.

Here’s a quick look at two things most people get wrong:

Using 1. for Every Step (Yes, Really)

You can write:

1. Wake up
1. Make coffee
1. Write code

And it renders as:

  1. Wake up
  2. Make coffee
  3. Write code

This trick makes your Markdown easier to maintain - especially when you reorder or copy steps.

Nested Lists That Don’t Break

To nest properly, indent using 2 or 4 spaces, not tabs:

- Groceries
  - Fruit
    - Apples
  - Vegetables

Many Markdown renderers (especially in static sites) will choke on tabs or inconsistent spacing.

Want to see every type of list Markdown supports (including checkboxes, edge cases, and weird platform behavior)?

Full guide here: https://opengridlab.org/guides/how-to-list-things-in-markdown.html

Covers all 7 list types with examples - including task lists, description lists, and nested code.

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