Markdown Bold Generator
Type your text, pick a delimiter, and copy production-ready bold Markdown. Everything runs locally in your browser.
How do you make text bold in Markdown?
Wrap the text in two asterisks on each side: `**bold text**`. Two underscores, `__bold text__`, produce exactly the same result. Both render as <strong>, so screen readers announce the text with emphasis. Asterisks are the safer default because they also work mid-word, which underscores do not.
**This text is bold**
__This text is also bold__Both lines render identically as bold text, and both become <strong> elements in the generated HTML.
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Markdown bold syntax explained
Markdown gives you two interchangeable delimiters for bold. They compile to the same HTML, but they behave differently in one important edge case — bold inside a word.
Double asterisks (recommended)
The most portable way to write bold. Supported by CommonMark, GitHub Flavored Markdown, Discord, Slack, Obsidian, Notion and every major static site generator.
Ship it **today**, not next quarter.Renders as: Ship it today, not next quarter — with “today” in bold.
Double underscores
Functionally identical for whole words. Useful when your text already contains literal asterisks and you want to avoid escaping them.
__Warning:__ this action cannot be undone.Renders as: Warning: this action cannot be undone — with “Warning:” in bold.
Bold inside a word
This is the one real difference. CommonMark only allows intra-word emphasis with asterisks, because underscores are common inside identifiers like snake_case_names.
un**bel**ievable
un__bel__ievableThe first line bolds “bel”. The second renders literally as un__bel__ievable, underscores and all.
Bold and italic together
Three delimiters combine strong emphasis with italic emphasis. You can also nest one inside the other for clearer intent.
***bold and italic***
**bold with _italic_ inside**Produces <strong><em>bold and italic</em></strong> on the first line, and bold text containing an italic run on the second.
Escaping literal asterisks
Prefix each asterisk with a backslash when you want to show the characters rather than trigger formatting.
\*\*not bold\*\*Renders literally as **not bold** with the asterisks visible.
Where Markdown bold works
Bold is one of the most universally supported Markdown features, but the intra-word rule and a few platform quirks are worth knowing before you publish.
| Platform | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub / GitLab | Full | Both ** and __ work in READMEs, issues, PRs and comments. |
| Discord | Full | ** works everywhere. __text__ renders as underline, not bold. |
| Slack | Partial | Slack's own composer uses single *asterisks* for bold. |
| Obsidian | Full | Both delimiters, plus intra-word bold with asterisks. |
| Notion | Full | Typing **text** auto-converts as you type. |
| Full | Both delimiters supported in the Markdown editor. |
How to bold text in Markdown
Enter your text
Type or paste the text you want to emphasise into the input box above.
Choose a delimiter
Pick double asterisks for maximum compatibility, or double underscores if your text already contains asterisks.
Copy the Markdown
Use the copy button to grab the generated syntax, or switch to the HTML tab if you need <strong> markup instead.
Verify the preview
Check the preview tab to confirm the emphasis lands on exactly the words you intended before you publish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ** and __ in Markdown?
For whole words there is no difference — both render as <strong>. The difference appears inside a word: **un**bold**able** style intra-word emphasis only works with asterisks, because underscores are reserved to avoid breaking identifiers like snake_case_variable.
How do I make text bold and italic at the same time?
Use three delimiters on each side: ***bold and italic*** or ___bold and italic___. This produces nested <strong><em> tags. Mixing delimiters, such as **_text_**, works too and is often easier to read in raw form.
Why is my bold text not working in Markdown?
The three usual causes are: a space between the delimiter and the text (** text ** does not render), an unclosed delimiter, or the text sitting inside a code block or inline code span where Markdown formatting is deliberately ignored.
How do I bold text in GitHub Markdown?
GitHub Flavored Markdown supports both **text** and __text__ in READMEs, issues, pull requests, comments and wikis. GitHub also supports intra-word bold with asterisks.
How do I make text bold in Discord?
Discord uses **text** for bold. Be careful with underscores: __text__ renders as underlined text in Discord rather than bold, which differs from standard Markdown.
Does bold formatting work inside code blocks?
No. Markdown intentionally does not process formatting inside fenced code blocks or inline code spans. The asterisks appear literally, which is what you want when documenting code.
How do I show literal asterisks without making text bold?
Escape each asterisk with a backslash: \*\*text\*\* renders as **text**. Alternatively, wrap the text in backticks to make it inline code, which also disables formatting.
Is bold in Markdown good for SEO?
Bold text compiles to <strong>, which conveys importance to both browsers and assistive technology. It provides a mild semantic signal, but emphasising every other phrase dilutes that signal — reserve it for genuinely important terms.