Formatting

You can format your text by using wiki markup. This consists of normal characters like asterisks, apostrophes, or equal signs which have a special function in the wiki, sometimes depending on their position. For example, to format a word in italic, you include it in two pairs of apostrophes like ''this''.

Text formatting markup

Description	You type	You get
Character (inline) formatting – applies anywhere
Italic text	''<translate nowrap><!--T:8--> italic''	italic
Bold text	'''<translate nowrap><!--T:11--> bold'''	bold
Bold and italic	'''''<translate nowrap><!--T:14--> bold & italic'''''	bold & italic Template:Table-AnchorRow
Escape wiki markup	<syntaxhighlight lang="html"> Template:^(nowikiTemplate:)^<translate nowrap> no wiki markupTemplate:^(/nowikiTemplate:)^ </syntaxhighlight>	no [[wiki]] ''markup''
Section formatting – only at the beginning of the line
Section Headings of different levels	<translate nowrap> == Level 2 == <!--T:26--> === Level 3 === <!--T:27--> ==== Level 4 ==== <!--T:28--> ===== Level 5 ===== <!--T:29--> ====== Level 6 ====== <!--T:30-->	Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Horizontal rule	<translate nowrap><!--T:41--> Text before ---- <translate nowrap><!--T:42--> Text after	Text before Text after
Bullet list	<translate nowrap> <!--T:46--> * Start each line * with an [[Wikipedia:asterisk|asterisk]] (*). ** More asterisks give deeper *** and deeper levels. * Line breaks <br />don't break levels. *** But jumping levels creates empty space. Any other start ends the list. <!--T:160--> * combine bullet list ** with definition ::- definition ** creates empty space <!--T:161--> * combine bullet list ** with definition *:- definition ** without empty spaces <!--T:162--> *bullet list :- definition :* sublist that doesn't create empty :* spaces after definition	Start each line with an asterisk (*). More asterisks give deeper and deeper levels. Line breaks don't break levels. But jumping levels creates empty space. Any other start ends the list. combine bullet list with definition - definition creates empty space combine bullet list with definition - definition without empty spaces bullet list - definition sublist that doesn't create empty spaces after definition
Numbered list	<translate nowrap> <!--T:49--> # Start each line # with a [[Wikipedia:Number_sign|number sign]] (#). ## More number signs give deeper ### and deeper ### levels. # Line breaks <br />don't break levels. ### But jumping levels creates empty space. # Blank lines <!--T:50--> # end the list and start another. Any other start also ends the list. <!--T:183--> <tvar name=1><nowiki>#</nowiki></tvar> use "nowiki" tags to display a literal (#) at the beginning of a line without interpreting it as a numbered list.	Start each line with a number sign (#). More number signs give deeper and deeper levels. Line breaks don't break levels. But jumping levels creates empty space. Blank lines end the list and start another. Any other start also ends the list. <tvar name=1>#</tvar> use "nowiki" tags to display a literal (#) at the beginning of a line without interpreting it as a numbered list. Template:Table-AnchorRow
Definition list	<translate nowrap> <!--T:54--> ;item 1 : definition 1 ;item 2 : definition 2-1 : definition 2-2	item 1 definition 1 item 2 definition 2-1 definition 2-2
Indent text	<translate nowrap> <!--T:57--> : Single indent :: Double indent ::::: Multiple indent	Single indent Double indent Multiple indent
Mixture of different types of list	<syntaxhighlight lang="html"> <translate nowrap> one two two point one two point two three three item one three def one four four def one this looks like a continuation and is often used instead <tvar name=1> </tvar> of <tvar name=2><br /></tvar> five five sub 1 five sub 1 sub 1 five sub 2 </syntaxhighlight>	one two two point one two point two three three item one three def one four four def one this looks like a continuation and is often used instead <tvar name=1> </tvar> of <tvar name=2><br /></tvar> five five sub 1 five sub 1 sub 1 five sub 2
Preformatted text	<translate nowrap><!--T:65--> Start each line with a space. <translate nowrap><!--T:179--> Text is '''preformatted''' and <translate nowrap><!--T:180--> ''markups'' '''''can''''' be done.	Start each line with a space. Text is preformatted and markups can be done.
Preformatted text blocks	<nowiki><translate nowrap><!--T:69--> Start with a space in the first column, (before the <tvar name=1><nowiki></tvar>). <!--T:70--> Then your block format will be maintained. <!--T:170--> This is good for copying in code blocks: def function(): """<translate nowrap><!--T:171--> documentation string""" if True: print True else: print False</nowiki>	<translate nowrap> Start with a space in the first column, (before the <nowiki>). Then your block format will be maintained. This is good for copying in code blocks: def function(): """<translate nowrap> documentation string""" if True: print True else: print False

Paragraphs

MediaWiki ignores single line breaks. To start a new paragraph, leave an empty line. You can force a line break within a paragraph with the HTML tag <tvar name=1>Template:Tag</tvar>.

HTML tags

Some HTML tags are allowed in MediaWiki, for example <tvar name=1>Template:Tag</tvar>, [[w:Div and span|<tvar name=2>Template:Tag</tvar>, and <tvar name=3>Template:Tag</tvar>]]. These apply anywhere you insert them.

Description	You type	You get
Inserted (Displays as underline in most browsers)	<syntaxhighlight lang=html> <translate nowrap> Inserted <translate nowrap> or <translate nowrap> Underline </syntaxhighlight>	Inserted or Underline Template:Table-AnchorRow
Deleted (Displays as strike-through in most browsers)	<syntaxhighlight lang=html> <translate nowrap> Strike-through <translate nowrap> or <translate nowrap> Deleted </syntaxhighlight>	Strike-through or Deleted Template:Table-AnchorRow
Fixed width text	<syntaxhighlight lang=html><translate nowrap> Source code</syntaxhighlight>	Source code
Blockquotes	<syntaxhighlight lang=html> <translate nowrap> Text before <translate nowrap> Blockquote <translate nowrap> Text after </syntaxhighlight>	Text before Blockquote Text after
Quotes	<syntaxhighlight lang=html><translate nowrap> This is a quotation</syntaxhighlight>	This is a quotation
Comment	<syntaxhighlight lang=html> <translate nowrap> Comments are visible only in the edit zone. </syntaxhighlight>	Comments are visible only in the edit zone.
Completely preformatted text	<syntaxhighlight lang="html"> <translate nowrap> <!--T:115--> Text is '''preformatted''' and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done </syntaxhighlight>	<translate nowrap> <!--T:117--> Text is '''preformatted''' and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done
Customized preformatted text	<syntaxhighlight lang="html"> <translate nowrap> <!--T:119--> Text is '''preformatted''' with a style and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done </syntaxhighlight>	<translate nowrap> <!--T:121--> Text is '''preformatted''' with a style and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done

continued:

Description	You type	You get
Default preformatted text has a CSS attribute (white-space: pre-wrap;) to wrap the text according to available width	<syntaxhighlight lang=html> <translate nowrap><!--T:127--> This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. </syntaxhighlight>	<translate nowrap><!--T:128--> This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. This additional sentence makes the text even longer.
Customized preformatted text with disabled text wrapping	<syntaxhighlight lang=html> <translate nowrap><!--T:130--> This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. </syntaxhighlight>	<translate nowrap><!--T:131--> This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. This additional sentence makes the text even longer.

Inserting symbols

Symbols and other special characters not available on your keyboard can be inserted in a multitude of ways. Many Operating Systems and browsers allow you to insert special characters through a menu option or Operating System panel. Additionally, you can use the WikiEditor or VisualEditor to insert them into the edit screen.

As a last resort, you can use a special sequence of characters. Those sequences are called HTML entities. For example, the following sequence (entity) &rarr; when inserted will be shown as right arrow HTML symbol → and &mdash; when inserted will be shown as an em dash HTML symbol —.

---

HTML symbol entities

Á

á

Â

â

´

Æ

æ

À

à

ℵ

Α

α

&

∧

∠

Å

å

≈

Ã

ã

Ä

ä

„

Β

β

¦

•

∩

Ç

ç

¸

¢

Χ

χ

ˆ

♣

≅

©

↵

∪

¤

†

‡

↓

⇓

°

Δ

δ

♦

÷

É

é

Ê

ê

È

è

∅

Ε

ε

≡

Η

η

Ð

ð

Ë

ë

€

∃

ƒ

∀

½

¼

¾

⁄

Γ

γ

≥

>

↔

⇔

♥

…

Í

í

Î

î

¡

Ì

ì

ℑ

∞

∫

Ι

ι

¿

∈

Ï

ï

Κ

κ

Λ

λ

⟨

«

←

⇐

⌈

“

≤

⌊

∗

◊

‎

‹

‘

<

¯

—

µ

·

−

Μ

μ

∇

–

≠

∋

¬

∉

⊄

Ñ

ñ

Ν

ν

Ó

ó

Ô

ô

Œ

œ

Ò

ò

‾

Ω

ω

Ο

ο

⊕

∨

ª

º

Ø

ø

Õ

õ

⊗

Ö

ö

¶

∂

‰

⊥

Φ

φ

Π

π

ϖ

±

£

′

″

∏

∝

Ψ

ψ

"

√

⟩

»

→

⇒

⌉

”

ℜ

®

⌋

Ρ

ρ

‏

›

’

‚

Š

š

⋅

§

­

Σ

σ

ς

∼

♠

⊂

⊆

∑

⊃

¹

²

³

⊇

ß

Τ

τ

∴

Θ

θ

ϑ

Þ

þ

˜

×

™

Ú

ú

↑

⇑

Û

û

Ù

ù

¨

ϒ

Υ

υ

Ü

ü

℘

Ξ

ξ

Ý

ý

¥

ÿ

Ÿ

Ζ

ζ

‍

‌

Description	You type	You get
Copyright symbol	©	©
Greek delta letter symbol	δ	δ
Euro currency symbol	€	€

See the list of all HTML entities on the Wikipedia article List of HTML entities. Additionally, MediaWiki supports two non-standard entity reference sequences: &רלמ; and &رلم; which are both considered equivalent to ‏ which is a right-to-left mark. (Used when combining right to left languages with left to right languages in the same page.)

HTML tags and symbol entities displayed themselves (with and without interpreting them)

<syntaxhighlight lang=html inline>&euro;</syntaxhighlight>  → &euro;

<syntaxhighlight lang=html inline><translate nowrap> Typo to be corrected</syntaxhighlight>  → Typo to be corrected

<syntaxhighlight lang=html inline><span style="color: red; text-decoration: line-through;"><translate nowrap> Typo to be corrected</syntaxhighlight>  → <span style="color: red; text-decoration: line-through;"> Typo to be corrected</span>

Nowiki for HTML

Template:Tag can prohibit (HTML) tags:

• <<nowiki />pre>  → <pre>

But not & symbol escapes:

• &<nowiki />amp;  → &

To print & symbol escapes as text, use "<tvar name=1><syntaxhighlight inline lang="html">&</syntaxhighlight></tvar>" to replace the "&" character (eg. type "<tvar name=2><syntaxhighlight inline lang="html">&nbsp;</syntaxhighlight></tvar>", which results in "<tvar name=3><syntaxhighlight inline lang="html"> </syntaxhighlight></tvar>").

Other formatting

Beyond the text formatting markup shown hereinbefore, here are some other formatting references:

• Template:Ll
• Template:Ll
• Template:Ll

• LanguageConverter markup – see <tvar name=1>Template:Ll</tvar>

• References – see <tvar name=1>Template:Ll</tvar>
• [[<tvar name=tables>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Tables</tvar>|Tables]]

You can find more references at <tvar name=1>Template:Ll</tvar>.