Google Docs Is Getting Support For Markdown Editing

Last Updated on March 30, 2022 by Anu Joy

Google has expanded the Markdown syntax support for Google Docs to offer users more options for text formatting, thus creating rich text documents faster. The new update enables auto-detection for the Markdown syntax, with even more options to edit the text. All Google Workspace customers, as well as users with personal Google Accounts, can now experience the latest features.

Let’s take a look at the new additions to Markdown syntax support for Google Docs and find out how they work to create rich text documents.

Expanded Markdown Support For Google Docs: Here’s What’s New

While Google Docs already recognizes some Markdown syntax, it is now getting expanded support for Markdown editing to let users create rich text documents more efficiently. For the unaware, Markdown is a lightweight markup language for applying formatting using plain text. Currently, Google Docs supports the Markdown syntax such as:

• * or – followed by a space autocorrects to bullet points 
• Various ways to start a numbered list similar to Markdown 
• [] followed by a space autocorrects to checkboxes 

The expanded support will now include autocorrection for:

1. Headings
2. Italic and bold
3. Bold + italic
4. Strikethrough
5. Links

With the latest update, you can now head to the Tools > Preferences to spot a new “Automatically detect Markdown” setting followed by “enable auto correcting” for the Markdown syntax. The feature will be OFF by default.

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The expanded Markdown support is currently available on the web, with no mention of the mobile apps. Notably, it is an alternative to using the Google Docs toolbar and learning other keyboard shortcuts.

With this added support, you can create rich text documents faster without having to learn keyboard shortcuts.

Google Workspace

The new feature has already started rolling out to users and should be fully live for the Google Docs web client in the next 15 days. As mentioned earlier, the feature is “available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customer Available to users with personal Google Accounts”.