Developer Guide
Mastering Markdown for Technical Documentation
From GFM extensions to documentation tooling — write maintainable, portable Markdown that renders perfectly across platforms.
CommonMark vs GFM vs Extended Flavors
CommonMark is the standardized core of Markdown — headings, lists, links, emphasis, code spans. GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown) adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, and auto-linking. Extended Flavors add footnotes, definition lists, math (LaTeX), and custom containers. When writing open-source documentation, stick to GFM — it is the most widely supported. Use extended features only when you control the renderer (like a static site generator).
Advanced Markdown Techniques
Reference-style links ([text][ref] with [ref]: url at the bottom) keep the source readable and make translation easier. Fenced code blocks with a language tag enable syntax highlighting. Collapsible sections using are widely supported. For tables, use colon placement for alignment: left-aligned (:---), centered (:---:), right-aligned (---:). Always include a blank line before headings and lists for correct block-level parsing.
Validation with Our Markdown Editor
Our Markdown Editor provides live preview, character/word count, and syntax validation. Paste your draft, toggle between source and preview, and verify the output matches your expectations before committing to your documentation repository.