WhatsApp Formatting Cheat Sheet

Every formatting option WhatsApp supports — in one place. Bookmark this page for quick reference whenever you need to format a message. Below you'll find the complete syntax, examples, keyboard shortcuts, and tips for combining formats.

Quick Reference Table

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Detailed Guide for Each Format

Bold — *text*

Wrap text with asterisks to make it bold. Bold is the most commonly used format for emphasising important information, creating headers in longer messages, or highlighting key words.

*STATUS UPDATE*
All systems operational.

*Action required:* Please confirm by 5pm.

Full guide: How to Bold Text in WhatsApp →

Italic — _text_

Wrap text with underscores for italic formatting. Italic adds a subtle emphasis and is commonly used for quotes, notes, asides, and titles.

_Note: Office closed on Monday_

As the saying goes, _actions speak louder than words_.

Full guide: How to Italicize Text in WhatsApp →

Strikethrough — ~text~

Wrap text with tildes to draw a line through it. Strikethrough is used for corrections, price reductions, humour, and marking completed tasks.

Meeting at ~2pm~ 3pm
Price: ~$99~ $59
~Buy groceries~ Done!

Full guide: How to Strikethrough Text in WhatsApp →

Monospace — `text`

Wrap text with backticks for monospace (fixed-width) font. Useful for code snippets, technical terms, file names, or any text that should stand out as “code.”

Run the command `npm install`
The error is in `config.json`

Code Block — ```text```

Wrap text with three backticks for a multi-line code block. The text appears in a monospace font with a subtle background, making it ideal for sharing code snippets, configuration files, or log output.

```
function hello() {
  return "world";
}
```

Blockquote — > text

Start a line with > followed by a space to create a blockquote. The text appears with a vertical bar on the left side, similar to email quoting. Each line in a multi-line quote needs its own > prefix.

> This is a quoted message
> It can span multiple lines

Bullet List — - item or * item

Start each line with a dash or asterisk followed by a space to create a bullet point. Lists are great for shopping lists, to-do items, meeting agendas, and feature lists.

- Buy milk
- Pick up dry cleaning
- Call dentist

Numbered List — 1. item

Start each line with a number, period, and space to create numbered items. Use for step-by-step instructions, rankings, or any ordered information.

1. Open the app
2. Go to Settings
3. Tap "Notifications"
4. Toggle on

Combining Formats

You can nest formatting characters to apply multiple styles to the same text. Here are the most useful combinations:

Keyboard Shortcuts (Web & Desktop)

What WhatsApp Does NOT Support

To save you time experimenting, here's what WhatsApp definitively does not support:

• Coloured text — no syntax for text colour exists; use coloured emoji squares (🟥 🟩 🟦) as visual markers instead
• Font changes — you cannot change the font family (but our formatter toolbar includes Unicode font styles as an alternative)
• Text size — no way to make text larger or smaller
• Underline — not supported in WhatsApp
• Hyperlinks with custom text — URLs are auto-linked but you can't hide them behind custom anchor text
• Tables — not rendered; use spacing and characters to create visual structure
• Headings — no heading syntax; use bold (*text*) for visual headers
• Images or media in formatted text — formatting applies to text only

Tips for Everyday Use

• Use bold for headers — start sections of longer messages with a bold title line
• Keep formatting minimal — too much formatting makes messages harder to read, not easier
• Use lists for structure — bullet points are clearer than comma-separated items
• Test new formats — send a test message to yourself or a saved-messages chat before sending to a group
• Use a formatter tool — for complex messages, our visual formatter is faster than typing syntax manually

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• How to Bold Text in WhatsApp
• How to Italicize Text in WhatsApp
• How to Strikethrough Text in WhatsApp
• WhatsApp Formatting Not Working?