Format Messages in Slack and Teams: Bold, Code, Quotes, and Markdown
Use the formatting toolbar when you want to see the result before sending. Slack also offers a separate markup preference with different paste and preview behavior. Teams previews its Markdown-style shortcuts on desktop and web, while mobile has a formatting toolbar but cannot generate Markdown-formatted messages. The syntax below is for people composing messages, not bots or app payloads.
Miles Crawford
Shared markup syntax, different composer modes
The products document these actions for Slack markup mode and Teams desktop/web Markdown-style composition. Do not assume the same behavior in every editor or in messages posted by apps:
- Bold: surround text with asterisks, *like this*
- Italic: surround text with underscores, _like this_
- Strikethrough: surround text with tildes, ~like this~
- Inline code: surround text with single backticks, `like this`
- Code block: surround text with three backticks, ```like this```
- Block quote: start the line with an angled bracket, > like this
- Link: brackets for the text, parentheses for the URL, [like this](the link)
Teams additionally supports headings (#, ## and ### before the text) and numbered and bulleted lists in its markup. In Slack's default composer, type 1. then a space for an ordered list, or an asterisk then a space for a bulleted list. Automatic list formatting is disabled in Slack markup mode.
Slack: the toolbar is default, markup is a preference
By default, Slack shows a formatting toolbar with a preview before sending. Select text and choose bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, code, quotes or lists. For the separate markup mode, which hides that toolbar, click your profile picture in the sidebar, select Preferences, then Advanced, and under Input Options check Format messages with markup.
Slack's help lists three behaviors to expect once you turn markup on: formatting is applied to messages after you send them (no live preview), messages you copy and paste appear in plain text, and automatic formatting for bulleted, numbered and indented lists is not applied. So markup mode is a trade: faster for people who think in symbols, plainer for everyone who pastes.
Teams: live preview, and it is not quite Markdown
Teams applies its markup as you type, with a live preview inside the compose box, and you can undo a formatting change with Ctrl+Z. Microsoft calls it Markdown but is upfront that Teams uses a Markdown-style syntax that does not fully match standard Markdown, so some formatting may behave differently than you expect from other tools.
Microsoft distinguishes Markdown generation from toolbar formatting. On mobile you can view Markdown-formatted messages but not generate them. You can still tap Plus, then Format, next to the compose box to use the mobile text editor for bold, italic, underline, paragraphs, highlighting and text color. On desktop or web, expand Format for the toolbar, including highlighting, font size and lists. Teams underlines spelling errors in red as you type; right-click an error for suggestions.
Code in both apps
Inline code (single backticks) is for names, commands and short snippets inside a sentence. Code blocks (triple backticks) are for anything multi-line: error output, config files, a whole function. In Teams, a multi-line block starts with three backticks and shows a live preview before you send. In Slack's markup mode the same triple-backtick wrapping works, applied after send, and the toolbar can also format selected text as code.
Choose the editor before formatting the message
Our practical check: decide whether you need a visible preview, a code block or a phone-friendly note. Formatting should expose the action, not replace the words that explain it.
| Need | Route | Check before sending |
|---|---|---|
| A short request with one key action | Use the app's toolbar to bold the action | Read the whole sentence without the styling. The request should still make sense. |
| A multi-line error or command | Use a code block; in Teams, compose Markdown on desktop or web | Keep the explanation outside the block. Review the content for passwords or private data. |
| A formatted Teams note from a phone | Tap Plus, then Format | Use the available editor controls rather than relying on typed Markdown conversion. |
Fictional example: Review the draft by 3 pm. Please comment on the opening paragraph; the pricing table is not ready for review. A decorative emoji can set the tone, but the action and deadline remain in words.
If symbols remain visible or the wrong text becomes bold, undo the change and use the toolbar. Check the composer mode before trying again. Do not send a test to a shared channel just to inspect the styling.
Formatting that earns its keep
Our suggestions: bold for the one thing the reader must not miss, not for emphasis everywhere. Code formatting for anything the reader might copy, since it keeps punctuation intact. Block quotes when you reply to a specific sentence of a long message, so nobody hunts for context. And if a message needs headings, that is a sign it wants to be a document or a post; our search guide can help people find it later either way.
What to be careful about
- Slack has two composer modes. The toolbar previews formatting; the separate markup preference changes preview, paste and automatic list behavior. Check the mode rather than assuming all typed shortcuts behave the same way.
- Slack markup applies after send. No live preview, pasted text stays plain, and automatic list formatting turns off.
- Teams is Markdown-style, not Markdown. Microsoft says the syntax does not fully match standard Markdown.
- Teams mobile has a toolbar, not Markdown generation. Use Plus, then Format for its text editor, or desktop/web for Markdown-style composition.
- Underline and color are Teams toolbar-only. They live in the expanded compose box, not in markup.
Sources
Checked October 29, 2026. The syntax tables and behaviors follow each product's own help articles. The usage advice is ours.