---
id: introduction
description: Docusaurus uses MDX. Find out more about Docusaurus-specific features when writing Markdown.
slug: /markdown-features
---
# Markdown Features
import BrowserWindow from '@site/src/components/BrowserWindow';
Docusaurus uses **[Markdown](https://commonmark.org/)** as its main content authoring format.
:::tip Learn Markdown
You can [learn Markdown in 10 minutes](https://commonmark.org/help/).
:::
Docusaurus uses modern tooling to help you create **interactive documentation**.
The **[MDX](https://mdxjs.com/)** compiler transforms **Markdown files to React components**, and allows you to use JSX in your Markdown content. This enables you to easily interleave React components within your content, and create delightful learning experiences.
:::tip Use the MDX Playground
The **[MDX playground](https://mdxjs.com/playground/)** is your new best friend!
It is a very helpful debugging tool that shows how the MDX compiler transforms Markdown to React.
**Options**: select the right format (MDX or CommonMark) and the following plugins Docusaurus uses: `remark-gfm`, `remark-directive`, `rehype-raw`.
:::
## MDX vs. CommonMark {#mdx-vs-commonmark}
Docusaurus compiles both `.md` and `.mdx` files to React components using the MDX compiler, but **the syntax can be interpreted differently** depending on your settings.
The MDX compiler supports [2 formats](https://mdxjs.com/packages/mdx/#optionsformat):
- The [MDX format](https://mdxjs.com/docs/what-is-mdx/): a powerful parser allowing the usage of JSX
- The [CommonMark format](https://commonmark.org/): a standard-compliant Markdown parser that does not allow the usage of JSX
By default, **Docusaurus v3 uses the MDX format for all files** (including `.md` files) for historical reasons.
It is possible to **opt-in for CommonMark** using the [`siteConfig.markdown.format`](../../api/docusaurus.config.js.mdx#markdown) setting or the `format: md` front matter.
:::tip how to use CommonMark
If you plan to use CommonMark, we recommend the [`siteConfig.markdown.format: 'detect'`](../../api/docusaurus.config.js.mdx#markdown) setting. The appropriate format will be selected automatically, based on file extensions:
- `.md` files will use the CommonMark format
- `.mdx` files will use the MDX format
:::
:::danger Experimental CommonMark support
The CommonMark support is **experimental** and currently has a few [limitations](https://github.com/facebook/docusaurus/issues/9092).
:::
## Standard features {#standard-features}
Markdown is a syntax that enables you to write formatted content in a readable syntax.
```md
### My Doc Section
Hello world message with some **bold** text, some _italic_ text, and a [link](/)
```
```mdx-code-block
My Doc Section
Hello world message with some **bold** text, some _italic_ text and a [link](/)
```
Markdown is declarative
Some may assume a 1-1 correlation between Markdown and HTML, e.g., `` will always become `
`, as-is. However, _that is not the case_.
The Markdown syntax `` only declaratively tells Docusaurus that an image needs to be inserted here, but we may do other things like transforming a [file path to URL path](./markdown-features-assets.mdx#images), so the generated markup may differ from the output of other Markdown renderers, or a naΓ―ve hand-transcription to the equivalent JSX/HTML code.
In general, you should only assume the _semantics_ of the markup (` ``` ` fences become [code blocks](./markdown-features-code-blocks.mdx); `>` becomes [quotes](#quotes), etc.), but not the actual compiled output.
## Front matter {#front-matter}
Front matter is used to add metadata to your Markdown file. All content plugins have their own front matter schema, and use the front matter to enrich the default metadata inferred from the content or other configuration.
Front matter is provided at the very top of the file, enclosed by three dashes `---`. The content is parsed as [YAML](https://yaml.org/spec/1.2.2/).
```md
---
title: My Doc Title
more_data:
- Can be provided
- as: objects
or: arrays
---
```
:::info
The API documentation of each official plugin lists the supported attributes:
- [Docs front matter](../../api/plugins/plugin-content-docs.mdx#markdown-front-matter)
- [Blog front matter](../../api/plugins/plugin-content-blog.mdx#markdown-front-matter)
- [Pages front matter](../../api/plugins/plugin-content-pages.mdx#markdown-front-matter)
:::
:::tip enhance your front matter
Use the [Markdown config `parseFrontMatter` function](../../api/docusaurus.config.js.mdx#markdown) to provide your own front matter parser, or to enhance the default parser.
It is possible to reuse the default parser to wrap it with your own custom proprietary logic. This makes it possible to implement convenient front matter transformations, shortcuts, or to integrate with external systems using front matter that Docusaurus plugins do not support.
```js title="docusaurus.config.js"
export default {
markdown: {
// highlight-start
parseFrontMatter: async (params) => {
// Reuse the default parser
const result = await params.defaultParseFrontMatter(params);
// Process front matter description placeholders
result.frontMatter.description =
result.frontMatter.description?.replaceAll('{{MY_VAR}}', 'MY_VALUE');
// Create your own front matter shortcut
if (result.frontMatter.i_do_not_want_docs_pagination) {
result.frontMatter.pagination_prev = null;
result.frontMatter.pagination_next = null;
}
// Rename an unsupported front matter coming from another system
if (result.frontMatter.cms_seo_summary) {
result.frontMatter.description = result.frontMatter.cms_seo_summary;
delete result.frontMatter.cms_seo_summary;
}
return result;
},
// highlight-end
},
};
```
:::
## Quotes {#quotes}
Markdown quotes are beautifully styled:
```md
> Easy to maintain open source documentation websites.
>
> β Docusaurus
```
> Easy to maintain open source documentation websites.
>
> β Docusaurus
## Details {#details}
Markdown can embed HTML elements, and [`details`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/details) HTML elements are beautifully styled:
{/* prettier-ignore */}
````md
### Details element example
Toggle me!
This is the detailed content
```js
console.log("Markdown features including the code block are available");
```
You can use Markdown here including **bold** and _italic_ text, and [inline link](https://docusaurus.io)
Nested toggle! Some surprise inside...
π²π²π²π²π²
````
````mdx-code-block
Details element example
Toggle me!
This is the detailed content
```js
console.log("Markdown features including the code block are available");
```
You can use Markdown here including **bold** and _italic_ text, and [inline link](https://docusaurus.io)
Nested toggle! Some surprise inside...
π²π²π²π²π²
````
:::info
- You should not break lines between the starting or ending tag of the `` element and its content or an extra `` element is inserted.
- Blank lines between the `` element and the first paragraph of the detailed content are optional in Docusaurus but strongly recommended to ensure MDX portability with other site generators.
- Blank lines between the nested `` element and the paragraphs just around it are optional.
:::