Identifying Text Formatting Toolbar on Issue and Pull Request Comments

This guide explains the text formatting toolbar available when composing comments on GitHub issues and pull requests. The toolbar helps you apply GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) and GitHub-specific features (mentions, issue/PR references, task lists) without memorizing markup. Use the “Write” and “Preview” tabs to switch between source and rendered output.

The toolbar inserts Markdown for you. Toggle between the “Write” and “Preview” tabs to verify how your comment will render before posting.

Key toolbar buttons and what they insert

Button	Action	Markdown inserted (example)
Bold	Wraps selected text in bold	`bold` or `__bold__`
Italic	Wraps selected text in italic	`italic` or `_italic_`
Strikethrough	Applies strikethrough	`~~strikethrough~~`
Inline code	Marks inline code	`inline`
Code block	Inserts fenced code block with optional language	```python\nprint("hi")\n```
Link	Adds a hyperlink	`[text](https://example.com)`
Quote	Makes a blockquote	`> quoted line`
Bulleted list	Starts a bulleted list	`- item`
Numbered list	Starts a numbered list	`1. item`
Task list	Creates a checkbox item	`- [ ] todo` or `- [x] done`
Mention	Autocompletes users/teams	`@username`
Issue/PR reference	Autocompletes issues/PRs in the repo	`#123`
Emoji	Inserts emoji shortcodes	`:rocket:` (becomes 🚀)
Insert image	Adds image markdown or upload	`![alt text](https://...)`
Formatting help	Opens Markdown help and shortcuts	Link to documentation

Examples of Markdown the toolbar generates Bold, italic and strikethrough

**bold text**
*italic text*
~~strikethrough~~

Inline code and a fenced code block

Here is `inline code`.

```python
def greet(name):
    return f"Hello, {name}!"
```You didn't include any text to analyze. Please paste the code, console output, or plain text you want identified.

Lists and task lists

- Bullet item 1
- Bullet item 2

1. Numbered item 1
2. Numbered item 2

- [ ] Todo item not done
- [x] Todo item done

Mentions, references, and emoji

Thanks @alice — please see #42 for details. :+1:

Keyboard shortcuts (commonly supported)

Action	Shortcut
Bold	Ctrl/Cmd + B
Italic	Ctrl/Cmd + I
Inline code	Ctrl/Cmd + `
Open formatting help	`?` (in some contexts)

Note: exact shortcuts may vary by operating system and browser. The “Formatting help” link inside the comment editor lists the current shortcuts for your environment. GitHub-specific behaviors to expect

Mentions (@username) and issue/PR references (#123) autocomplete and render as links when posted.
Fenced code blocks accept a language tag for syntax highlighting, for example ```javascript.
Task lists render interactive checkboxes in issue and PR conversations (they are clickable when the comment is part of the thread).
Emoji shortcodes (e.g., :rocket:) convert to their emoji glyphs in the rendered comment.
The toolbar is helpful for users unfamiliar with Markdown, but composing directly in Markdown remains faster once you know the syntax.

Prefer keyboard-only editing? Learn a few Markdown basics and the keyboard shortcuts to compose rich comments faster than relying purely on mouse clicks. See the Markdown help and keyboard shortcuts.

Links and references

Watch Video

Demo Describe the Features of the User Profile

Describing Markdown

Introduction

Git and GitHub Basics

GitHub Entities

GitHub Markdown

GitHub Desktop

GitHub Mobile

GitHub Repositories

Issues

Pull Requests

Discussions

Notifications

Gists, Wikis, and GitHub Pages

GitHub Actions

GitHub Copilot

GitHub Codespaces

Manage Your Work with GitHub Projects

Authentication and Security

GitHub Administration

Benefits of Open-Source Community

Benefits of Open Source – Applications

Identifying Text Formatting Toolbar on Issue and Pull Request Comments

Watch Video