An unordered list presents a sequence of items without implying any particular order. Each item is introduced by a list marker - a -, *, or + character followed by a space - and the items render as a bulleted list.
- First item
- Second item
- Third item
- First item
- Second item
- Third item
Best Practice
- Use
-as the list marker throughout a project - it is the most common convention and avoids any risk of*being interpreted as emphasis. - Be consistent: do not mix
-,*, and+within the same list. - Use four spaces (or one tab) to indent a nested list item.
Notes
Nested Lists
List items can contain nested lists by indenting the child items:
- Item one
- Nested item A
- Nested item B
- Item two
Tight vs Loose Lists
A 'tight' list has no blank lines between items. A 'loose' list has blank lines between one or more items. Renderers typically wrap loose list item content in <p> tags, adding vertical spacing:
Tight list:
- Item one
- Item two
- Item three
Loose list:
- Item one
- Item two
- Item three
Use tight lists for short, scan-friendly items. Use loose lists when items contain multiple sentences or sub-blocks.
List Continuation
A list item can contain multiple paragraphs or block elements by indenting continuation content to align with the item text (typically four spaces):
- First item with a long explanation.
This second paragraph is still part of the first list item.
- Second item.
Markdown Flavour Support
Supported by all major flavours.
Flavour Support Detail
| Flavour | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Original Markdown | Yes | All three markers (-, *, +) defined in the original spec. |
| CommonMark | Yes | Precisely specifies tight/loose behaviour and indentation rules. |
| GitHub Flavored Markdown | Yes | Inherits CommonMark rules; also extends lists with task list checkbox syntax. |
| Pandoc Markdown | Yes | Full support; output maps to appropriate list structures in each target format. |
Practical Examples
- Holiday packing list: Bullet points are ideal for items where sequence does not matter — readers can scan at a glance and tick things off mentally.
## What to Pack
- Passport and travel insurance
- Adapter plug
- Two pairs of walking shoes
- Sunscreen
- Reusable water bottle
- Recipe ingredients: List each ingredient as a bullet so cooks can see everything they need before starting.
## Ingredients
- 200g plain flour
- 2 eggs
- 300ml whole milk
- Pinch of salt
- Butter for frying
- Film recommendations grouped by genre: Use nested lists to organise related items under a category without needing a separate heading for each group.
## Films to Watch
- Comedy
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- About Time
- Documentary
- Free Solo
- My Octopus Teacher