Markdown shortcuts
Markdown works as typing shorthand in Orbit: type the syntax and the editor converts it to the rendered block on the spot — you never stare at raw markup.
Type shorthand for blocks
Section titled “Type shorthand for blocks”Type these at the start of an empty line, then press Space or Enter:
| To get | Type |
|---|---|
| Heading 1 | # |
| Heading 2 | ## |
| Heading 3 | ### |
| Heading 4 | #### |
| Bullet list | - |
| Ordered list | 1. |
| Task list | [] |
| Quote | > |
| Code block | ``` |
| Mermaid diagram | ```mermaid |
| Callout | :::note, :::tip, :::info, :::success, :::warning, or :::danger |
| Wiki link | [[ — a page picker opens; press Enter to insert |
| Show a live page or a drawing | ![[ — same picker; add #Heading for one section |
Wiki links connect pages together — see Wiki links for how they resolve and power backlinks.
Collapsible sections have no typing shorthand — insert them from the slash menu or with Turn into (Edit pages). In the file they are stored as :::details[Title] followed by the folded content and a closing :::.
HTML blocks have no typing shorthand either — insert them from the slash menu, or paste a complete HTML page (Edit pages). In the file they are stored as :::html{title="…" height="…"}, the HTML exactly as written, and a closing :::.
Indent lists with Tab
Section titled “Indent lists with Tab”In a list, Tab nests the current item one level deeper and Shift+Tab moves it one level up. Only the selected items move — an item’s own nested children keep their level rather than following it — so lists behave like they do in Word. Select several items and press Tab or Shift+Tab to move them all at once as a single undo step.
Style text inline
Section titled “Style text inline”Wrap text as you type and the marks apply immediately:
| To get | Type |
|---|---|
| Bold | **text** |
| Italic | *text* |
Inline code | `text` |
~~text~~ |
Paste markdown from anywhere
Section titled “Paste markdown from anywhere”Paste markdown text copied from another tool and Orbit converts it into blocks — headings, lists, tables, and code fences all come through rendered. Copying between Orbit pages keeps everything exactly as it was, including table column widths. Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+V to paste as plain text instead. To paste a whole document as source, use the Raw markdown dialog instead.
Know what’s stored
Section titled “Know what’s stored”Every page is stored as a plain markdown .md file in your OneDrive or SharePoint library — the block editor is how you edit it, not a proprietary format on top. Open the file outside Orbit and it reads as normal markdown. See Where your pages live.
Up next: Tables — build and reshape tables without touching pipe syntax.