How to Add a Line Break or New Line in Markdown

Markdown line breaks: the short version

Use a blank line when you mean a new paragraph. Use two trailing spaces or a backslash at the end of a line when the next line should remain in the same paragraph. A single ordinary source newline is a soft break, so many renderers display it as a space.

First paragraph.

Second paragraph.

Street address  
City, State ZIP

First paragraph.

Second paragraph.

Street address
City, State ZIP

Why pressing Return once may not create a visible break

Markdown distinguishes a soft line break from a hard line break. A soft break is an ordinary newline in the source. It keeps the text in one paragraph, so an HTML renderer can display that source boundary as a normal space.

This behavior lets you wrap long source lines without inserting unwanted visual breaks. If the line boundary matters to the reader, add a hard-break marker or start a new paragraph explicitly.

This is one line in the source.
This is the next line in the source.

This is one line in the source. This is the next line in the source.

Add a new paragraph with a blank line

A blank line is the clearest way to separate two ideas. It produces two paragraph blocks rather than two lines inside one block.

Use this method for articles, documentation, README files, notes, and most other prose. Do not insert <br> between every paragraph just to create vertical space; paragraph structure is easier for readers, stylesheets, and future converters to understand.

The migration is complete.

The team can now review the converted files.

The migration is complete.

The team can now review the converted files.

Add a hard line break with two trailing spaces

Put two spaces at the end of the first line, then press Return. The spaces tell a compatible renderer to insert a hard break without ending the paragraph.

The drawback is visibility. Editors may trim trailing whitespace, and reviewers cannot always see that the two spaces are present. If a formatter removes trailing spaces, use the backslash method instead.

Jane Rivera  
Documentation Lead

Jane Rivera
Documentation Lead

Add a hard line break with a backslash

Place a backslash immediately before the source newline. This produces the same kind of hard break in CommonMark-compatible renderers, while leaving a visible marker in the source.

Use the backslash only at the end of the line. A backslash elsewhere normally escapes the character that follows it instead of creating a line break.

Line one\
Line two

Line one
Line two

Use an HTML break only when the destination accepts HTML

Raw HTML gives you an explicit break marker. The ilovemd preview currently allows raw HTML, so <br> renders as a line break here. Some publishing systems sanitize or disable embedded HTML.

If the document must move between several Markdown tools, prefer a blank line, two trailing spaces, or a backslash. Use an HTML break only after checking the final renderer.

Line one<br>
Line two

Line one
Line two

Line breaks, paragraphs, and horizontal rules are different

A blank line starts a paragraph. Two spaces or a backslash at the line ending creates a hard break inside a paragraph. A thematic break marks a change of scene or topic; it is not a substitute for vertical spacing.

Line breaks inside lists, blockquotes, and tables

Inside a list item, indent continued content so it remains part of the item. For a distinct paragraph inside the item, leave a blank line and keep the continuation indented.

Inside a blockquote, prefix each source line with > for the clearest source. A literal source newline normally ends a pipe-table row, and standard Markdown does not define multiline pipe-table cells. Some renderers accept <br> inside a cell, but you should test that table in its final destination.

- First paragraph in the item.

  Second paragraph in the same item.

> First quoted line.  
> Second quoted line.

• First paragraph in the item.
  Second paragraph in the same item.

  First quoted line.
  Second quoted line.

Fix a Markdown line break that is not working

Start with the smallest failing example. Once the break renders correctly, add the surrounding list, quote, table, or code structure back one piece at a time.

1. Choose the right structureUse a blank line for a paragraph; use two spaces or a backslash for a hard break.
2. Look for trimmed whitespaceA formatter may have removed the two spaces at the end of a line.
3. Check the final rendererYour editor and publishing platform may use different Markdown rules or HTML settings.
4. Inspect the surrounding blockLists, quotes, tables, and code fences have their own continuation rules.
5. Close any code fenceMarkdown syntax is displayed literally inside a fenced code block until the fence is closed.

Test the rendered result before you publish

Source that looks correct can still change when another renderer handles soft breaks, raw HTML, tables, or extensions. Test the smallest example in a rendered preview, then check the finished document in its real destination.

Official references

The CommonMark specification defines soft and hard line breaks. GitHub Flavored Markdown builds on CommonMark and documents the extension boundary for GitHub-compatible renderers.

• CommonMark specification
• GitHub Flavored Markdown specification