---
slug: format-text-with-markdown
title: Format your text with bold, lists and lines
summary: Use a few simple marks in your welcome message and text blocks for bold, italics, lists and dividing lines.
journey: your-page
level: free
role: any
features: [markdown, welcome-message, text-block]
last_checked: 2026-11-03
next: [lay-out-with-headings, add-a-table]
mcp_topics: [pages]
in_app: [/dashboard/pages/edit, /dashboard/pages/*/edit]
questions: [How do I make text bold on my link in bio page?, Can I add a bullet list to my exclusively.me page?]
---
Your welcome message, and on Pro your text blocks, understand a few simple marks called **markdown**: two stars for **bold**, one star for *italic*, a dash for a bullet list, a number for a numbered list, and three dashes for a dividing line. Type them as you write and the preview beside the editor shows the result as you go.

## Before you start

- A page ([claim your name](/guides/claim-your-name)). The welcome message works on every plan; text blocks, which put a paragraph anywhere among your links, need Pro.

## The marks

| You type | Your page shows |
|---|---|
| `**Order by Thursday**` | **Order by Thursday** |
| `*gluten-free on request*` | *gluten-free on request* |
| `- Celebration cakes` on its own line | a bullet point |
| `1. Pick your cake` on its own line | a numbered list (the numbers count themselves) |
| `---` on its own line | a dividing line |
| an empty line | a new paragraph |

That's all of it, on purpose: no colours, no links typed into text and no pictures, so a page stays clean and nothing someone pastes in can break it. Links go in as links, where they're counted and get a proper button.

## The steps

::: step Format your welcome message
In your page's editor, type into **Welcome message**, using the marks above. It holds up to 500 characters, with a counter underneath, and the preview updates as soon as you stop typing.
:::

::: step Add a paragraph between your links (Pro)
In **Quick add**, press **Text**. Write a short paragraph, using the same marks, and **Save**. Then drag it to where it belongs: under a heading, above the links it explains.
:::

*Screen: A text block with bold, a bullet list, italics and a dividing line, typed as markdown.*

::: step See it on your page
Bold stands out, lists line up, and the dividing line breaks the page into parts, all in your page's own colours and fonts.
:::

*Screen: The example page: a formatted welcome message, then a text block between the links.*

## Check it worked

The preview shows bold as bold and lists as lists. If you can see the stars or dashes themselves, check the spacing below.

## If something's different

### My stars show up as stars
A mark needs its closing pair, with the words right inside it: `**bold**`, not `** bold **`. An unclosed `**` stays as typed, so writing *3 * 4* doesn't turn anything italic.

### My list didn't turn into a list
Each item needs its own line, starting with `- ` or `1. ` (a space after the dash or the full stop).

### Can I add a link inside my text?
No. Add it as its own link, so it gets a button and its clicks are counted.

## Do it with your AI

Your AI knows these marks. Ask *"Rewrite my welcome message to put the opening hours in bold and the services as a list"*, and approve the preview.

## Why it's worth it

People skim. A bold line and a short list get read where a paragraph gets skipped, and the important bit, *order by Thursday*, gets seen.