Real-time markup means text formatting where every style shows up right in the message field and stays in sync across all platforms.

Important! A single message can be up to 16,000 characters long. You won't be able to send a message that's longer than that.

How to format text

Format text using the formatting menu or keyboard shortcuts. Bots still support Markdown. You'll find the full list of keyboard shortcuts and Markdown characters at the end of this article.
To open the formatting menu, click the Aa icon below the message field.
If the menu is hidden, select some text to use the pop-up menu.
Select the part of the text you've written and choose the formatting you want.
The formatting is applied right in the message field, and the menu shows which styles are applied to the text.
If you paste text that's already formatted into the message field, it keeps its formatting.

Bold text

B in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + B

Italic text

I in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + I

Underlined text

U in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + U

Strikethrough text

S in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + S

Add a link to text

🔗 in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + U

You can add a link to an image the same way. The image preview appears, and you can hide it for everyone. You can also change the image's aspect ratio just for yourself.

Numbered list

Button in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + 7

Numbered lists support three levels. To change the level:

Start a new line with Shift + Enter
Then press Tab

Bulleted list

Button in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + 8
Markdown characters: "-" or "*"

Bulleted lists support three levels. To change the level:

Start a new line with Shift + Enter
Then press Tab

Quote

Button in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + 9
Markdown characters: > text

Inline code

Button in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Ctrl / Cmd + Shift + C
Markdown characters: code

Code block

Button in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Ctrl / Cmd + Shift + Alt / Option + C
Markdown characters: ```code```

In the web version and desktop apps, you can also pick a programming language from the drop-down list so code syntax is highlighted correctly.

Clear formatting

Tx in the formatting menu
Web and desktop: Cmd / Ctrl + Z

Mentions

If a colleague changes their username, hovering over their old mentions in a chat still opens their current mini profile.

Link previews

If a message contains several links, previews appear for the first five. You can hide them for everyone if needed.

Keyboard shortcuts

Cmd / Ctrl + B: bold
Cmd / Ctrl + I: italic
Cmd / Ctrl + U: underline
Cmd / Ctrl + S: strikethrough
Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + U: link
Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + 7: numbered list
Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + 8: bulleted list
Cmd / Ctrl + Shift + 9: quote
Ctrl / Cmd + Shift + C: inline code
Ctrl / Cmd + Shift + Alt / Option + C: code block
Cmd / Ctrl + Z: clear formatting

Formatting messages for bots

Bots still use Markdown. The syntax for messages sent via the API and webhooks is described in the formatting guide on the developer portal.

Text formatting

How to make text bold or italic, add a link or insert a code snippet