# Message formatting
Zulip uses a variant of
[GitHub Flavored Markdown](https://github.com/adam-p/markdown-here/wiki/Markdown-Cheatsheet#tables)
(GFM) to allow you to easily format your messages.
## Summary
For a summary of message formatting in Zulip, click the
icon located at the bottom
left of your messaging box or the cog
() in the upper right corner of the
right sidebar and choose “Message formatting” from the drop-down menu.
The following modal window will appear.
![Message formatting modal](/static/images/help/message-formatting-summary.png)
## Emphasis
You can surround your text with a combination of asterisks `*` and
tildes `~` to emphasize words or phrases in your messages.
### Italics
For italics, surround your text with `*asterisks*`.
![Italicized text](/static/images/help/italics-screenshot.png)
### Bold
For bold text, surround your text with `**two asterisks**`.
![Bold text](/static/images/help/bold-screenshot.png)
### Strikethrough
For strikethrough text, surround your text with `~~two tildes~~`.
![Strikethrough text](/static/images/help/strikethrough-screenshot.png)
### Extra emphasis
To add more variety, flavor, and emphasis to your messages, you can
combine different styles of formatting.
![Extra emphasized text](/static/images/help/extra-emphasis-screenshot.png)
## Links
To include hyperlinks in your messages, you can either enter the
link's url address directly or surround the link's display text
with`[brackets]` and the url address of the link in `(parentheses)`
immediately after.
![Link](/static/images/help/link-screenshot.png)
Zulip currently does not support image embedding through links.
## Stream Links
To link to another stream in one of your messages, you can either type
`#streamName` and click the stream name in the popup, or you can start
with `#` and surround your message with double asteriks `**`.
![Stream Link Popup](/static/images/help/stream-link-pop-screenshot.png)
![Stream Links](/static/images/help/stream-link-screenshot.png)
## Lists
Begin each item in your list with `* an asterisk followed by a space`
to include lists in your messages.
![Lists](/static/images/help/lists-screenshot.png)
## Emojis
Zulip features a variety of emojis provided by the
[Noto Project](https://code.google.com/p/noto/). To include emojis in
your messages, surround the emoji phrase with `:colons:`.
A dropdown will appear with suggested emojis as you enter the emoji phrase.
![Emojis](/static/images/help/emojis-screenshot.png)
A complete list of emojis can be found [here](http://www.webpagefx.com/tools/emoji-cheat-sheet/).
## Mentions
To call the attention of another member, you can alert them by typing
`@**username**`
If you type `@` and then begin typing the user's email address or the
user's name, the system will offer you auto-completion suggestions.
![Mentions](/static/images/help/mention-screenshot.png)
Typing `@**all**` will alert all users in the stream, and a
confirmation message will appear.
![Mention All](/static/images/help/all-confirm.png)
For more information on mentions, visit [here](/help/at-mention-a-team-member).
## Code
You can surround a portion of code with ``
`back-ticks`
`` to display it as inline code.
![Inline code](/static/images/help/inline-code-screenshot.png)
Multi-line blocks of code are either fenced by lines with ``````
three back-ticks``````
or indented with four
spaces.
![No code syntax highlighting](/static/images/help/no-syntax.png)
In addition, to highlight language syntax, add the file extension of
the language (for example, Python would be **.py**) right after the
first set of back-ticks.
![Python syntax highlighting](/static/images/help/python-syntax.png)
![JavaScript syntax highlighting](/static/images/help/javascript-syntax.png)
## Quotes
To insert quotes, you can either add a greater-than symbol ```>``` and
a space before your phrase or submit it as a quote block by following
the code syntax highlighting format.
![Quotes](/static/images/help/quotes-screenshot.png)