# Format your message using Markdown
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
To see a summary of message formatting in Zulip, click the A () icon located in the bottom left corner of
your messaging box. You can alternatively click the cog () icon in the top right corner of the right
sidebar and choose **Message formatting** from the dropdown menu that
appears.
## 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*`.
### Bold
For bold text, surround your text with `**two asterisks**`.
### Strikethrough
For strikethrough text, surround your text with `~~two tildes~~`.
### Extra emphasis
To add more variety, flavor, and emphasis to your messages, you can
combine different styles of formatting.
## 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.
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 `**`.
## Lists
Begin each item in your list with `* an asterisk followed by a space`
to include lists in your messages.
!!! tip ""
You can add nested bullets within lists by adding two spaces before each
nested bullet.
## 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.
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.
Typing `@**all**` will alert all users in the stream, and a
confirmation message will appear.
For more information on mentions, visit [here](/help/at-mention-a-team-member).
## Status Messages
You can send messages that display your name and profile before a string by
beginning a message with `/me`. You can utilize this feature to send status
messages or other messages written in a similar third-person voice.
For example, if your username is **Cordelia Lear** and you send the message
`/me is now away`, your message will be displayed as:
.
## Code
You can surround a portion of code with `` `back-ticks` `` to display it as
inline code.
Multi-line blocks of code are either:
- Fenced by lines with three back-ticks (` ``` `).
- Fenced by lines with three tildes (`~~~`).
- Indented with four spaces.
Zulip also supports syntax highlighting of multi-line code blocks using
[Pygments](http://pygments.org). To add syntax highlighting to a multi-line code
block, add the language's **first**
[Pygments short name](http://pygments.org/docs/lexers/) after the first set of
back-ticks; as you type out a code block's short name, a dropdown with short
name suggestions will appear.
!!! warn ""
**Note:** You can only specify the language's short name in fenced code
blocks. It is not possible to use the syntax highlighter in blocks
indented with spaces.
## 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.
## TeX math
You can display mathematical symbols, expressions and equations using Zulip's
[TeX](http://www.tug.org/interest.html#doc) typesetting implementation,
based on [KaTeX](https://github.com/Khan/KaTeX).
!!! tip ""
Visit the [KaTeX Wiki](https://github.com/Khan/KaTeX/wiki/Function-Support-in-KaTeX)
to view a complete of compatible commands.
Surround elements in valid TeX syntax with `$$two dollar signs$$` to display it
as inline content.
Also, you can show expressions, such as expanded integrals, in TeX
*display mode* to present them fully-sized in the center of the messages by
fencing them with three back-ticks ` ``` ` or tildes `~~~`, with **math**,
**tex** or **latex** immediately after the first set of back-ticks.
