Markdown Line Breaks

How to control line breaks in Markdown: two trailing spaces, a backslash at the end of a line, blank-line paragraphs, and the HTML fallback.

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Basic Syntax Soft vs Hard Breaks Paragraph Breaks Lists & Tables Platform Differences Common Mistakes Quick Reference Platform Support FAQ

Basic Syntax

To force a line break without starting a new paragraph, end the line with two spaces or a backslash. The spaces are invisible, so many writers prefer the backslash in shared source files.

Two trailing spaces

Line 1  
Line 2

Preview

Line 1
Line 2

Add two spaces at the end of the line, then press Return. Invisible in most editors, but supported everywhere CommonMark is.

Backslash at end of line

Line 1\
Line 2

Preview

Line 1
Line 2

A backslash immediately before the line ending creates a hard break. Cleaner to read in source, and part of CommonMark/GFM.

HTML line break

Line 1<br>
Line 2

Preview

Line 1

Line 2

Use as a fallback in HTML-enabled renderers. Stripped in Slack and Discord.

Trailing spaces are invisible. If you copy the two-space example, check that the first line ends with exactly two spaces. Many editors strip trailing whitespace on save.

Soft vs Hard Breaks

A soft break is a single newline that renders as a space. A hard break forces the next line to start on a new visual line while keeping the text inside the same paragraph.

Soft break (single newline)

Line 1
Line 2

Rendered output

Line 1 Line 2

CommonMark and GFM render a single newline as a space, not a line break.

Paragraph Breaks

Leave a blank line between blocks to start a new paragraph. This creates two separate elements in the output.

Blank-line paragraph break

Paragraph one.

Paragraph two.

Preview

Paragraph one.

Paragraph two.

Line Breaks in Lists & Tables

Inside a list item, Markdown hard-break syntax works as long as the next line is indented enough to stay part of that item. Standard pipe tables do not support Markdown line-break syntax inside cells, so use there where HTML is allowed.

List item with Markdown hard break

- First line of this item\
  Second line of this item
- Item two

Preview

First line of this item
Second line of this item
Item two

The continuation line is indented by two spaces so it stays inside the same list item. The same works with two trailing spaces instead of a backslash.

List item with an HTML line break

- Item one, line one<br>line two
- Item two

Preview

Item one, line one
line two
Item two

Use as a fallback when you cannot guarantee proper indentation.

Table cell with an internal line break

| Cell | Description |
|------|-------------|
| A    | Line one<br>line two |

Preview

Cell	Description
A	Line one line two

Platform Differences

Most document renderers follow CommonMark rules. Chat apps do not: they let you insert a newline with Shift+Enter, so Markdown line-break syntax is irrelevant there.

GitHub, GitLab, VS Code: Single newlines render as spaces. Use two trailing spaces, a backslash, or for hard breaks.
Obsidian: Single newlines render as line breaks by default. Enable Strict line breaks in settings to match CommonMark behavior.
Discord and Slack: Press Shift+Enter to add a newline inside a message. Markdown trailing-space syntax is not used.
Notion: Pasting Markdown can drop trailing spaces. After pasting, use Shift+Enter inside a block to create breaks reliably.

Common Mistakes

The hardest part of Markdown line breaks is that you cannot see trailing spaces. These are the mistakes that waste the most time.

Broken

Line 1
Line 2

Fixed

Line 1  
Line 2

A single newline is treated as a space in CommonMark and GFM. Add two trailing spaces (or a backslash) to force a line break.

Broken

Line 1

Line 2

Fixed

Line 1  
Line 2

A blank line starts a new paragraph. Use a hard break if you want one paragraph split across two visual lines.

Broken

Line 1\ 
Line 2

Fixed

Line 1\
Line 2

A backslash hard break must be the last character on the line. Anything after it, including a space, breaks the syntax.

Broken

Line 1<br>
Line 2

Fixed

Line 1  
Line 2

HTML is stripped in Slack and Discord. Use Shift+Enter there, or use Markdown hard-break syntax in document renderers.

Quick Reference

Syntax	Result	Notes
Line 1 \nLine 2	Hard break	Two trailing spaces; invisible
Line 1\\\nLine 2	Hard break	Backslash before newline
Line 1<br>\nLine 2	Hard break	HTML fallback
Line 1\nLine 2	Soft break (space)	CommonMark/GFM default
Paragraph one.\n\nParagraph two.	New paragraph	Blank line between blocks

Platform Support

Hard breaks are part of the CommonMark spec, so they work in most document renderers. Chat apps use their own input handling.

Platform	Supported?	Notes
GitHub	Yes	Two spaces, backslash, or <br> create hard breaks; single newline renders as a space.
GitLab	Yes	Same GitHub Flavored Markdown behavior as GitHub.
Reddit	Yes	Standard Markdown hard-break rules apply.
VS Code preview	Yes	Default preview treats single newlines as spaces; two spaces or backslash for hard breaks.
Obsidian	Yes	Single newlines render as breaks by default; enable Strict line breaks to match CommonMark.
Notion	Partial	Paste can lose trailing spaces; use Shift+Enter after importing to create clean breaks.
Discord	Partial	Shift+Enter inserts a newline. Markdown trailing-space syntax is irrelevant in chat.
Slack	Partial	Shift+Enter inserts a newline. Markdown trailing-space syntax is irrelevant in chat.
CommonMark	Yes	Two spaces or a backslash at the end of a line produce a hard line break.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a line break in Markdown?

Use two trailing spaces at the end of a line, then press Return. You can also put a backslash immediately before the line ending, or use an HTML tag where inline HTML is allowed.

Why does my Markdown line break disappear?

CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown treat a single newline as a space. To keep a line break, add two trailing spaces or a backslash before the newline, or use .

What is the difference between a line break and a paragraph break in Markdown?

A line break splits one paragraph across two visual lines. A paragraph break is a blank line that creates a new element. Use a line break for addresses, poems, or short lines; use a paragraph break for separate thoughts.

Do Markdown line breaks work inside tables?

Standard pipe tables do not support Markdown line-break syntax inside cells. Use inside the cell where the renderer accepts inline HTML. Otherwise keep each cell content on one line.

Do Markdown line breaks work inside lists?

Yes. Hard breaks work inside a list item when the next line is indented enough to stay part of that item (for a dash list, usually two spaces). Use two trailing spaces or a backslash at the end of the line, just as you would in a normal paragraph. If you cannot control indentation, use or split the content into a nested sub-item.

Does GitHub render single line breaks?

No. In rendered Markdown files, issues, and pull requests, GitHub treats a single newline as a space. Use two trailing spaces, a backslash, or to force a hard line break.

How do I insert a line break in Discord or Slack?

Press Shift+Enter to insert a new line without sending the message. The Markdown trailing-space and backslash syntax for hard breaks does not apply in chat composers.

Related Markdown Guides

Line breaks sit next to paragraphs, horizontal rules, lists, and tables. These guides cover the surrounding syntax:

Full Markdown Cheat Sheet Horizontal Rules List Syntax Table Syntax Code Block Syntax GitHub Markdown VS Code Markdown