Tables in markdown

Tables are useful for presenting data and providing a break for the reader from textual monotony

Markdown allows you to create and format tables using hyphens (-) and pipes (|). This section explains how to structure tables, align text, format content and handle special characters within table cells.

Create a basic table

To create a table, use three or more hyphens (---) to define each column’s header and separate the columns with pipes (|). While not essential, include a pipe at the beginning and end of each row for readability.

An example is provided below followed by the rendered output.

| Syntax | Description |
| ----------- | ----------- |
| Header | Title |
| Paragraph | Text |

Note that while the cell widths may vary, the rendered output will look consistent.

Manually typing hyphens and pipes can be time-consuming. To speed things up in Obsidian, use Insert > Table from the command palette (accessible via Command P). Tools like Obsidian’s Advanced Tables %%note%% plugin give you even more control.

Aligning text in tables

You can align text within table columns using colons (:) in the header row. The default state is left aligned:

• Left align: :---
• Centre align: :---:
• Right align: ---:

An example is provided below followed by its rendered output.

| Syntax | Description | Detail |
| :--- | :----: | ---: |
| Header | Title | Heading |
| Paragraph | Text | Words |

Formatting text in tables

You can format text inside table cells using inline markdown elements, such as:

• Bold (**bold**)
• Italic (*italic*)
• Code (backticks around words or phrases)
• Links.

See the extended syntax for more advice.