How To Create a Table in Markdown

Markdown makes it very straightforward to edit text online. But bolding links and elements are only some of its cool features. You can also create a table without much hassle. If you’ve been trying to do so to no avail, worry not. Many beginner Markdown programmers have been in the same boat.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered. This article shares everything you need to know about creating a table in Markdown.

Creating a Table in Markdown

As a lightweight markup language for online content posting on the web, Markdown has a relatively simple syntax. You can create organized HTML using the simple Perl script.

Ever since Perl came into existence, Markdown has seen the rise of many different features. Even though tables weren’t part of the original configuration, most editors now have integrated support for them.

Here’s how you can make a table in Markdown and what resources you can use to make the process run smoother.

Specifications

A Markdown table has two parts: the header and the rows with data inside the table. Here are different specifications related to tables in Markdown:

• A hyphen (—) delimiter rows to different headers from the body
  
• A colon (:) makes cell content aligned
  
• A pipe character (|) serves as a separator for individual columns
  

Headers

A header in a table can consist of two rows. The pipes and spaces separate the header from another header in the first row (or the column header). The purpose of the second row, or a delimiter row, is to determine the horizontal alignment of the text.

Each column in the header row must have three hyphens at the very least. The user can increase the number of spaces or hyphens for the sake of readability.

If you want to align a column to any of the sides, follow the steps below.

Aligning the Column to the Left

• Put a colon on the left-hand side of the hyphen (:—).

Aligning the Column to the Right

• Place a colon on the right-hand side of the hyphen (—:).

Aligning the Column to the Center

• Insert two colons on each side of the hyphen (:—:).

Body Formatting

A table body in Markdown can have multiple rows divided by line breaks. Much like with the header, the cells are separated by pipes. Users can fill each table cell with different Markdown syntax for formatting like bold, italics, images, links, inline code blocks, etc.

To insert a pipe in a cell, simply precede the cell with a backslash. You can also have a cell span across multiple lines by using the “<br/>” tag.

Table Generators

Table creation in Markdown comes with a simple syntax. However, it can also be a time-consuming and tedious process. That’s why you can use a table generator.

Tables Generator is one of the most straightforward websites you can use for this purpose. Just open the website and follow the steps below:

1. Select as many rows and columns as you wish from the dialog box.
   
2. Hit the “Create” button.
   
3. Add content by double-clicking on the field.
   
4. Hit “Tab” to navigate between fields.
   
5. (Optional) Align the table with the alignment tool located at the top corner.
   
6. Press the “Generate” button to see your result.
   
7. Press “Copy to clipboard.”
   
8. Paste the table you just created into your document.
9. Condense your table or save space by checking the “Compact mode” setting.
   

Markdown Apps

You don’t only have to rely on websites to build tables in Markdown. Recently, there’s been an increase in robust apps that allow you to format tables similarly to how this is done with programs like Word.

Typora

Typora makes it super easy to create a table. Just open the app and follow the steps below:

1. Press “Paragraph,” then “Table,” then “Insert table.”
   
2. A new dialog box will appear. Enter the number of columns and rows you wish for your table to have.
   
3. Right-click on a cell in the table.
   
4. Select “Table,” then “Add Row Below,” or “Add Columns Before or After.”
   

Typora also lets you resize and align the table and content inside it, reorder the columns and rows, and much more.

Creating a Table in Markdown – Explained

Markdown syntax is relatively straightforward, but it can be time-consuming when it comes to creating tables. An easy turnaround is using table generators online, making a table there, and pasting it onto your Markdown document. This way, you’ll save yourself time and can commit to other, more important tasks.

Do you know of any other creative methods of creating a table in Markdown? Let us know in the comments section below.