Formatting Shortcuts and Pasting Markdown

In this article:

• Overview
• Formatting as you type
• Pasting Markdown
• What isn't supported
• Things to keep in mind
• FAQs
• Who can do this

Overview

If you prefer to keep your hands on the keyboard, the SuperPath editor understands Markdown shortcuts. Type ## at the start of a line and it becomes a Heading 2; wrap a word in **asterisks** and it turns bold as you finish typing. You can also draft a whole document in Markdown somewhere else — a text editor, a notes app, an AI assistant — and paste it in, and the editor will convert the formatting for you.

These shortcuts work in every SuperPath editor: Knowledge articles, Pathway steps, Event descriptions, Discussions and anywhere else you write rich content. If you'd rather use the toolbar, see Basic Formatting for your Knowledge Articles.

Formatting as you type

Type the shortcut and the editor converts it immediately. Block shortcuts (headings, lists, quotes) apply when you press space after the syntax; wrapping shortcuts (bold, italic) apply when you close the pair.

Tip: Typing / on a new line opens the slash command menu, which covers the same formatting plus images, video, PDFs, links and tables. It's the quickest way to insert anything that doesn't have a Markdown shortcut.

Pasting Markdown

Paste a Markdown document straight into the editor and it arrives formatted — headings, both kinds of list, checklists, quotes, dividers, code blocks and tables all come through.

1. Copy your Markdown from wherever you drafted it.
2. Click into the SuperPath editor where you want it.
3. Paste as usual with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac).

Good to know: You can also copy from a rendered view of your document — a Markdown preview pane, a Google Doc, a Word document or a web page — and the formatting comes across the same way. Either route works.

What isn't supported

A few pieces of Markdown syntax have no equivalent in the editor and will stay as plain text:

• Link syntax — [text](url) isn't converted. Use the slash command menu (/link) or the toolbar's link button instead. Pasting a web address over selected text turns that text into a link, and typing a bare address followed by a space links it automatically.
• Image syntax — ![alt](url) isn't converted. Paste or drag an image file straight into the editor instead (JPEG, PNG or GIF, up to 5MB), or use the slash command menu.
• Underline — this isn't part of Markdown. Use Ctrl+U (Cmd+U on a Mac) or the toolbar.

Things to keep in mind

• To paste something as plain text and skip all conversion, use Ctrl+Shift+V (Cmd+Shift+V on a Mac).
• Pasting inside a code block always stays literal, so you can paste Markdown examples into your documentation without them turning into real formatting.
• Code copied out of a code editor such as VS Code becomes a code block automatically, with the language set — it won't be mistaken for Markdown, even when it contains # comment lines.
• Some editors offer a deliberately limited set of formatting. Discussion replies, for example, don't offer headings, lists or code blocks. Pasting Markdown there keeps all of your text, but those particular blocks arrive as ordinary paragraphs rather than being added to an editor that doesn't support them.
• Long articles have a content capacity, shown by the indicator above the editor. If you're documenting a lengthy procedure, consider splitting it across linked articles rather than one very long one.

FAQs

I pasted a Markdown document and only the bold and italics came through. Why?
That was the earlier behaviour: block-level formatting such as headings and lists only converted while typing, not on paste. Pasting a full Markdown document now converts the whole thing.

Can I paste from Word, Google Docs or a web page?
Yes. Content copied from those keeps its formatting, including tables.

How do I paste something without any formatting?
Use Ctrl+Shift+V (Cmd+Shift+V on a Mac).

I pasted some code and it turned into a code block rather than headings. Is that right?
Yes. Code copied from a code editor is recognised as code, so comment lines beginning with # stay as comments instead of becoming headings.

Do Markdown tables work?
Yes, when pasted. There's no typing shortcut for a table — use the slash command menu (/table) or the toolbar to insert one as you write.

Who can do this

Formatting shortcuts aren't separately restricted — they're part of the editor, so anyone who can edit a piece of content can use them. For Knowledge articles that means Owners, Admins, Managers and Content Managers can create and edit; People Managers, Instructors, Employees and Restricted users have read-only access. In other areas, availability follows the edit rights for that content type.

Updated on: 11/08/2026