All Discord Text Tricks
Every formatting trick Discord supports — from basic bold and italic to color hacks, ANSI codes, dynamic timestamps, and hidden syntax most people never discover. Copy any example directly into Discord.
Basic Text Formatting
Discord uses a streamlined subset of Markdown. These core styles work in every context — DMs, server channels, threads, and forum posts alike.
Bold
You type
**your text here**
Discord renders
Italic
You type
*your text here*
Discord renders
Single asterisk or single underscore both work: *text* or _text_
Bold + Italic
You type
***your text here***
Discord renders
Triple asterisks — the most visually punchy combo for emphasis.
Underline
You type
__your text here__
Discord renders
Double underscore on each side. Note: single underscore is italic, not underline.
Strikethrough
You type
~~your text here~~
Discord renders
Stacked Styles
You type
__**bold + underline**__ ~~*struck + italic*~~ __~~**all three**~~__
Discord renders
Apply any combination by nesting the wrappers — outermost wrapper renders last.
Want to preview as you type?
The Message Editor has toolbar buttons for every style — click to wrap selected text, no syntax memorization needed.
Headings & Text Size
Discord added heading support in 2023. They're ideal for structured announcements, long rule posts, and any message that benefits from clear visual hierarchy.
Heading 1 — Largest
You type
# Section Title
Discord renders
Section Title
Must start at the beginning of a line. The # must be followed by a space.
Heading 2
You type
## Subsection
Discord renders
Subsection
Heading 3 — Smallest
You type
### Detail Heading
Discord renders
Detail Heading
Small Text / Subtext
You type
-# Posted by Admin · June 2025
Discord renders
Dash-hash (-#) creates Discord's subtext style — rendered smaller and greyed out. Perfect for credits, timestamps, or fine print.
Code & Monospace
Code formatting renders in a fixed-width font inside a dark box — even if you're not sharing actual code. It's great for commands, keybinds, file paths, and anything you want to stand out visually.
Inline Code
You type
`/timeout @username 10m`
Discord renders
/timeout @username 10mSingle backtick on each side. Renders inline within a sentence — no line break.
Code Block
You type
``` Your text here Line two ```
Discord renders
Three backticks open and close the block. Add a language name after the opening ``` for syntax coloring (see Colors section below).
Color Tricks
Discord doesn't support free-form text color — but several code block language tags produce colored syntax highlighting you can repurpose for styled messages. The diff trick is the most widely supported and reliable.
Red Text — diff block
You type
```diff - This line will appear red ```
Discord renders
Any line starting with - inside a diff block renders red. Works on desktop and mobile.
Green Text — diff block
You type
```diff + This line will appear green ```
Discord renders
Red + Green Together
You type
```diff - ❌ Don't do this + ✅ Do this instead ```
Discord renders
Combine both in one block — perfect for rule lists, changelogs, before/after comparisons.
Blue Keys — yaml block
You type
```yaml Name: DiscordUser Server: My Server Role: Admin ```
Discord renders
YAML keys (anything before a colon) render in light blue. Great for info cards and profiles.
Cyan Strings — bash block
You type
```bash echo "highlighted cyan text" ```
Discord renders
Any string inside quotes in a bash block renders in cyan.
ANSI Colors — full spectrum (advanced)
You type
```ansi [31mRed[0m [32mGreen[0m [33mYellow[0m [34mBlue[0m [35mPink[0m [36mCyan[0m [1mBold[0m [4mUnderline[0m ```
Discord renders
ANSI codes give the most control over color. The ESC character (shown as \u001b in the syntax) must be inserted — use the Message Editor's color toolbar button to do this automatically.
ANSI Color Code Reference
| Code | Effect | Preview |
|---|---|---|
| \u001b[30m | Dark Gray | Sample Text |
| \u001b[31m | Red | Sample Text |
| \u001b[32m | Green | Sample Text |
| \u001b[33m | Yellow | Sample Text |
| \u001b[34m | Blue | Sample Text |
| \u001b[35m | Pink / Magenta | Sample Text |
| \u001b[36m | Cyan | Sample Text |
| \u001b[37m | White | Sample Text |
| \u001b[1m | Bold | Sample Text |
| \u001b[4m | Underline | Sample Text |
| \u001b[0m | Reset / end color | Sample Text |
Colors are tricky to type manually
The Message Editor handles ANSI escape characters automatically — pick a color from the toolbar and it inserts the correct syntax for you.
Spoiler Tags
Spoiler tags hide content behind a click — the recipient sees a dark redacted box. They have to click to reveal it. Great for game plot points, punchlines, or anything you don't want to force on people.
Inline Spoiler
You type
||This is hidden until clicked||
Discord renders
Double pipe on each side. Hover the preview to see the text — in Discord, you click to toggle reveal.
Spoiler File Upload
You type
SPOILER_yourfile.png
Discord renders
Rename any file to begin with SPOILER_ before uploading. Discord will blur/hide it until clicked.
Block Quotes
Block quotes add a vertical accent bar on the left and visually indent the text. They're excellent for quoting someone, structuring rules posts, or making a specific section of a message stand out.
Single-line Quote
You type
> This is a quoted line
Discord renders
Greater-than symbol followed by a space. Only applies to that one line.
Multi-line Block Quote
You type
>>> Everything below this becomes part of the quote. No closing tag needed.
Discord renders
Triple >>> captures every line below it until the end of the message.
Lists
Discord renders both bullet and numbered lists. These are particularly powerful in pinned posts, rule channels, and any long structured message.
Bullet List
You type
- Item one - Item two - Item three
Discord renders
- Item one
- Item two
- Item three
Dash followed by a space. Also works with * as the bullet character.
Numbered List
You type
1. First step 2. Second step 3. Third step
Discord renders
- First step
- Second step
- Third step
Nested / Indented List
You type
- Main item - Sub-item A - Sub-item B - Another main item
Discord renders
- Main item
- Sub-item A
- Sub-item B
- Another main item
Indent sub-items with exactly 2 spaces before the dash.
Dynamic Timestamps
Discord timestamps automatically convert to every reader's local timezone and continue updating in real time. They're essential for scheduling events, posting countdowns, or sharing exact meeting times across a global server.
Relative Time (most used)
You type
<t:1735689600:R>
Discord renders
:R shows relative time — '2 hours ago', 'in 5 days', etc. It updates live as time passes.
Full Date + Time
You type
<t:1735689600:F>
Discord renders
Replace 1735689600 with your own Unix timestamp. Use our Timestamp Generator to get the right number.
All Timestamp Format Flags
| Syntax | Format | Example output |
|---|---|---|
| <t:…:t> | Short time | 9:00 AM |
| <t:…:T> | Long time | 9:00:00 AM |
| <t:…:d> | Short date | 01/01/2026 |
| <t:…:D> | Long date | January 1, 2026 |
| <t:…:f> | Short date/time | January 1, 2026 9:00 AM |
| <t:…:F> | Long date/time | Thursday, January 1, 2026 9:00 AM |
| <t:…:R> | Relative (live) | in 6 months |
Skip the Unix math
Our Timestamp Generator lets you pick any date and time from a calendar and outputs the exact <t:…:R> syntax — no calculation required.
Quick Reference
Every trick at a glance. Hover any row to reveal the copy button.
| Effect | Syntax | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | **text** | |
| Italic | *text* | |
| Bold Italic | ***text*** | |
| Underline | __text__ | |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | |
| Spoiler | ||text|| | |
| Inline code | `text` | |
| Code block | ```
text
``` | |
| Heading 1 | # text | |
| Heading 2 | ## text | |
| Heading 3 | ### text | |
| Small / subtext | -# text | |
| Block quote | > text | |
| Multi-line quote | >>> text | |
| Bullet list | - item | |
| Numbered list | 1. item | |
| Red text (diff) | ```diff
- text
``` | |
| Green text (diff) | ```diff
+ text
``` | |
| Blue keys (yaml) | ```yaml
Key: Value
``` | |
| Relative timestamp | <t:UNIX:R> | |
| Full timestamp | <t:UNIX:F> |
See every trick in action
The DiscordTextTools Message Editor lets you type and preview every format in this guide in real time — toolbar buttons, instant Discord-accurate preview, and one-click copy for your finished message.