# Markdown

> A simple way to format plain text with a few symbols, like ** for bold and # for a heading, that both people and AI read easily.

**Category:** Under the hood

**Markdown is lightweight formatting for plain text.** A few symbols do the work: `#` makes a heading, `**text**` makes bold, and a dash starts a list. It stays readable as raw text and turns into clean formatting when displayed.

It matters for AI work because **plain Markdown is light and clear**: it carries structure with almost no clutter, so it is the friendly format for prompts, instructions, and reference files you reuse.

## At work

Keep a reusable brief as a small Markdown file: a heading for each section, bullets for the details. It is tiny, easy to edit, and Claude reads the structure cleanly.

## Often confused with

A Word document. Word carries heavy hidden styling; Markdown is plain text with light symbols, so it stays small and easy to reuse.

## Related terms

- Context
- Token
- Prompt

## See it in a lesson

[Giving Claude context](/en/learn/getting-started-with-claude/giving-claude-context)

## Further reading

- [Markdown (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown): What Markdown is and where it came from.
- [Getting started (Markdown Guide)](https://www.markdownguide.org/getting-started/): A friendly, practical introduction.
- [CommonMark](https://commonmark.org/): A widely used, precise Markdown standard.

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Last updated: 24/07/2026  
Source: Rollo Academy glossary