Markdown Footnotes
Last updated: 2026-10-14
Footnotes Common extension
A Markdown extension. Mark text with [^1], define the note anywhere as [^1]: content; rendering auto-numbers, links down and back up. The professional way to cite and annotate.
| Group | GFM Extensions |
|---|---|
| Spec level | Common extension |
| Spec version | CommonMark 0.31.2 + GFM |
📝 Syntax
text[^1]
[^1]: footnote content▶ Live Example
Edit Markdown on the left, see the result on the right
💡 Key points
⚠️ Warning Footnotes are an extension: markdown-it needs markdown-it-footnote; GitHub supports them natively.
💡 Tip Prefer semantic labels ([^note]) over numbers — no renumbering on insert.
❓ FAQ
Q Is the numbering automatic?
A Yes — numbered by order of appearance; labels are internal only.
Q Must definitions live at the end?
A No — definitions anywhere get rendered together at the end.
Q Can footnotes hold multiple paragraphs?
A Yes — indent continuation paragraphs by 4 spaces (GitHub supports it).
📚 See also
LinksCommonMark core ParagraphsCommonMark core