WhatsApp Text Formatting – Why Markup Languages Matter in 2025

Ever wanted to make your WhatsApp messages clearer and more structured? WhatsApp supports simple formatting tricks that allow you to highlight important information, create lists, and even add inline code snippets.

Here’s a quick summary of WhatsApp’s built-in text styling:

Basic Formatting

Plus, you can combine markups (*_~combine~_*). Monospace will, however, remove other formats and only show the source code (i.e. the asterisk instead of the rendered bold text). These formatting options make messages easier to read and more structured.

Why Do Markup Languages Matter?

Even though most platforms offer visual editors (like Google Docs), markup languages are relevant because they are:

✔️ Fast & Efficient: No need for extra buttons — just type and format as you go.
✔️ Universal: Works across messaging apps, blogs, and coding environments.
✔️ Stable: Unlike WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, markup languages prevent formatting issues. Content and design are clearly separated from each other.

Many modern platforms rely on markup for structured content, including:

• GitHub & GitLab (for documentation)

• Discord & Slack (for chat formatting)

• Static site generators (like Jekyll and Hugo)

• Productivity apps like Things (for formatted to-do lists)

WhatsApp’s text formatting is powered by Markdown, a simple markup language that allows users to format text without using complex editing tools. WhatsApp’s simple formatting is just a small example of what Markdown can do.

A Quick Guide to Markdown

Markdown is a lightweight markup language used in blogs, documentation, and note-taking apps like Ulysses and Obsidian.

Basic Markdown Elements

While the syntax slightly differs to Whatsapp, Markdown as well as other markup languages follow similar language principles. You write text in **bold**, *italics*, `monospace`, and more. Here are some more syntax elements:

Headings:

# Heading 1 
## Heading 2 
### Heading 3

Links:

[Text](https://example.com)

While Markdown is great for basic formatting, it has limitations:
❌ No advanced tables or complex layouts
❌ Limited styling options
❌ Not ideal for technical documentation

AsciiDoc is Markdown "on Steroids"

But what if you need something more powerful? Especially when working on longer, more complex documents, AsciiDoc is your next best step. It’s a lightweight markup language like Markdown, but offers powerful features e.g. for technical documentation:

• Advanced Structuring: Create large documents with sections, subsections, footnotes, and more. No hacks needed.

• Reusable Content: Define variables (called “attributes”) once and reuse them throughout your files for quick global updates.

• Modular Editing: Dynamically include content from other files, so you don’t have to copy-paste repeated sections.

• Built-In Diagrams and Tables: Effortlessly include PlantUML, Mermaid, and other diagrams, plus create clean, structured tables without wrestling with formatting.

• Multi-Format Publishing: Export your single AsciiDoc file to PDF, HTML, eBook, or even enterprise-grade DocBook.

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AsciiDoc is still simple enough for everyday writing but powerful enough for professional, long-form projects—making it a top choice if you’re ready to move beyond Markdown’s basics.

Different platforms use distinct markdown syntax, which can lead to formatting inconsistencies. As we've seen above, WhatsApp uses a single asterisk for bold text, while standard Markdown syntax differs. Over time, various markdown dialects have emerged, introducing compatibility issues—documents may not render as expected simply because users have different markdown settings enabled.

To address this, AsciiDoc aims to establish a standardized syntax. The Eclipse Foundation is currently leading an initiative to formalize this standard, ensuring greater consistency across platforms.

🔗 Check out our full AsciiDoc guide here!

Conclusion: When Should You Use Which Language?

If Markdown is great for everyday users, then AsciiDoc is a must-have tool for professionals who need structured, reusable, and scalable documentation. Here's a comparison of where both languages excel: