# Using Markdown in node help text

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-markdown-in-node-help-text/87105>\
**Category:** Developing Nodes\
**Created:** [9 April 2024 16:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-markdown-in-node-help-text/87105 "2024-04-09T16:23:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [9 April 2024 16:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-markdown-in-node-help-text/87105/1 "2024-04-09T16:23:25Z")

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In the [Creating Nodes Help Style Guide](https://nodered.org/docs/creating-nodes/help-style-guide) documentation it gives the following Markdown example

```auto
### Inputs

: payload (string | buffer) : the payload of the message to publish.
: *topic* (string) : the MQTT topic to publish to.

```

Which appears in the help text as

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/e/3/e3d7bb8ec1ecaa445b24ff435ba0596bb342e589.png)

This does work as described, but I can't find this format in the Markdown spec, or in the github extensions (though I may just have missed it there). It doesn't work in Obsidian, for example.

What am I missing?

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [9 April 2024 17:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-markdown-in-node-help-text/87105/2 "2024-04-09T17:07:56Z")

</div>

> [@Colin](#):
>
> This does work as described, but I can't find this format in the Markdown spec, or in the github extensions (though I may just have missed it there). It doesn't work in Obsidian, for example.
> 
> What am I missing?

This is a very unique format specific to Node-RED documentation so you would never find it in a public spec.

We use a custom formatter of a very specific nature to simplify the documentation and provide a means of generating HTML in the same vein as the `html` node-red doc spec.

It simply wouldn't be possible in generic markdown otherwise.

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [9 April 2024 17:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-markdown-in-node-help-text/87105/3 "2024-04-09T17:08:47Z")

</div>

It looks like a Definition List extension of some kind. I can't remember what Markdown library Node-RED uses, is it Markdown-IT? If so, have a look for a plugin.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [9 April 2024 17:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-markdown-in-node-help-text/87105/4 "2024-04-09T17:17:09Z")

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> [@TotallyInformation](#):
>
> I can't remember what Markdown library Node-RED uses, is it Markdown-IT?

No, `marked`

> [@TotallyInformation](#):
>
> It looks like a Definition List extension of some kind.

for anyone interested, here is the PR: [Render node documentation to node-red style guide when written in markdown. by Steve-Mcl · Pull Request #3169 · node-red/node-red · GitHub](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/pull/3169)

The salient details are:

- 2 custom renderers
  - `descriptionList`
  - `description`

- The custom renders are `use`d by `marked` via the line:
  - `window._marked.use({extensions: [descriptionList, description] } );`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [8 June 2024 17:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-markdown-in-node-help-text/87105/5 "2024-06-08T17:17:14Z")

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