Discord Text Formatting: The Complete Guide
Discord gives you two ways to style text: its built-in markdown formatting inside messages, and fancy Unicode fonts you can paste anywhere — including your name. Here is how to use both.
1. Native markdown formatting (inside messages)
Discord uses simple markdown symbols around your text. Type these directly in the chat box:
| You type | You get |
|---|---|
**bold** | bold |
*italic* | italic |
***bold italic*** | bold italic |
__underline__ | underline |
~~strikethrough~~ | |
`inline code` | inline code |
||spoiler|| | hidden spoiler text |
> quote | a blockquote line |
You can combine them — for example __**underlined bold**__. For
a multi-line code block, wrap your text in triple backticks.
2. Fancy Unicode fonts (work in names too)
Markdown only works inside messages, not in your username or server nickname. To style your name, you paste Unicode fonts instead. These are look-alike characters that count as plain text, so they show up styled for everyone.
- Open the Discord fonts generator and type your text.
- Tap Copy on a style — try bold, gothic or double-struck.
- Paste it into a message, your server nickname (right-click the server → Edit Server Profile), or your global display name.
Decorate names and channels with symbols
Many servers use symbols to make channels and roles look tidy. Grab dividers from line & border symbols, or accents from stars and arrows. A username built from fancy text plus a symbol or two is easy to make with the username generator.
Things to watch out for
- Very decorative fonts can be hard to read in fast-moving chats — use them sparingly.
- Some servers restrict special characters in nicknames; if yours is rejected, pick a simpler style.
- Screen readers struggle with heavy Unicode styling, so keep important info in plain text too.