# Pasting Markdown

When you paste Markdown as plain text, Workover converts it to formatted text: `## Heading` becomes a heading, `**bold**` becomes bold, and lists become lists. This saves reformatting a draft from an AI assistant, a README or a notes app by hand.

**Before you start:** you need the editor or owner role on the document.

## Paste Markdown

> **Warning:** Any line that starts with `#`counts as a Markdown heading. A shell or Python snippet with `# comment` lines is converted into headings, even if you paste it inside a code block. Paste code by right-clicking and choosing **Paste without formatting**, or undo the conversion with `⌘Z`.

1. Copy the Markdown as plain text, for example from a text editor or an AI assistant’s reply.
2. Click where you want it in the document and press `⌘V`.

If the conversion is not what you wanted, press `⌘Z` once to undo it.

## What converts

- Headings, `#` to `######`. Heading 5 and Heading 6 display at body text size.
- **Bold**, *italic*, `inline code` and strikethrough
- Bulleted, numbered and nested lists
- Links
- Blockquotes
- Fenced code blocks, including the language
- Tables
- Horizontal rules

## When Workover does not convert

Workover converts only text that clearly looks like Markdown. A sentence with a single asterisk or underscore is pasted as it is.

If you copy from a source that also puts formatted text on the clipboard, such as Google Docs, Word or a web page, Workover pastes that formatted version instead. The structure survives, and the source’s fonts and colors are dropped.

## Force or skip the conversion

Right-click in the document to choose how a paste is handled:

- **Paste from Markdown** converts the clipboard even when Workover did not detect it as Markdown.
- **Paste without formatting** inserts the characters as they are, with no Markdown conversion. Use it when you want the Markdown symbols themselves, for example when documenting Markdown. Text that contains HTML tags, such as `<div>`, is still read as HTML.

## Getting Markdown out

To copy or download a document as Markdown, see [Exporting a document](/docs/exporting-documents/).

## Related

- [Editor basics](/docs/editor-basics/)
- [Keyboard shortcuts and slash commands](/docs/keyboard-shortcuts-and-slash-commands/)
- [How to insert a code block](/docs/how-to-insert-code-blocks/)
- [Exporting a document](/docs/exporting-documents/)