# Markdown Extensions
VitePress comes with built in Markdown Extensions.
## Header Anchors
Headers automatically get anchor links applied. Rendering of anchors can be configured using the `markdown.anchor` option.
### Custom anchors
To specify a custom anchor tag for a heading instead of using the auto-generated one, add a suffix to the heading:
```
# Using custom anchors {#my-anchor}
```
This allows you to link to the heading as `#my-anchor` instead of the default `#using-custom-anchors` .
## Links
Both internal and external links gets special treatments.
### Internal Links
Internal links are converted to router link for SPA navigation. Also, every `index.md` contained in each sub-directory will automatically be converted to `index.html` , with corresponding URL `/` .
For example, given the following directory structure:
```
.
├─ index.md
├─ foo
│ ├─ index.md
│ ├─ one.md
│ └─ two.md
└─ bar
├─ index.md
├─ three.md
└─ four.md
```
And providing you are in `foo/one.md` :
```md
[Home ](/ ) <!-- sends the user to the root index.md -->
[foo ](/foo/ ) <!-- sends the user to index.html of directory foo -->
[foo heading ](./#heading ) <!-- anchors user to a heading in the foo index file -->
[bar - three ](../bar/three ) <!-- you can omit extension -->
[bar - three ](../bar/three.md ) <!-- you can append .md -->
[bar - four ](../bar/four.html ) <!-- or you can append .html -->
```
### Page Suffix
Pages and internal links get generated with the `.html` suffix by default.
### External Links
Outbound links automatically get `target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"` :
- [vuejs.org ](https://vuejs.org )
- [VitePress on GitHub ](https://github.com/vuejs/vitepress )
## Frontmatter
[YAML frontmatter ](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/front-matter/ ) is supported out of the box:
```yaml
---
title: Blogging Like a Hacker
lang: en-US
---
```
This data will be available to the rest of the page, along with all custom and theming components.
For more details, see [Frontmatter ](../reference/frontmatter-config ).
## GitHub-Style Tables
**Input**
```
| Tables | Are | Cool |
| ------------- | :-----------: | ----: |
| col 3 is | right-aligned | $1600 |
| col 2 is | centered | $12 |
| zebra stripes | are neat | $1 |
```
**Output**
| Tables | Are | Cool |
| ------------- | :-----------: | -----: |
| col 3 is | right-aligned | \$1600 |
| col 2 is | centered | \$12 |
| zebra stripes | are neat | \$1 |
## Emoji :tada:
**Input**
```
:tada: :100:
```
**Output**
:tada: :100:
A [list of all emojis ](https://github.com/markdown-it/markdown-it-emoji/blob/master/lib/data/full.json ) is available.
## Table of Contents
**Input**
```
[[toc]]
```
**Output**
[[toc]]
Rendering of the TOC can be configured using the `markdown.toc` option.
## Custom Containers
Custom containers can be defined by their types, titles, and contents.
### Default Title
**Input**
```md
::: info
This is an info box.
:::
::: tip
This is a tip.
:::
::: warning
This is a warning.
:::
::: danger
This is a dangerous warning.
:::
::: details
This is a details block.
:::
```
**Output**
::: info
This is an info box.
:::
::: tip
This is a tip.
:::
::: warning
This is a warning.
:::
::: danger
This is a dangerous warning.
:::
::: details
This is a details block.
:::
### Custom Title
You may set custom title by appending the text right after the "type" of the container.
**Input**
````md
::: danger STOP
Danger zone, do not proceed
:::
::: details Click me to view the code
```js
console.log('Hello, VitePress!')
```
:::
````
**Output**
::: danger STOP
Danger zone, do not proceed
:::
::: details Click me to view the code
```js
console.log('Hello, VitePress!')
```
:::
### `raw`
This is a special container that can be used to prevent style and router conflicts with VitePress. This is especially useful when you're documenting component libraries. You might also wanna check out [whyframe ](https://whyframe.dev/docs/integrations/vitepress ) for better isolation.
**Syntax**
```md
::: raw
Wraps in a < div class = "vp-raw" >
:::
```
`vp-raw` class can be directly used on elements too. Style isolation is currently opt-in:
::: details
- Install required deps with your preferred package manager:
```sh
$ npm install -D postcss postcss-prefix-selector
```
- Create a file named `docs/.postcssrc.cjs` and add this to it:
```js
module.exports = {
plugins: {
'postcss-prefix-selector': {
prefix: ':not(:where(.vp-raw *))',
includeFiles: [/vp-doc\.css/],
transform(prefix, _selector) {
const [selector, pseudo = ''] = _selector.split(/(:\S*)$/)
return selector + prefix + pseudo
}
}
}
}
```
:::
## Syntax Highlighting in Code Blocks
VitePress uses [Shiki ](https://shiki.matsu.io/ ) to highlight language syntax in Markdown code blocks, using coloured text. Shiki supports a wide variety of programming languages. All you need to do is append a valid language alias to the beginning backticks for the code block:
**Input**
````
```js
export default {
name: 'MyComponent',
// ...
}
```
````
````
```html
< ul >
< li v-for = "todo in todos" :key = "todo.id" >
{{ todo.text }}
< / li >
< / ul >
```
````
**Output**
```js
export default {
name: 'MyComponent'
// ...
}
```
```html
< ul >
< li v-for = "todo in todos" :key = "todo.id" >
{{ todo.text }}
< / li >
< / ul >
```
A [list of valid languages ](https://github.com/shikijs/shiki/blob/main/docs/languages.md ) is available on Shiki's repository.
You may also customize syntax highlight theme in app config. Please see [`markdown` options ](../reference/site-config#markdown ) for more details.
## Line Highlighting in Code Blocks
**Input**
````
```js{4}
export default {
data () {
return {
msg: 'Highlighted!'
}
}
}
```
````
**Output**
```js{4}
export default {
data () {
return {
msg: 'Highlighted!'
}
}
}
```
In addition to a single line, you can also specify multiple single lines, ranges, or both:
- Line ranges: for example `{5-8}` , `{3-10}` , `{10-17}`
- Multiple single lines: for example `{4,7,9}`
- Line ranges and single lines: for example `{4,7-13,16,23-27,40}`
**Input**
````
```js{1,4,6-8}
export default { // Highlighted
data () {
return {
msg: `Highlighted!
This line isn't highlighted,
but this and the next 2 are.`,
motd: 'VitePress is awesome',
lorem: 'ipsum'
}
}
}
```
````
**Output**
```js{1,4,6-8}
export default { // Highlighted
data () {
return {
msg: `Highlighted!
This line isn't highlighted,
but this and the next 2 are.`,
motd: 'VitePress is awesome',
lorem: 'ipsum',
}
}
}
```
Alternatively, it's possible to highlight directly in the line by using the `// [!code hl]` comment.
**Input**
````
```js
export default {
data () {
return {
msg: 'Highlighted!' // [!code hl]
}
}
}
```
````
**Output**
```js
export default {
data() {
return {
msg: 'Highlighted!' // [!code hl]
}
}
}
```
## Focus in Code Blocks
Adding the `// [!code focus]` comment on a line will focus it and blur the other parts of the code.
Additionally, you can define a number of lines to focus using `// [!code focus:<lines>]` .
**Input**
Note that only one space is required after `!code` , here are two to prevent processing.
````
```js
export default {
data () {
return {
msg: 'Focused!' // [!code focus]
}
}
}
```
````
**Output**
```js
export default {
data() {
return {
msg: 'Focused!' // [!code focus]
}
}
}
```
## Colored Diffs in Code Blocks
Adding the `// [!code --]` or `// [!code ++]` comments on a line will create a diff of that line, while keeping the colors of the codeblock.
**Input**
Note that only one space is required after `!code` , here are two to prevent processing.
````
```js
export default {
data () {
return {
msg: 'Removed' // [!code --]
msg: 'Added' // [!code ++]
}
}
}
```
````
**Output**
```js
export default {
data () {
return {
msg: 'Removed' // [!code --]
msg: 'Added' // [!code ++]
}
}
}
```
## Errors and Warnings in Code Blocks
Adding the `// [!code warning]` or `// [!code error]` comments on a line will color it accordingly.
**Input**
Note that only one space is required after `!code` , here are two to prevent processing.
````
```js
export default {
data () {
return {
msg: 'Error', // [!code error]
msg: 'Warning' // [!code warning]
}
}
}
```
````
**Output**
```js
export default {
data() {
return {
msg: 'Error', // [!code error]
msg: 'Warning' // [!code warning]
}
}
}
```
## Line Numbers
You can enable line numbers for each code blocks via config:
```js
export default {
markdown: {
lineNumbers: true
}
}
```
Please see [`markdown` options ](../reference/site-config#markdown ) for more details.
You can add `:line-numbers` / `:no-line-numbers` mark in your fenced code blocks to override the value set in config.
**Input**
````md
```ts {1}
// line-numbers is disabled by default
const line2 = 'This is line 2'
const line3 = 'This is line 3'
```
```ts:line-numbers {1}
// line-numbers is enabled
const line2 = 'This is line 2'
const line3 = 'This is line 3'
```
````
**Output**
```ts {1}
// line-numbers is disabled by default
const line2 = 'This is line 2'
const line3 = 'This is line 3'
```
```ts:line-numbers {1}
// line-numbers is enabled
const line2 = 'This is line 2'
const line3 = 'This is line 3'
```
## Import Code Snippets
You can import code snippets from existing files via following syntax:
```md
<<< @/filepath
```
It also supports [line highlighting ](#line-highlighting-in-code-blocks ):
```md
<<< @/filepath {highlightLines}
```
**Input**
```md
<< < @/snippets/snippet .js { 2 }
```
**Code file**
<< < @/snippets/snippet .js
**Output**
<< < @/snippets/snippet .js { 2 }
::: tip
The value of `@` corresponds to the source root. By default it's the VitePress project root, unless `srcDir` is configured.
:::
You can also use a [VS Code region ](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/codebasics#_folding ) to only include the corresponding part of the code file. You can provide a custom region name after a `#` following the filepath:
**Input**
```md
<< < @/snippets/snippet -with-region.js # snippet { 1 }
```
**Code file**
<< < @/snippets/snippet -with-region.js
**Output**
<< < @/snippets/snippet -with-region.js # snippet { 1 }
You can also specify the language inside the braces (`{}`) like this:
```md
<< < @/snippets/snippet .cs { c #}
<!-- with line highlighting: -->
<< < @/snippets/snippet .cs { 1 , 2 , 4-6 c #}
<!-- with line numbers: -->
<< < @/snippets/snippet .cs { 1 , 2 , 4-6 c # :line-numbers }
```
This is helpful if source language cannot be inferred from your file extension.
## Code Groups
You can group multiple code blocks like this:
**Input**
````md
::: code-group
```js [config.js]
/**
* @type {import('vitepress').UserConfig}
*/
const config = {
// ...
}
export default config
```
```ts [config.ts]
import type { UserConfig } from 'vitepress'
const config: UserConfig = {
// ...
}
export default config
```
:::
````
**Output**
::: code-group
```js [config.js]
/**
* @type {import('vitepress').UserConfig}
*/
const config = {
// ...
}
export default config
```
```ts [config.ts]
import type { UserConfig } from 'vitepress'
const config: UserConfig = {
// ...
}
export default config
```
:::
You can also [import snippets ](#import-code-snippets ) in code groups:
**Input**
```md
::: code-group
<!-- filename is used as title by default -->
<< < @/snippets/snippet .js
<!-- you can provide a custom one too -->
<< < @/snippets/snippet -with-region.js # snippet { 1 , 2 ts:line-numbers } [ snippet with region ]
:::
```
**Output**
::: code-group
<< < @/snippets/snippet .js
<< < @/snippets/snippet -with-region.js # snippet { 1 , 2 ts:line-numbers } [ snippet with region ]
:::
## Markdown File Inclusion
You can include a markdown file in another markdown file.
::: tip
You can also prefix the markdown path with `@` , it will act as the source root. By default it's the VitePress project root, unless `srcDir` is configured.
:::
For example, you can include a relative markdown file using this:
**Input**
```md
# Docs
## Basics
<!-- @include: ./parts/basics.md -->
```
**Part file** (`parts/basics.md`)
```md
Some getting started stuff.
### Configuration
Can be created using `.foorc.json` .
```
**Equivalent code**
```md
# Docs
## Basics
Some getting started stuff.
### Configuration
Can be created using `.foorc.json` .
```
::: warning
Note that this does not throw errors if your file is not present. Hence, when using this feature make sure that the contents are being rendered as expected.
:::
## Advanced Configuration
VitePress uses [markdown-it ](https://github.com/markdown-it/markdown-it ) as the Markdown renderer. A lot of the extensions above are implemented via custom plugins. You can further customize the `markdown-it` instance using the `markdown` option in `.vitepress/config.js` :
```js
const anchor = require('markdown-it-anchor')
module.exports = {
markdown: {
// options for markdown-it-anchor
// https://github.com/valeriangalliat/markdown-it-anchor#usage
anchor: {
permalink: anchor.permalink.headerLink()
},
// options for @mdit -vue/plugin-toc
// https://github.com/mdit-vue/mdit-vue/tree/main/packages/plugin-toc#options
toc: { level: [1, 2] },
config: (md) => {
// use more markdown-it plugins!
md.use(require('markdown-it-xxx'))
}
}
}
```
See full list of configurable properties in [Config Reference: App Config ](../reference/site-config#markdown ).
