Markdown in Confluence Cloud: what works, what doesn't

Q: How do I paste Markdown as plain text?

In our test, a small menu appeared after pasting, with Paste as: Markdown or Plain text. Plain text puts the Markdown back on the page as typed, with the # and * characters.

The short answer

Typing Markdown works for the basics. ## makes a heading, **bold** makes bold, [] makes a task.
Pasting Markdown converts most of it: headings, lists, task lists, tables, quotes, links and code blocks.
Some things stay text: Mermaid diagrams, HTML, math and footnotes.
The Markdown is not kept. After the paste, the page is ordinary Confluence content. You edit it as rich text, not as Markdown.

What happens when you paste Markdown

We pasted one Markdown document with every common element into a new page in Confluence Cloud on 1 November 2026, from a clipboard that held plain Markdown text (as when you copy from a .md file or a code editor). This is what each element became:

You paste	Confluence shows
`# Heading`, `## Heading`	Headings
`bold`, `italic`, `~~strike~~`	Bold, italic, strikethrough
`code` and `[text](url)`	Inline code and a link
`- item`, nested items, `1. item`	Bullet and numbered lists, nesting kept
`- [ ] task`, `- [x] done`	Confluence tasks, open and done
`> quote`	A quote
A table with `\|` and `---`	A table with a header row; column alignment (`:--`, `--:`) is not kept
```python code block	A code block with Python colours
```mermaid code block	A plain code block with the Mermaid code; no diagram
`---`	A divider
`![alt](https://…)`	An image block; in our test it showed "Preview unavailable"
HTML such as `<div>` or `<b>`	Plain text, tags and all
Footnotes (`[^1]`) and math (`$$…$$`)	Plain text, as typed

Right after the paste, a small menu appeared next to the pasted text. Under Paste as it offered Markdown (what you see above) and Plain text. Plain text puts everything on the page as typed, with the # and * characters.

One trap: if the whole text is wrapped in a fence, such as ```markdown at the top and ``` at the bottom, Confluence makes one big code block of it. Remove those two lines first.

Markdown shortcuts while you type

Atlassian lists the Markdown you can type in the editor on its page Keyboard shortcuts and autocomplete. The main ones:

# to ###### and a space: heading 1 to 6
**bold**, *italic*, ~~strikethrough~~, `code`
* and a space: bullet list; 1. and a space: numbered list
> and a space: quote; --- and a space: divider
Three backticks: code block
[text](https://…): link
[] and a space: task (Atlassian calls it an action item); <> and a space: decision

What we noticed when we typed them:

A task is [] , not - [ ] . Typing - [ ] gives a bullet with the characters [ ] in it. (Pasted, - [ ] does become a task.)
A table cannot be typed. | a | b | stays text. Insert a table with /table or the toolbar.
The language after the backticks is not read. When we typed ```mermaid, the code block started at the backticks and the word mermaid ended up as the first line inside it. Pick the language from the code block's own menu instead.

What Confluence Cloud does not do with Markdown

It does not keep the Markdown. A pasted heading is saved as a Confluence heading. We checked the page in Confluence's own storage format: no Markdown left. You cannot open the page later and see or edit the Markdown.
Editing later is rich text. The shortcuts above still work for new text, but there is no Markdown view of the page.
Mermaid becomes a code block, not a diagram. See How to add Mermaid diagrams to Confluence Cloud for ways to get the diagram.
HTML is not rendered. It shows up as text with the tags.
Math and footnotes are not converted. $$E = mc^2$$ stays as typed. For formulas, see How to write LaTeX math in Confluence Cloud.
Table column alignment is dropped. All columns come in left-aligned.

Three ways to work with Markdown in Confluence

1. Paste and let Confluence convert it

Nothing to install. Good for a one-off: a README you want to share once, meeting notes from a Markdown editor, an answer from an AI chat. After the paste, the page is normal Confluence content that anyone can edit. The cost: the Markdown is gone, so if the original file changes, you paste again.

2. Import Markdown files with a tool

If your Markdown lives in files (docs in a Git repository, for example), there are import apps on the Atlassian Marketplace, and open source scripts that convert Markdown and publish it through the Confluence REST API. These suit teams who keep editing the files outside Confluence and want Confluence to show a copy. Check what each tool does with the elements in the table above, especially code, tasks and diagrams.

3. A Markdown macro that keeps the source

Several Marketplace apps add a Markdown macro: you write or paste Markdown in the macro, it shows the result on the page, and the Markdown stays in the macro so the next person can edit it as Markdown. Points worth comparing: whether you see a preview while you type, which Markdown it supports (tables, task lists, Mermaid), and whether your text is rendered in the browser or sent to a server outside Atlassian.

How to choose

Your situation	Best fit
A one-off paste; people will edit it as a normal page afterwards	Paste and convert
The Markdown lives in a repository and is edited there	An import tool
People should keep editing the Markdown on the page, or you need Mermaid diagrams drawn	A Markdown macro app

FAQ

Does Confluence Cloud support Markdown?

Partly. The editor understands Markdown shortcuts while you type, and it converts Markdown you paste into normal Confluence formatting. It does not keep the Markdown itself: after that, the page is edited as rich text.

Can I edit a Confluence page in Markdown?

Not with the built-in editor. Pasted Markdown is turned into Confluence formatting and saved that way. To keep Markdown as the source you can edit, use a Markdown macro app, or keep the files elsewhere and publish them with an import tool.

Why does my pasted Markdown end up in one code block?

The text probably starts with a fence such as ```markdown and ends with ```. Confluence then treats everything as one code block. Copy only the lines between the fences, or remove the first and last line before you paste.

How do I paste Markdown as plain text?

In our test, a small menu appeared after pasting, with Paste as: Markdown or Plain text. Plain text puts the Markdown back on the page as typed, with the # and * characters.

Does Confluence draw Mermaid diagrams from Markdown?

No. A ```mermaid block becomes an ordinary code block with the Mermaid code as text. To see the diagram you need an image or an app: see Mermaid diagrams in Confluence Cloud.

Questions

Spotted something wrong on this page, or did Confluence behave differently for you? Email support@dortus.com.

Disclosure: Dortus makes Markdown Live Editor for Confluence, a macro of the third kind above: Markdown on the left, the formatted result on the right as you type, with tables, task lists, code in colour and Mermaid diagrams. It is not on the Atlassian Marketplace yet. About Markdown Live Editor for Confluence.

Markdown in Confluence Cloud: what works and what doesn't (2026)