# Markdown that will not render

> Why math, callouts, or HTML in a note show up as plain text, and what to use instead.

Source: https://notate.md/docs/troubleshooting/markdown-not-rendering/

Category: Troubleshooting

Updated: 2026-09-17

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If part of a note shows the raw characters you typed instead of the formatting you expected, it is almost always one of two things: a construct Notate does not render, or a small syntax detail. Nothing is ever lost either way, because the note is a plain text file, so you can fix it and carry on.

## Constructs Notate does not render

Markdown has no single standard, and every editor draws its own line. These are the ones Notate leaves as plain text.

| You wrote | What happens | What to do instead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `$E = mc^2$` or `$$…$$` | Math stays literal, dollar signs and all | Write the expression in words, or keep it in a code block so it at least reads as notation |
| `> [!NOTE]` | Renders as an ordinary quote with `[!NOTE]` visible | Use a quote with a bold lead-in, such as `> **Note.** …` |
| `<div>`, `<kbd>`, any HTML tag | The tags show as text | Use markdown for the formatting you want |
| `[[Note title\|other label]]` | The link does not resolve | Wiki-links have no alias syntax. Use `[other label](link)` when the text has to differ |
| `==**bold** inside a highlight==` | The asterisks stay visible | Highlights do not combine with other inline marks. Put the highlight inside the bold instead |

## Syntax details that catch people out

**A divider turned into a heading.** Three dashes directly underneath a line of text make that line a heading, not a horizontal rule. Leave a blank line above the dashes and you get the divider you wanted.

**A line break did nothing.** Pressing Enter once does not break a line; markdown joins it to the line above. End the line with two spaces or a backslash, or leave a blank line to start a new paragraph.

**A tag did not register.** A tag needs at least one character that is not a digit, so `#1` stays a number, and the hash has to start the line or follow a space. Tags inside code spans and fenced blocks are skipped on purpose.

**Frontmatter is not missing.** The YAML block at the top of a note is metadata rather than content, so it never appears in the rendered note. Use the `</>` button in the row above the text to see it.

## Checking the syntax

The [markdown guide](https://notate.md/markdown-guide/) renders every construct Notate supports next to the source that produced it, including [what Notate does not render](https://notate.md/markdown-guide/#unsupported). If something is not behaving, comparing against the matching row there is the quickest way to see whether the syntax or the support is the problem.