Markdown Primer

Quick reference for writing Apptoto email messages in Markdown — headings, emphasis, links, lists, images, and how Markdown coexists with Liquid fields.

Email messages in Apptoto can be authored in Markdown, a lightweight syntax that gets rendered to HTML when the email is sent. Markdown is the default format for new email auto messages, booking-page emails, and review request emails.

You don’t need to know every detail of Markdown to use it — the toolbar above the message body inserts the syntax for you. This page is here when you want to type it directly or understand what the toolbar produced.

When to use Markdown vs HTML vs Plain Text

Each email message has a Format dropdown:

Format	When to use
Markdown (default)	You want a styled email but prefer to write in a clean, readable format. Best for almost every email.
HTML	You need full HTML control — custom layouts, complex tables, inline styles. Opens the rich-text (WYSIWYG) editor.
Plain Text	You explicitly want no formatting. Useful for transactional notices that should look like a typed email.

Switching formats converts the existing content where possible, so you can experiment without losing your work. Liquid fields like {{ event.day_and_time_phrase }} are preserved across all conversions.

Markdown is more reliable across email clients

Markdown emails tend to render consistently no matter where they land - Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, mobile apps, the lot. Custom HTML can look great in one email client and broken in the next; every program has its own quirks about which tags, styles, and layouts it honors. If your email looks fine in Markdown with a Theme applied, it’s almost always the safer choice.

Syntax cheat sheet

Headings

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

Use Heading 1 for the email’s main title (the toolbar’s H button defaults to this). Use Heading 2 and Heading 3 to break long emails into scannable sections.

Emphasis

**bold text**
_italic text_
**_bold and italic_**

Asterisks (**) and underscores (__) both work for bold; single * or _ work for italic. The toolbar’s B and I buttons toggle these on the current selection.

Links

[Apptoto](https://www.apptoto.com)

The toolbar’s link button prompts for a URL and wraps the selected text. To use a Liquid field as the link target, drop it right into the parentheses:

[Confirm your appointment]({{ participant.confirm_url }})

Lists

- First item
- Second item
- Third item

1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step

Indent two spaces to nest a list inside another list.

Images

The toolbar’s image button uploads a file and drops a placeholder at your cursor that looks like this:

{{ 'photo123' | image_tag: 'photo.png' }}

You don’t need to type that yourself. Apptoto automatically optimizes the image for each recipient when the email is sent. See Images (Emails Only) for sizing options.

If you’d rather link to an image hosted somewhere else, the standard Markdown image syntax also works:

![alt text](https://example.com/photo.png)

Horizontal rule

---

Three or more dashes on their own line draw a horizontal rule. Useful for separating an email’s body from a footer or signature.

Blockquote

> Thanks again for booking with us.
> We look forward to seeing you.

Blockquotes render as an indented section with a vertical bar on the left.

Combining Markdown with Liquid fields

Markdown and Liquid fields work together. Drop a field anywhere a Markdown element accepts text:

# Hi {{ participant.first_name }},

Your appointment with **{{ owner.name }}** is **{{ event.day_and_time_phrase }}**.

- Address: {{ event.location }}
- Duration: {{ event.duration }} minutes

[Confirm]({{ participant.confirm_url }}) or [Reschedule]({{ participant.reschedule_url }}) any time.

Filters, conditional blocks, and buttons all work inside Markdown messages too.

Quotes inside Liquid filters

If you paste content from a word processor, watch for “smart quotes” (curly quotes). Apptoto cleans these up automatically when you switch formats, but it’s safest to author in straight quotes so filters like {{ start_time | format: '%A %B %-d' }} continue to work as you type them.

Themes

When the format is Markdown, a Theme dropdown sits next to the toolbar. The theme wraps the rendered email in a styled HTML layout:

Theme	Look
None (as-is)	No wrapper styling — the email renders the way the recipient’s email program would normally show it. The default for new auto messages and one-time messages.
Clean (modern)	Sans-serif body with subtle headings and comfortable line spacing. A good general-purpose choice.
Professional (transactional)	A card-style layout on a light gray background, with the main heading underlined. Suited to receipts, payment confirmations, and other transactional notices.
Minimal (editorial)	Serif body with restrained typography. Reads like a personal note.

Switch the theme in the dropdown and use the Split view in the editor to see the result update live.

When to switch to HTML instead

Markdown is intentionally simple. If you need a multi-column layout, custom fonts or colors per element, or any other heavily designed email, switch the Format dropdown to HTML to open the rich-text editor. For most messages, picking a theme above will get you what you need without leaving Markdown.