With the [i] tag it is shown how you can italize text.
To find out more about the bbcode tags used on this page, please go to the bbcode tags reference page.
Making text [i]italic[/i] italic is kind of easy
Making text italic italic is kind of easy
Remember that bbcode tags are implemented to varying degrees and that with many variations. None of this represents strict standards.
Using the [b] tag this page shows you can make text stand out (bold, strong).
To find out more about the BBCode tags used on this page, please go to the bbcode tags reference page.
I would like to [b]emphasize[/b] this
I would like to emphasize this
Remember that bbcode tags are implemented to varying degrees and that with many variations. None of this represents strict standards.
BitcoinTalk is the oldest forum about cryptocurrencies on the Internet. It was launched in 2009 by Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto.
It is very simple to use BBCode on BitcoinTalk, just type the acronym of the code in square brackets, like an HTML tag.
Basically, to start the desired formatting you must type the acronym in square brackets, and to end the formatting, type “/” (slash) + formatting acronym. Example: [b]text in bold[/b].
To add color to the formatting, type the formatting abbreviation + “=” (equal sign) + color of your choice. Example: [glow=yellow]highlighted text in yellow[/glow].
For inserting symbols or lines, you do not need to type the closing bracket. Example: [btc]placing bitcoin symbol
WARNING: Do not put space between the brackets and the text to be formatted, otherwise the formatting will not be applied.
See available formatting below:
Syntax: [b]bold text[/b]
Result: bold text
Syntax: [i]italic text[/i]
Result: italic text
Syntax: [u]underlined text[/u]
Result: underlined text
Syntax: [s]strikethrough text[/s]
Result: strikethrough text
Syntax: [glow=green,2,300]green highlighted text[/glow]
Result: green highlighted text
The three attributes (red, 2, 300) in the “glow” tag are color, intensity, and width, respectively.
Syntax: [size=14pt]changing text size to 14[/size]
Result: changing text size to 14
Syntax: [font=Comic Sans]changing text font to Comic Sans[/font]
Result:
changing text font to Comic Sans
Syntax: [color=red]changing text color to red[/color] or [color=#FF0000]changing text color to red[/color]
Result: changing text color to red
Syntax: [right]right-aligned text[/right]
Result:
right-aligned text
Syntax: [right]left-aligned text[/right]
Result: left-aligned text
Syntax: [center]center-aligned text[/center]
Result:
center-aligned text
Syntax: superscript[sup]text[/sup]
Result: superscripttext
Syntax: subscript[sub]text[/sub]
Result: subscripttext
Syntax: [quote]quote[/quote]
Result:
quote
Syntax: [quote author=unknown author link=topic 1500.msg1501234#msg1501234 date=1389485086]Quote text[/quote]
Syntax: [url]https://www.bbcode.org[/url]
Result: https://www.bbcode.org
Syntax: [url=https://www.bbcode.org]BBCode[/url]
Result: BBCode
Syntax: [url]email@bbcode.org[/email]
Result: email@bbcode.org
Syntax: [ftp=ftp://]ftp://ftp.bbcode.org/file[/ftp]
Syntax: [ftp=ftp://ftp.bbcode.org/file]ftp[/ftp]
Syntax: [code]inserting code[/code]
Syntax: [url=https://www.bbcode.org]BBCode[/url]
Result: BBCode
Syntax:
[list]
[li]item one[/li]
[li]item two[/li]
[/list]
Syntax:
[list type=square]
[li]item one[/li]
[li]item two[/li]
[/list]
*You can also use type=circle, none, decimal, lower-roman, upper-roman, katakana, hiragana, armeniam, upper-latin, lower-latin bullets.
To insert an image from your computer, upload it at https://imgur.com and then copy the address of the image to paste into your code. If you want to insert an image that is already online, just type its address into the code.
Syntax: [img]https://i.imgur.com/bitcoin.png[/img]
Result:
Syntax: [img width=72 height=72]https://i.imgur.com/bitcoin.png[/img]
Copy the YouTube video address and paste it into your code.
Syntax: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=youtubevideo-id][img]https://img.youtube.com/vi/youtube-video-id/0.jpg[/img][/url]
Syntax: [hr]
Result:
Syntax: [btc]
Syntax:
[table]
[tr]
[td]Name[/td]
[td]Country[/td]
[td]Age[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Paul[/td]
[td]UK[/td]
[td]48[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Louisa[/td]
[td]Germany[/td]
[td]24[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
Result:
| Name | Country | Age |
| Paul | UK | 48 |
| Louisa | Germany | 24 |
Syntax:
Smiley 🙂
Wink 😉
Cheesy 😀
Grin ;D
Angry >:(
Sad 🙁
Shocked 😮
Cool 8)
Huh ????
Roll eyes ::)
Tongue 😛
Embarrassed :-[
Lips Sealed :-X
Undecided :-\
Kiss :-*
Cry :'(
This article is a tutorial on how to use BBCode in forums and websites. We will start with the most basic formatting and then move on to more complex tags. In some cases we will give tips on good usage practices.
Similar to HTML, BBCode tags work with opening and closing, something like: [tag]text[/tag].
The infographic below shows some quick tips. We will go into more detail shortly thereafter:
We have tried to create as comprehensive a list of commands as possible below, and will update this over time.
It is important to note that not all formatting will work for all forums, as this will depend on the customization of each administrator.
BBCode syntax uses tags. These tags are directly associated with the desired formatting. For example, the [b] tag is used for bold formatting.
Sometimes you will see a single letter, sometimes you will see words, but the code will always be intuitive. The examples below will make this clearer.
Tag: [b]
Example: The word [b]guide[/b] is in bold.
Result: The word guide is in bold.
Best Practice Tip: Avoid marking long sentences in bold, as this loses the highlighting effect.
Tag: [i]
Example: The word [i]guide[/i] is in italics.
Result: The word guide is in italics.
Tag: [u]
Example: The word [u]guide[/u] is underlined.
Result: The word guide is underlined.
Tag: [s]
Example: The word [s]guide[/s] is crossed out.
Result: The word guide is crossed out.
Tag: [sup]
Example: The equation x[sup]2[/sup] is a parabola.
Result: The equation x2 is a parabola.
Tag: [sub]
Example: The formula of water is H[sub]2[/sub]O.
Result: The formula of water is H2O.
Tag: [size]
Example 1 (without defining the size): The word [size=large]large[/size] is bigger than the others.
Result 1: The word large is bigger than the others.
Example 2 (without setting the size): The word [size=small]small[/small] is smaller than the others.
Result 2: The word small is smaller than the others.
Example 3 (setting the size in %): The word [size=80]small[/size] is 80% of the others.
Result 3: The word small is 80% of the size of all the other words.
Best Practice Tip: Avoid putting too many words in large font as this is spam. If you want to attract attention, do it discreetly through the quality of the content.
Tag: [color]
Example 1 (by entering the color name): The word [color=blue]guide[/color] is colored blue.
Result 1: The word guide is colored blue.
Example 2 (entering the color in hexadecimal): The word [color= #0000ff]guide[/color] is colored blue.
Result 2: The word guide is colored blue.
Tag: [blur]
It is possible to blur text with a specific color.
Example: The word [blur=”red”]guide[/blur] is blurred in red.
Result: The word guide is blurred with the color red.
To group formatting, you can simply use linked tags. The order is of little importance, but the same opening order must be followed when closing.
Correct example: The word [size=170][color=blue][b]guide[/b][/color][/size] is large, blue and bold.
Correct result: The word guide is large, blue and bold.
Incorrect example: The word [size=170][color=blue][b]guide[/color][/size][/blue] is large, blue and bold.
Best Practice Tip: Avoid creating formatting that could be mistaken for web standards. For example, links usually get the formatting blue color + underline. So don’t add these attributes to words that are not hyperlinks.
Tag: [url]
To make a URL clickable, wrap the URL with the tag:
Example: The site [url]https://www.bbcode.org[/url] is clickable.
Result: The site https://www.bbcode.org is clickable.
To create an anchor text, enter the anchor and the target URL:
Example: The word [url=https://www.bbcode.org]BBCode[/url] is clickable.
Result: The word BBCode is clickable.
Some forums such as phpBB also include the Magic Links feature which automatically recognize a URL without the need for any tags.
Example: The bbcode.org site is up-to-date.
Result: bbcode.org is up-to-date.
For all link formats the user will either be taken to a new tab, or stay in the same tab depending on the browser settings.
Best practice tip: do not insert links to your blog in every post as a signature, as this may be considered spam.
Tag: [email]
There are two options for email linking using BBCode, similarly to URL linking.
Example 1 (clickable email): The address [email]dev@bbcode.org[/email] is clickable.
Result 1: The address dev@bbcode.org is clickable.
Example 2 (anchor text): The address [email=dev@bbcode.org]dev[/email] is clickable.
Result 2: The address dev is clickable.
Best practice tip: Avoid posting important emails in public forums to prevent robots from finding and adding your address to email marketing and spam lists.
Tag: [img]
To place an embedded image at a certain location in the post, wrap the image URL in the same way you would use the [url] tag.
Example: [img]https://www.bbcode.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/bbcode_example.jpg[/img]
Result:
You can also specify the dimensions (in pixels) of the image.
Example: [img=150×150]https://www.bbcode.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/bbcode_example.jpg[/img]
Result:
Or you can also enter only the width, so that the height is automatically calculated respecting the original proportions of the image.
Example: [img=90]https://www.bbcode.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/bbcode_example.jpg[/img]
Result:
Best practice tip: posts with many images usually get polluted, so evaluate well the need of each image before publishing. Also, never add inappropriate images, adult content (in forums without indicative content) or copyrighted images, as this is a crime. Internet usage needs to respect local laws.
BBCode supports embedding videos from different sources, such as Youtube, Vimeo and SoudCloud.
Example: [bbvideo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b_Sy5mE_S0[/bbvideo]
Result:
Tag: [quote]
To add a quotation block to a simple sentence, simply wrap the text with the tags.
Example: [quote]This sentence is a quote.[/quote]
Result:
This sentence is a quote.
To reference a post that some user made on the same forum page, indicate the user’s name using the syntax quote=””, enclosing the user’s name in quotation marks (which are required).
Example: [quote=”Mr. Writer”]Text written by Mr. writer[/quote]
Good practice tip: Try to quote only the relevant passages to avoid making posts too long or repetitive. Many forums offer the feature of a quote button, allowing you to select specific paragraphs, which makes creating the reference even easier.
To add blocks of code in programming forums, it is indicated to separate these codes into separate blocks.
Example:
[code]<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My first PHP page</h1>
<?php
echo “Hello World!”
?>
</body>
</html> [/code]
Tag: [list]
The BBCode formatting allows you to create numbered and unnumbered lists.
Unnumbered lists correspond to an unordered set of items.
Example:
We will serve the following fruits at the picnic:
[list]
[*]Banana
[*]Apple
[*]Avocado
[/list]
Result:
We will serve the following fruits at the picnic:
To change the symbol in the list (instead of using a circle), simply use the syntax “list=” in the opening tag, entering the desired symbol. For example:
[list=circle][/list], [list=disc][/list], [list=square][/list].
To create numbered lists, simply inform which type of numbering is desired in the opening tag.
Note: numbered lists are usually used for ordered elements.
Example:
Follow the following steps to perform the registration:
[list=1]
[*]Click on the register menu
[*]Enter your e-mail address
[*]Create a password
[*]Click on complete registration
[/list]
Result:
Follow the following steps to complete the registration:
Besides the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4… you can use other numbers such as letters, Roman numerals, etc. For example:
[list=a][/list], [list=A][/list], [list=i][/list], [list=I][/list].
The above syntaxes would create the sequences: a, b, c…; A, B, C…; i, ii, iii…; I, II, III…
Tag: [line]
Horizontal lines are useful for dividing a block of text into two parts.
Example: Text before the line. [line] Text after the horizontal line.
Result:
Text before the line.
Text after the horizontal line.
Alternatively, some forums use the syntax [hr].
Best practice tip: avoid creating multiple horizontal lines to avoid polluting the forum.
Example: Text before the break [br] text after the break.
Result:
Text before the break
text after the break.
You can make the alignment right, left or centered with BBCode.
Example:
[align=center]This text is centered.[/align]
Result:
This text is centered.
Tag: [h1]
You can simplify the creation of h1, h2, h3, h4, etc. headers with BBCode.
Example:
[h2]Header 2[/h2]
Best practice tip: don’t use headers to highlight words, but as headings and subheadings for long articles. If the goal is just to highlight a word or phrase, use the [size] tag.
Tag: [nfo]
Example: [nfo]
__
( )
||
||
___|””|__.._
/____________\
\____________/~~~.
[/nfo]
Result:
Tags: [pipes]
The following blocks can be used for creating tables with BBCode:
|:–:| Aligns to the center
|—:| Aligns to the right
|:—| Aligns to the left
| Headers and data
BBcode even allows you to create complex structures like tables, without the need for additional code beyond a few tags.
Example:
[pipes]
| Student | Age | Weight |
|:—–|:—:|:—–|
| John|12|46|
|Alice|11|32|
|Bob|13|51|
[/pipes]
Result:
| Student | Age | Weight |
| John | 12 | 46 |
| Alice | 11 | 32 |
| Bob | 13 | 51 |
Another option to create tables is using the [table], [row] and [cell] tags.
Example:
[table]
[row][cell]Student[/cell][cell]Age[/cell][cell]Weight[/cell][/row]
[row][cell]John[/cell][cell]12[/cell][cell]46[/cell][/row]
[row][cell]Alice[/cell][cell]11[/cell][cell]32[/cell][/row]
[/table]
Result:
| Student | Age | Weight |
| John | 12 | 46 |
| Alice | 11 | 32 |
| Bob | 13 | 51 |
Tag: [rate=”(VALUE)”]
Example: [rate=”3.67″]
Result:
Markdown is a tool that converts simple text characters into HTML. It was created to facilitate writing on the web. It is very similar in purpose to BBCode, being created later (in 2004).
Unlike BBCode, Markdown aims to avoid the use of tags wherever possible, as if the writing was just plain text. So generally Markdown writing is even simpler than BBCode, although it is more focused on text formatting.
Markdown was created by John Gruber with the audacious goal of becoming the writing format for the web. However, the idea was never to replace HTML, rather Markdown has always functioned as a complement, something that works alongside HTML, because everything that cannot be written in Markdown can be written in HTML.
Markdown’s popularity has grown a lot over time, to the point where major platforms like Github, Reddit and Stack Exchange use variations of Markdown in their internal forums. Messaging applications such as Whatsapp have also incorporated Markdown through the use of special characters.
In general, Markdown is not necessarily a competitor to BBCode, just a different and complementary way of writing on the web, which may be more suitable in certain contexts.
In general, the writing difficulty can be ordered like this:
Text < Markdown < BBCode < HTML
The further to the right, the more features, and the further to the left, the simpler.
Let us summarize some basic Markdown syntax below. You can compare them later with this BBCode reference table.
To use bold or italics you do not need to open and close tags but simply insert an asterisk (*) or underline (_) markup.
Example: Writing the word **Markdown** in bold.
Alternative: Writing the word __Markdown__ in bold.
Result: Writing the word Markdown in bold.
Example: Writing the word *Markdown* in italics.
Alternative: Writing the word _Markdown_ in italics.
Result: Writing the word Markdown in italics.
Special tip: To use bold and italic at the same time, just use three markers: *** or ___, or even a combination of these two markers, such as: __* or **_.
Example: Writing the word **_Markdown_** in bold and italics.
Result: Writing the word Markdown in bold and italics.
To make a block quotation, just use the > symbol.
Example: >This sentence is a block quote.
Result:
That sentence is a block quote.
Creating ordered lists in Markdown is so intuitive that it doesn’t even seem like an external resource is being used. Just put a dot next to the numbers. You can even indent items by restarting the count.
1. Apple
2. Banana
3. Avocado
4. Strawberry
Result:
1. Apple
2. Banana
a. Cavendish
b. Blue Java
3. Avocado
4. Strawberry
– Apple
– Banana
– Avocado
+ Apple
+ Banana
+ Avocado
* Apple
* Banana
* Avocado
Result:
Special tip: If the list starts with a number, to avoid confusion you must insert a backslash.
Example: – 2022\ is a promising year.
To highlight a code block, simply indent the content with four spaces.
Example:
print(“Hello, world!”)
You can insert not only an image but also alternative text for an image using Markdown. The syntax is as follows:
Example: 
Result:
You can insert a horizontal line with Markdown in three different ways: using 3 asterisks (***), 3 dashes (—) or 3 underscores (___).
Example:
___
Result:
You can enter the target URL and anchor text for a link in a single command:
[anchor text](URL)
Example: [Home page](https://www.bbcode.org)
Result: Home page
To just turn a URL into a clickable link, just use angle brackets.
Example: <https://www.bbcode.org>
Result: https://www.bbcode.org
This can also be done with an email address:
Example: <name@bbcode.org>
Result: name@bbcode.org
For more details about Markdown as a text-to-HTML tool, check the original documentation.
Many popular forums and platforms do not have native BBCode integration, but it is possible to use it via a plugin. Find out below which plugins can be used on each platform.
*This is a non-exhaustive list. We will try to update this page as new plugins are created.
