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Markdown Ordered List
Build a markdown ordered list item by item — add, remove, reorder — and watch the numbering re-render live. Markers, nesting, and indentation included.
MD Viewer Team
1. First 2. Second 3. Third
- First
- Second
- Third
A markdown ordered list is a numbered list: lines starting with 1., 2., 3. that render as a proper ordered sequence. The playground above is a live list builder — every item is an input box, the Add and Remove buttons grow and shrink the markdown ordered list, and the preview renumbers everything as you go. Beneath it, the generated source updates in real time, so you always see the exact markup behind the list.
The markdown ordered list has one famous superpower: lazy numbering. Start every line with 1. and most renderers still output 1, 2, 3 — the actual numbers in your source matter far less than the marker, the period, and the indentation. That is why reordering items in a markdown ordered list never leaves you renumbering a document by hand, and why the builder above can insert an item in the middle without touching the others.
This page covers the full anatomy: the 1. and 1) marker forms, how deep indentation controls nesting, the blank lines that separate tight from loose lists, and the mistakes — inconsistent indents, mixed markers — that silently break numbering. Every claim is testable in the playground, and everything runs locally in your browser.
Markdown ordered list syntax reference
| You type | What renders |
|---|---|
| 1. First 2. Second | A simple markdown ordered list, numbered 1 and 2 |
| 1. Same 1. Same | Still numbered 1, 2, 3 — renderers renumber for you |
| 1) Paren 2) Paren | The parenthesis marker also builds an ordered list |
| 1. Item 1. Sub | A nested markdown ordered list inside the first item |
| 1. A 2. B | A loose list — blank lines add paragraph spacing |
How to write a markdown ordered list
- 1
Start each line with a number and marker
Type 1. followed by a space, then the item text. Repeat down the page — a markdown ordered list accepts 1. through 999999. and normalizes the rest.
- 2
Indent three spaces to nest
Align nested items under the parent's text — three or four spaces for 1.-style markers. The nested markdown ordered list becomes a sub-list with its own numbering.
- 3
Separate from surrounding text
Keep a blank line above the list so it cannot be parsed as a lazy paragraph continuation. Inside the list, blank lines between items switch the markdown ordered list from tight to loose spacing.
- 4
Build and copy
Use the item editor above to add and remove entries, then Copy Markdown to take the generated markdown ordered list source with you.
Numbering rules and the lazy 1. pattern
The markdown ordered list inherits an idea from the original Markdown spec: the first number sets the starting value, and the renderer counts items itself. A list whose lines all begin 1. renders as 1, 2, 3, 4 — which sounds like a bug until you use it. Inserting an item mid-list with the all-1s pattern requires no renumbering; deleting an item leaves no gaps. Many large documentation projects mandate the pattern in their style guides for exactly this reason.
The contract has one clause worth knowing: an actual jump in your source numbers is honored only at the start. Beginning a markdown ordered list at 5. starts the rendered count at 5; starting later lines with 42 changes nothing. When precise, human-visible numbers matter — legal clauses, contract sub-items — verify the rendered output rather than trusting the source digits. The playground preview shows the rendered numbering for any list you build, which is the habit this page tries to teach.
A final habit worth adopting: keep every item of a markdown ordered list structurally parallel — one sentence, same voice, same capitalization. Parallel items scan faster, and when the list eventually needs to convert md to pdf or render in a slide deck, uniform items survive the format change without rework. The builder above keeps the rhythm visible as you type.
Markdown ordered list mistakes
1. One 2. Two 1. Three
1. One 2. Two 3. Three
Wildly mixed numbers usually still render 1-2-3, but reviewers read the source. Keep source numbers aligned with intent for diff-friendly markdown ordered list files.
1. Parent 1. Child (2 spaces)
1. Parent 1. Child (3 spaces)
Two spaces of indent fail to nest under a 1. marker — the child renders as part of the parent line or breaks the list. Use three or four.
1. First - Second
1. First 2. Second
Switching marker types mid-list starts a new list — the ordered sequence resets. One marker style per markdown ordered list.
Ordered lists export faithfully
A markdown ordered list built here converts cleanly on the convert md to pdf page: real numbering, correct indentation for nested levels, and page breaks that never split an item from its number.
Frequently asked questions
Sources and spec citations
“An ordered list marker is a sequence of 1-9 arabic digits (0-9), followed by either a . character or a ) character.”
“Markdown is intended to be as easy-to-read and easy-to-write as is feasible.”