---
title: "Text formatting"
description: "Text formatting extensions mark parts of a text as bold, italic, linked, or highlighted, the formatting people apply to words and phrases while they write."
canonical_url: "https://tiptap.dev/docs/editor/extensions/text-formatting"
---

# Text formatting

Text formatting extensions mark parts of a text as bold, italic, linked, or highlighted, the formatting people apply to words and phrases while they write.

## When you use them

- **Emphasis.** Bold, Italic, Underline, and Strike stress a word or show that it is removed.
- **References.** Link points to another page; Code marks a name or a command inside a sentence.
- **Highlights.** Highlight colors a passage, for example to mark something to review.
- **Scientific and language notation.** Subscript and Superscript set formulas and footnote markers; Ruby text adds reading guides above characters.

## How they work

- **They are marks.** A mark applies to a range of text inside a block, such as a paragraph or a heading. Several marks can apply to the same text. [Nodes and marks](https://tiptap.dev/docs/editor/core-concepts/nodes-and-marks.md)
- **Most come with the StarterKit.** Bold, Code, Italic, Link, Strike, and Underline are part of the [StarterKit](https://tiptap.dev/docs/editor/extensions/functionality/starterkit.md); the others you add yourself.
- **Keyboard shortcuts and Markdown shortcuts.** Most marks have a keyboard shortcut, and typing Markdown, such as `**bold**`, applies them while you write. [Keyboard shortcuts](https://tiptap.dev/docs/editor/core-concepts/keyboard-shortcuts.md)

## Related

- [Text styling](https://tiptap.dev/docs/editor/extensions/text-styling.md) changes how text looks: color, font, size, and alignment.
- [Build your own mark](https://tiptap.dev/docs/editor/extensions/custom-extensions/create-new/mark.md) when you need a formatting that isn't here.