How to Format WhatsApp Text: Bold, Italic and More
Updated August 2026
Learn how WhatsApp text formatting works for bold, italic, strikethrough, monospace, quotes and lists, with simple examples you can copy.
Why format WhatsApp messages?
Formatting can make a long WhatsApp message easier to scan. Bold can highlight an important date, italic can add emphasis and lists can organise several points.
Use formatting sparingly: if everything is emphasised, nothing stands out.
Want to try the idea yourself? Use the WhatsApp Text Formatter.
Bold and italic text
WhatsApp supports markup characters around text. For example, asterisks are commonly used for bold and underscores for italic formatting.
The markup needs to be placed correctly around the text, so missing a closing character can stop the intended formatting.
If you want to explore this topic further, see How to Create a WhatsApp Link Without Saving a Number.
Strikethrough and monospace
Strikethrough can show text that has been removed or changed, while monospace displays characters in a fixed-width style that can be useful for code-like content.
These styles have different markup, so a formatter is convenient when you do not remember the exact characters.
Useful Wid9et tools related to this guide
Quotes and lists
WhatsApp also supports formatting for quoted text and lists in supported versions. These can make instructions, agendas and multi-point messages much clearer.
The recipient’s app version can affect how newer formatting features appear.
Prepare formatted text
The WhatsApp Text Formatter helps create the supported markup and gives you text ready to copy into WhatsApp.
Check the final message in WhatsApp before sending an important broadcast, especially if it contains several different formatting styles.
Try it yourself
Ready to put this into practice? Open the relevant Wid9et tools directly in your browser.