How to format text in WhatsApp
WhatsApp formats text with symbols around the words. Put an asterisk on both sides of a word and it turns bold, an underscore makes it italic, and a tilde strikes it through. The symbols have to touch the text: *sale* works, * sale * does not. These are all the options WhatsApp supports, from its own formatting help page.
| Format | Type this | Shows as |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | *text* | text |
| Italic | _text_ | text |
| Strikethrough | ~text~ | |
| Monospace | ```text``` | text |
| Inline code | `text` | text in a grey box |
| Bulleted list | * text or - text at the start of a line | • text |
| Numbered list | 1. text at the start of a line | 1. text |
| Quote | > text at the start of a line | A quoted line with a bar beside it |
The formatter above adds the symbols for you. Select a word, click B, and it wraps the word in asterisks. The preview shows the result the way WhatsApp will.
How to bold text in WhatsApp
Type an asterisk, the words, and another asterisk: *Order confirmed*. On WhatsApp Web and the desktop app you can also double-click a word in the message box and pick Bold from the menu that appears.
How to write in italics or strike text through
Italic uses underscores: _only this week_. Strikethrough uses tildes: ~₹1,499~ ₹999, which is the usual way to show an old price next to a new one.
Lists and quotes
Start a line with an asterisk or hyphen and a space for a bullet, a number and a full stop for a numbered list, or an angle bracket and a space for a quote. Each item goes on its own line.
Why not use "fancy font" generators?
Many sites offer bold or cursive "WhatsApp fonts". They don't format your text. They swap your letters for look-alike Unicode symbols. That has three costs: screen readers read them out letter by letter or skip them, people can't search for the words later, and some phones show them as empty boxes. Use WhatsApp's own symbols, as this formatter does, and the text stays real text.
Formatting in business templates
If you send messages from the WhatsApp Business Platform, the same symbols work in the body of a template. Meta does not allow them in a text header. Templates also have limits: 60 characters for the header, 1,024 for the body and 60 for the footer.
Click "Add a header, footer and buttons" in the tool to switch on the template fields, or open the WhatsApp template preview, which starts with every field open and checks your template against Meta's rules. Before you submit one, read how WhatsApp template approval works.
How brands use formatting well
- Bold the one line people must read: the order number, the code or the date. If everything is bold, nothing is.
- Keep a price change to strikethrough plus the new price, with no extra words.
- Use a list when there are three or more items. People scan WhatsApp, they don't read it.
- Save quotes for a single line you want remembered, such as a delivery cut-off.
For the full set of journeys these messages belong to, see abandoned cart recovery on WhatsApp and what WhatsApp marketing costs in India.
Questions about text formatter
How do I make text bold in WhatsApp?
Put an asterisk on both sides of the text, with no spaces inside the symbols: *your text*. On WhatsApp Web and the desktop app you can also double-click the word and choose Bold.
How do I write in italics in WhatsApp?
Put an underscore on both sides of the text: _your text_.
How do I strikethrough text in WhatsApp?
Put a tilde on both sides of the text: ~your text~. Brands use it to show an old price next to a new one.
Can I underline text in WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp supports bold, italic, strikethrough, monospace, inline code, bulleted and numbered lists and quotes, but not underline.
Can I change the font in WhatsApp?
Only to monospace, by putting three backticks on both sides of the text. Sites that offer other "WhatsApp fonts" replace your letters with Unicode symbols, which screen readers and search can't read properly.
Why is my WhatsApp formatting not working?
The symbols must touch the text. *Sale* works, * Sale * does not. A symbol in the middle of a word, or a missing closing symbol, also breaks it.
Does formatting work in WhatsApp Business API templates?
Yes, in the body of a template. Meta does not allow formatting symbols in a text header.
Is this WhatsApp formatter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit, and the text you type stays in your browser.
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