Markdown profile guide

Choose GFM or CommonMark from the destination backwards

CommonMark defines a portable core syntax. GitHub Flavored Markdown builds on that core with widely used extensions such as tables, task lists, strikethrough, and autolinks.

Open MD Studio Compare the profiles

The short answer

Choose GFM for GitHub-style documentation and destinations that support its extensions. Choose CommonMark when portability across core-compliant renderers matters more than tables or task lists. Then preview in the real destination.

The practical differences

Feature	CommonMark	GFM
Headings, lists, links, images, code	Core syntax	Core syntax
Pipe tables	Not part of the core specification	Specified extension
Task-list checkboxes	Not part of the core specification	Specified extension
Strikethrough	Not part of the core specification	Specified extension
Extended autolinks	Angle-bracket autolinks are core	Recognizes additional URL-like text

Primary references: CommonMark specification and the GitHub Flavored Markdown specification.

One source, different compatibility

GFM source

| Task | Owner |
| --- | --- |
| Review | Sam |

- [x] Draft
- [ ] Publish

~~Old date~~ New date

Portable core alternative

## Tasks

- Draft: complete
- Publish: pending

Old date replaced by: New date

The GFM version is more expressive where supported. The core alternative is less compact but degrades more predictably across renderers without those extensions.

What the profile switch does in MD Studio

GFM is the default profile.
Changing profile reformats the current working Markdown; it does not reconvert the last imported HTML.
MD Studio preserves GFM-only structures while CommonMark is selected instead of silently deleting them.
The preview is useful for review, but the publishing destination remains the final authority.

A destination-first decision

Use GFM

GitHub READMEs, issues, pull requests, and documentation systems that explicitly advertise GFM support.

Use CommonMark

Systems that promise CommonMark compatibility or where the extended renderer is unknown.

Test both

Static-site generators and knowledge tools often add their own extensions. Confirm the configured renderer, not only the file extension.

GFM and CommonMark FAQ

Is GFM a completely different Markdown language?

No. GFM is based on CommonMark and adds extensions. Most ordinary headings, lists, links, emphasis, images, quotes, and code work the same way.

Will a GFM table disappear in CommonMark?

A renderer without the table extension may show the pipe characters as ordinary paragraph text. MD Studio avoids deleting the source merely because you explore its CommonMark profile.

Does GitHub support more than the GFM specification?

GitHub documents additional platform features. Treat the GFM specification as the syntax baseline and GitHub's current documentation as the authority for GitHub-specific behavior.

Choose a profile, then test the real renderer

Convert a representative table, task list, link, and code block before publishing the full document.

Open MD Studio