WhatsApp Text Formatter
Write the message, select words, press bold, italic or strike - and see it exactly as WhatsApp will show it, lists and quotes included. Then copy it, or open it straight in WhatsApp.
Select words and press a button, or type the markers yourself. Ctrl+B bold, Ctrl+I italic, Ctrl+Shift+X strikethrough, Ctrl+Shift+M monospace.
Send it
Leave empty to pick the chat inside WhatsApp.
https://wa.me/?text=*Your%20table%20is%20booked!*%20%F0%9F%8E%89%0A%0AFriday%2C%208%3A00%20pm%20-%20table%20for%20_four_%0ARef%3A%20%60TB-2291%60%0A%0APlease%20note%3A%0A-%20Arrive%2010%20minutes%20early%0A-%20~Window%20seats~%20Garden%20seats%20confirmed%0A%0A%3E%20Reply%20CHANGE%20to%20move%20your%20bookingEvery WhatsApp format, and how to type it
- Bold -
*text*. Use it for the one detail that matters: a time, a price, a reference. - Italic -
_text_. Good for names of things and gentle emphasis. - Strikethrough -
~text~. Shows a change: an old price, a cancelled slot. - Monospace -
```text```. Fixed-width text for codes and tables of numbers. - Inline code -
`text`. A highlighted snippet, easy to copy. - Lists - start lines with
-or*for bullets,1.for numbers. - Quote - start a line with
>.
You can combine inline styles, so *_text_* is bold italic. Lists, quotes and inline code arrived in 2024; anyone on an older app version sees the characters you typed instead.
The word boundary rule
WhatsApp only formats a marker that sits at the edge of a word. The opening marker must follow a space, the start of the line or punctuation, and be followed by a character; the closing marker must follow a character and end the word. That is why 2*3*4 and snake_case_name stay exactly as typed, and why * bold * with spaces inside does nothing. When you format a selection here, spaces at its edges are moved outside the markers automatically, which is the mistake people make most often when typing them by hand.
Formatting business messages
The same markers work in text you send through the WhatsApp Business API, and in the body of an approved message template. Keep formatting light - one bold line, a short list - because a wall of styled text reads like an ad, and templates that look promotional are more likely to be categorised as marketing. Before you submit one, run it through the template checker; to put a message behind a button on your site, the link generator builds the wa.me link. The WhatsApp limits page lists the sending tiers, and a hosted WhatsApp chatbot can send these replies for you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make text bold in WhatsApp?
Put an asterisk on each side of the text with no space inside: *like this*. Italic uses underscores, strikethrough uses tildes, and monospace uses three backticks on each side. On a phone you can also select text, tap the three-dot menu and choose a format. This page adds the markers for you and shows the result before you send.
Why is my WhatsApp formatting not working?
Usually a space in the wrong place. The opening marker must be followed straight away by a letter and the closing marker must come right after one, so * bold * stays as it is. Markers inside a word, as in 2*3*4 or snake_case_name, are ignored on purpose. Lists and quotes also need a space after the -, 1. or > at the start of the line.
How do I make a list or quote in WhatsApp?
Start each line with a hyphen or an asterisk and a space for a bulleted list, with a number, a full stop and a space for a numbered list, or with > and a space for a quote. They were added in 2024 and work in the current apps on Android, iPhone, web and desktop. Older app versions show the characters as typed.
Does this formatting work with the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes. A text message sent through the Cloud API uses the same markers, so *bold* and _italic_ in the body render the same way, and a text body can be up to 4096 characters. Approved message templates support the same inline formatting in their body text, which the template checker can review before you submit one.
Is there a character limit for WhatsApp messages?
The apps accept very long messages, so for a person typing it rarely matters. For businesses the documented number is 4096 characters for a Cloud API text body, and template bodies have their own lower limit. The counter here shows both the raw length, which is what the API counts, and the length people actually see once markers are hidden.
Is my message stored when I use this formatter?
No. Everything happens in your browser. The text is not sent to Conferbot, and the Open in WhatsApp button only builds a wa.me link on your device, so WhatsApp itself sees the message only if you choose to send it.
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