---
title: "WhatsApp Text Formatter: Bold, Italic and Lists | Karobar"
url: https://karobar.io/tools/whatsapp-text-formatter
language: en
description: "Free WhatsApp text formatter: make text bold, italic, crossed out or monospace, add lists and quotes, and preview the message before you copy it."
---

Free tool

# WhatsApp text formatter: bold, italic, lists and a live preview

Write your message, select a word and tap a button to make it bold, italic, crossed out or monospace, or turn lines into a list or a quote. The preview shows how it will look in WhatsApp. This WhatsApp text formatter works in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.

BoldItalicStrikethroughMonospaceInline codeBulleted listNumbered listQuote

*New Eid collection is here!* ✨ Hi Ayesha, our _lawn suits_ are back in stock: - Red floral, sizes S to XL - Navy embroidered, sizes M and L ~Rs 4,500~ *Rs 3,600* until Sunday. > Free delivery on 2 or more suits Reply *1* to order or *2* to see the catalogue.

262 characters. Template bodies can hold up to 1,024.

Copy messageClear

Preview

New Eid collection is here! ✨

Hi Ayesha, our lawn suits are back in stock:

• Red floral, sizes S to XL

• Navy embroidered, sizes M and L

Rs 4,500 Rs 3,600 until Sunday.

Free delivery on 2 or more suits

Reply 1 to order or 2 to see the catalogue.

Formatted in your browser. Nothing is sent to Karobar.

## WhatsApp formatting, at a glance

These are the marks WhatsApp documents in its help page on [formatting messages](https://faq.whatsapp.com/539178204879377). Type them around a word, or use the buttons above.

| Style | Type this | Shows as |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bold | *text* | **text** |
| Italic | _text_ | _text_ |
| Strikethrough | ~text~ | text |
| Monospace | ```text``` | `text` |
| Inline code | `text` | `text` |
| 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 | An indented quote |

## Rules that trip people up

- The mark must touch the words: *bold* works, * bold * does not.
- Marks inside a word are left alone, so 2*3*4 stays as it is.
- Styles can be combined: *_bold italic_* is both.
- List and quote marks need a space after them, at the very start of the line.
- On a phone you can also select text and choose a style from the menu.

## Formatting that helps customers read

- Bold the one thing they must not miss: the price, the date, the order number.
- Use a list for options or sizes, one per line.
- Cross out the old price next to the new one for a sale.
- Keep it short: a message that needs scrolling on a phone is a message that gets skimmed.
- Do not bold whole paragraphs; when everything stands out, nothing does.

## Formatting in templates and broadcasts

Message templates use the same marks, and the template body can hold up to 1,024 characters. Write and preview it here, then paste it into your template; see [Create a WhatsApp message template](https://karobar.io/help/create-a-whatsapp-template) and [WhatsApp broadcasts and templates](https://karobar.io/guides/whatsapp-broadcast-campaigns).

## Sources

1. [WhatsApp Help Center: How to format your messages](https://faq.whatsapp.com/539178204879377) (checked 2026-10-15)

## Send formatted messages to every customer

In Karobar, WhatsApp chats from all your numbers sit in one inbox, and approved templates and broadcasts keep your formatting. See [WhatsApp marketing](https://karobar.io/features/whatsapp-marketing).

[Start free trial](https://karobar.io/login?trial=1&login=1)