The quick answer: Start a line with a greater-than sign (
>) followed by a space.
Basic Syntax
> This is a blockquote.
> It can span multiple lines.Each line of the quote starts with >. The output indents the text and adds a left border in most renderers.
Nested Blockquotes
Stack multiple > to nest quotes:
> Outer quote
>
> > Inner nested quote
Use an empty > line to keep the outer quote context between paragraphs.
Blockquotes with Other Markdown
You can use bold, italic, headings, and lists inside blockquotes:
> ## Section heading inside quote
>
> - Bullet inside quote
> - Another bullet
GitHub Alerts (Callout Boxes)
GitHub extends blockquote syntax with typed alerts:
> [!NOTE]
> Highlighted note for the reader.
> [!WARNING]
> Critical information needing attention.
GitHub supports five types: [!NOTE], [!TIP], [!IMPORTANT], [!WARNING], [!CAUTION].
When to Use Blockquotes
- Quoting sources — cite external text clearly
- Callouts — highlight important information
- Excerpts — pull quotes in articles
- Warnings — use GitHub Alert syntax for structured callouts
Full reference: Markdown Blockquotes.