4Leaf blocks

This section describes the different kinds of leaf block that make up a Markdown document.

4.1Thematic breaks

A line consisting of optionally up to three spaces of indentation, followed by a sequence of three or more matching -, _, or * characters, each followed optionally by any number of spaces or tabs, forms a thematic break.

Example 43Try It 
***
---
___

<hr />
<hr />
<hr />

Wrong characters:

Example 44Try It 
+++

<p>+++</p>
Example 45Try It 
===

<p>===</p>

Not enough characters:

Example 46Try It 
--
**
__

<p>--
**
__</p>

Up to three spaces of indentation are allowed:

Example 47Try It 
 ***
  ***
   ***

<hr />
<hr />
<hr />

Four spaces of indentation is too many:

Example 48Try It 
    ***

<pre><code>***
</code></pre>
Example 49Try It 
Foo
    ***

<p>Foo
***</p>

More than three characters may be used:

Example 50Try It 
_____________________________________

<hr />

Spaces and tabs are allowed between the characters:

Example 51Try It 
 - - -

<hr />
Example 52Try It 
 **  * ** * ** * **

<hr />
Example 53Try It 
-     -      -      -

<hr />

Spaces and tabs are allowed at the end:

Example 54Try It 
- - - -    

<hr />

However, no other characters may occur in the line:

Example 55Try It 
_ _ _ _ a

a------

---a---

<p>_ _ _ _ a</p>
<p>a------</p>
<p>---a---</p>

It is required that all of the characters other than spaces or tabs be the same. So, this is not a thematic break:

Example 56Try It 
 *-*

<p><em>-</em></p>

Thematic breaks do not need blank lines before or after:

Example 57Try It 
- foo
***
- bar

<ul>
<li>foo</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<ul>
<li>bar</li>
</ul>

Thematic breaks can interrupt a paragraph:

Example 58Try It 
Foo
***
bar

<p>Foo</p>
<hr />
<p>bar</p>

If a line of dashes that meets the above conditions for being a thematic break could also be interpreted as the underline of a setext heading, the interpretation as a setext heading takes precedence. Thus, for example, this is a setext heading, not a paragraph followed by a thematic break:

Example 59Try It 
Foo
---
bar

<h2>Foo</h2>
<p>bar</p>

When both a thematic break and a list item are possible interpretations of a line, the thematic break takes precedence:

Example 60Try It 
* Foo
* * *
* Bar

<ul>
<li>Foo</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<ul>
<li>Bar</li>
</ul>

If you want a thematic break in a list item, use a different bullet:

Example 61Try It 
- Foo
- * * *

<ul>
<li>Foo</li>
<li>
<hr />
</li>
</ul>