WhatsApp Text Formatting: How to Use Bold, Italic, Strikethrough & Monospace (2026 Guide)

You draft a professional WhatsApp message to a client — but it comes out as a flat wall of text. No emphasis, no structure, no personality. It feels like an SMS from 2007.

This guide covers the exact syntax for each style, real-world examples for business use, and a free tool that does the formatting for you.

Why text formatting matters on WhatsApp

In professional conversations, how you present information is as important as what you say. Formatted text helps you:

| Purpose | Example | Format |

|---------|---------|--------|

| Emphasise a key point | "Delivery is scheduled for tomorrow." | Italic |

| Highlight a warning | "Do not share your OTP with anyone." | Bold |

| Show a correction | ~~Old price: $49~~ New price: $39 | Strikethrough + Bold |

| Display code or data | `Use code SAVE20 at checkout | Monospace |

Bold — text

This text will appear bold

Italic — _text_

_This text will appear italic_

Strikethrough — ~text~

~This text will appear strikethrough~

Monospace — ` text ` (triple backtick)

• Promo codes: "Enter ` SAVE20 ` at checkout."
• Email addresses: "Send to `support@example.com`"
• Tracking IDs: "Your order `TRK-88472` is on the way."
• Code snippets: "Run `npm install wa-link` in your terminal."

| Bold | text | text |

| Italic | _text_ | text |

| ~~Strikethrough~~ | ~text~ | ~~text~~ |

| Monospace | ` text ` | text |

Note: WhatsApp also supports bold in list items. Combine at the start of a line for bullet lists with text for bold words inside them. The formatting engine handles both independently.

• Type your message as usual.
• Add the formatting characters around the word or phrase (bold, _italic_, etc.).
• Send — WhatsApp renders the style automatically.

• Type the message in the chat input.
• Use the markdown characters: bold, _italic_, ~strikethrough~, ` monospace `.
• Send. The formatted version appears in the chat bubble.

• Click the chat input box.
• Type your formatting characters or select text and use the context menu.
• On WhatsApp Web, you can also select existing text → right-click → choose Bold, Italic, ~~Strikethrough~~, or Monospace from the pop-up menu.

| Space between markers and text | bold does not render — the asterisks must touch the word | bold |

| Nesting the same style | very bold shows as very bold (literal asterisks) | Use only one per side |

| Mixed styles on one platform | bold _and italic_ may render incorrectly | Close one style before opening another |

• Type or paste your message into the text area.
• Select any word or phrase and click Bold, Italic, ~~Strikethrough~~, or Monospace.
• Preview how the formatted message will look in WhatsApp — the live preview shows bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace exactly as they render in the app.
• Copy the formatted text with one click and paste it directly into WhatsApp.

The formatter handles the syntax so you don't have to. It's especially useful for:

Hi {{name}},

Your order ~~#1234~~ #5678 has been shipped 🎉

Tracking:

Expected: _3-5 business days_


👉 Track your order: {{link}}

🔥 Flash Sale — 24 hours only

~~$79~~ $49 — save 40%

Use code

### Support reply

• Clear your cache: `Settings > Privacy > Clear Data

  2. Restart the app

• If it persists, reply with a screenshot

_We typically reply within 1 hour._

• Bold (text) — emphasis and headings
• Italic (_text_) — tone and titles
• Strikethrough (~text~) — corrections and updates
• Monospace (` text ``) — codes and identifiers

You can type the syntax manually on any platform, or use Waaplink's free WhatsApp Message Formatter to format your messages with a single click — no syntax to learn, no typos to fix.

👉 Format your WhatsApp messages now →