Free tool
WhatsApp text formatter
WhatsApp formats text with symbols: *asterisks* for bold, _underscores_ for italic, ~tildes~ for strikethrough and three backticks for monospace, plus lists, quotes and inline code in newer versions. Type or paste your message, select a word, press a button and check the live preview, then copy it or open it straight in WhatsApp. Nothing is stored.
Free tool · No signup · Nothing is stored
Text formatter
Select words, then press a button; with nothing selected, the symbols go in at the cursor. In the box, Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I and Ctrl+Shift+X (Cmd on a Mac) add bold, italic and strikethrough.
Runs in your browser. Open in WhatsApp hands the text to wa.me, where you pick the chat; nothing is sent to Pinlyx or stored.
How it looks in WhatsApp
A7-1042The preview follows the rules on WhatsApp’s help page; the app on your phone has the final say.
WhatsApp formatting cheat sheet
All eight formats WhatsApp documents, with what to type and where each one works, checked against WhatsApp’s help page on November 5, 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to format your messages
| Format | Syntax | Example | WhatsApp shows | Where it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bold | *text* | *Sale today* | Sale today | Android, iPhone, Web and desktop; also in the text menu |
| Italic | _text_ | _Free delivery_ | Free delivery | Android, iPhone, Web and desktop; also in the text menu |
| Strikethrough | ~text~ | ~$45~ $39 | Android, iPhone, Web and desktop; also in the text menu | |
| Monospace | ```text``` | ```ORDER-1042``` | ORDER-1042 | Android, iPhone, Web and desktop; in the text menu on phones |
| Inline code | `text` | Code: `A7-1042` | Code: A7-1042 | Newer format: phones, WhatsApp Web and the Mac app; in the Web text menu |
| Quote | > text | > See you on Friday | See you on Friday | Newer format: phones, WhatsApp Web and the Mac app |
| Bulleted list | * text or - text | - Size M
- Size L | •Size M •Size L | Newer format: phones, WhatsApp Web and the Mac app |
| Numbered list | 1. text | 1. Pick a size
2. Pay at the till | 1.Pick a size 2.Pay at the till | Newer format: phones, WhatsApp Web and the Mac app |
How to format from the menu instead
WhatsApp also puts the classic formats in the text menu, so you can skip the symbols. The steps differ by device; these are the ones WhatsApp’s help page gives.
Android
- Tap and hold the text you typed in the message field.
- Tap More (the three dots, ⋮).
- Choose Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Monospace.
iPhone
- Double-tap the text you typed in the message field.
- Tap Format.
- Choose Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Monospace.
WhatsApp Web and desktop
- Double-click the text you typed in the message field.
- Choose Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Inline code in the menu that appears.
Lists and quotes are always typed with symbols, and so is inline code on a phone.
Why WhatsApp formatting sometimes does not show
A space inside the symbols
A space just inside a symbol, as in “* sale*” or “*sale *”, keeps the text plain: the symbol has to touch the first and the last character. A double-click often grabs the space after a word too; this formatter keeps that space outside the symbols.
A symbol glued to a word
WhatsApp generally leaves symbols in the middle of a word alone, which is why file_name_v2 or 2*3*4 stay as typed. Put a space or punctuation before the opening symbol and after the closing one.
Several lines in one pair
For a block of several lines, mark each line, or use monospace, which can wrap the whole block. Select several lines here and the formatter marks every line for you.
An older app on the other end
Lists, quotes and inline code came after the original four formats. On a WhatsApp version that predates them, the symbols show as typed; on a computer, WhatsApp lists them for WhatsApp Web and the Mac app.
No switch to turn it off
WhatsApp’s help page says formatting cannot be disabled. To show a symbol as typed, leave a space between it and the word.
Formatting messages to customers
- Bold the one thing to act on: the order number, the time, the price.
- Use a list for options or steps, and keep each line short.
- Strike the old price next to the new one instead of explaining the discount.
- Leave most of the message plain: a message in bold from start to finish reads like shouting.
When customers write to you on WhatsApp, Pinlyx WhatsApp CRM keeps every chat in a shared inbox with a contact record for each number, assignment and AI replies that run on your own OpenAI, Gemini or other provider key. It comes with Pro at $24.99 a month. Replies go out inside WhatsApp’s 24-hour customer service window; Pinlyx does not send message templates or broadcasts, so it is for answering people who wrote first, not for cold lists.
To start more of those conversations, put a click-to-chat link in your bio with the WhatsApp link generator; its pre-filled message can carry the same formatting. For decorative letters in an Instagram bio, the Instagram font generator has bold, script, gothic and bubble styles to copy.
Frequently asked questions
Related tools and guides
WhatsApp CRM
A shared WhatsApp inbox with a contact record per number and AI replies. Pro, $24.99 a month.
WhatsApp link generator
Turn a number into a wa.me link and QR code with a pre-filled message.
Instagram font generator
Bold, script, gothic and bubble letters to copy into a bio, name or caption.
24-hour customer service window
What opens WhatsApp’s reply window and what it lets a business send.
Message template
How WhatsApp’s approved templates work for messages outside the window.
Ready to ship
Answer WhatsApp customers from one shared inbox
Pinlyx Pro ($24.99 a month) keeps every WhatsApp chat in a shared inbox with a contact record per number. Replies go out inside WhatsApp’s 24-hour window; Pinlyx does not send templates or broadcasts. The formatter stays free.