The Auto-Formatting Interference
Google Docs actively monitors what you type, looking for common shorthand patterns to automatically convert into rich text formatting. One of its most prevalent behaviors is its support for Markdown syntax. For example, if you type an asterisk before and after a word (like *this*), Docs will automatically remove the asterisks and convert the text to italics. If you use double asterisks, it converts to bold, and if you start a line with a dash (-), it automatically creates a bulleted list.
While this is an incredibly fast way to format a document if you are familiar with Markdown, it is intensely frustrating if you are trying to write plain text that actually includes those characters. If you are writing a programming tutorial where asterisks represent multiplication, or if you are typing out raw Markdown code to be copy-pasted into GitHub or a static site generator, Docs will constantly destroy your code by rendering it into rich text. To keep your text exactly as you typed it, you must disable Markdown recognition.
How to Stop Automatic Markdown Conversion
You can turn off this specific text parsing via the Preferences menu.
- Open a document in Google Docs.
- Look at the top toolbar and click on Tools.
- Select Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- In the Preferences window, make sure you are on the General tab.
- Look for the checkbox labelled Automatically detect Markdown.
- Click the checkbox to remove the checkmark.
- Click the blue OK button to save your changes.
From now on, Google Docs will stop intercepting your asterisks, dashes, and hashtags. Your raw Markdown syntax will remain visible as plain text, allowing you to write code snippets and technical documentation without the editor changing your formatting behind your back.