Every block editor eventually copies the best idea from Notion, and the slash menu is the one worth copying. In Markdown Studio, typing the slash key on an empty line opens a menu of every block the editor knows — headings, lists, tasks, tables, quotes, code, dividers — filtered as you type and inserted with Enter. It is the difference between remembering Markdown syntax and simply asking for a table.
The menu at a glance
The slash menu lists one entry per block type, each with a short description:
| Menu entry | Inserts | Saves to disk as |
|---|---|---|
| Heading 1–6 | A heading of the chosen level | Hashes, one per level |
| Bulleted list | A list with dash items | Dash-prefixed lines |
| Numbered list | An ordered list | Number-prefixed lines |
| Task list | A checkbox item | Brackets, checked or not |
| Table | A grid with a header row | Pipe-and-dash Markdown table |
| Blockquote | An indented quote block | Angle-bracket lines |
| Code block | A fenced block with syntax display | Triple-backtick fence |
| Divider | A horizontal rule | A line of dashes |
The right-hand column is the point: everything you insert by menu still saves as textbook Markdown. The menu is sugar; the file is plain.
Insert a block in three moves
- Click an empty line where the block belongs — the cursor defines the insertion point.
- Type the slash key. The menu appears beside the cursor.
- Filter by typing — t-a-b lands on table fast — then press Enter to insert and start filling it.
Each block arrives ready to fill: a table opens with a header row and two body rows, a task list opens with its first checkbox, a code block opens empty and waiting for the language tag. Nothing needs cleaning up afterward.
When to reach for the menu instead of typing
Markdown shorthand still works for the things it is good at — a dash and space for a bullet, hash-space for a heading. The slash menu earns its keep where shorthand is clumsy or easy to get wrong:
- Tables — hand-aligning pipes is the classic Markdown chore; the menu inserts a correct grid and the floating TableMenu handles the rest.
- Task items — one menu pick gives a checkbox that renders and toggles; no bracket-counting.
- Code blocks — the menu inserts the fence plus the syntax display and copy control described in code blocks.
- Headings beyond H2 — #### is a finger-twister; the menu lists every level by name.
A useful rule of thumb: type the shorthand for anything you would write in an email — bullets, bold, a heading — and use the menu for anything with structure on both ends, where an unclosed fence or a missing pipe cell turns into a rendering surprise two paragraphs later.
Building a document fast
A typical note comes together in under a minute:
- Slash, Heading 1 — type the title.
- Paragraph — plain typing, no menu needed.
- Slash, Task list — add three actions, toggling each with a click.
- Slash, Table — drop in a two-column comparison and fill it.
- Slash, Divider — close the section.
- Slash, Heading 2 — start the next part.
Because every insert is filtered by typing, muscle memory forms quickly: slash, one or two letters, Enter. The block drag handle can then reorder anything you placed in the wrong spot — that control is introduced in getting started with Markdown Studio.
Mixed shorthand and menu, in practice
Real documents blend both paths without friction. A meeting note might go:
- Hash-space for the H1 title — faster than the menu for the one heading you always type.
- Slash, Table — the attendee list, since hand-built tables are never worth it.
- Plain bullets while the discussion moves — shorthand keeps pace with speech.
- Slash, Task list — the action items, so they render as checkboxes the team can tick.
- Slash, Code block — the config snippet that came up, fenced correctly without checking.
The editor does not care which route you used; both produce identical blocks on disk. That tolerance is what makes the slash menu easy to adopt — there is no wrong way, only the faster one for the block in front of you, and the menu is always one keystroke away when the faster one is the menu.
Keeping the menu fast
Three small habits keep the slash workflow at full speed:
- Filter, do not scroll. The menu narrows on every letter; typing two characters is always faster than scanning the list with your eyes.
- Learn the two or three blocks you insert hourly — for most writers that is table, task and code — and let the rest stay discoverable on demand.
- Escape is your undo for menu mistakes: close without inserting, or delete the empty block with a backspace, and nothing else moves.
The menu is also how most people discover blocks they did not know the editor had — the divider, the deeper heading levels, the quote. That is by design: the full block vocabulary is one keystroke away, so nobody has to memorize an app to use it well.
What to explore next
- Task lists and tables — the two blocks you will insert most.
- Code blocks — fences with syntax display and copy.
- Getting started with Markdown Studio — the full tour.
- Frontmatter and properties — metadata above the content.