What is the standard syntax for creating a footnote in Markdown?

Place an anchor tag containing a caret inside square brackets directly following the text (`[^1]`). Then define the footnote at the bottom of the document with the matching identifier: `[^1]: Explanation text`.

Can I use descriptive text identifiers instead of numbers for footnotes?

Yes. Footnote identifiers can be numbers (`[^1]`) or alphanumeric strings (`[^rfc-spec]`, `[^privacy-audit]`). Markdown parsers automatically renumber them into sequential numerals (1, 2, 3) in the rendered output.

Can a footnote span multiple paragraphs in Markdown?

Yes. Indent subsequent paragraphs or code blocks by four spaces directly beneath the footnote definition line. The indented content remains part of that footnote.

How does Oyma render footnotes in the live editor?

Oyma displays footnote anchors as clean clickable superscripts that jump directly to the citation block at the bottom of the note, with bidirectional return navigation.

Markdown Footnotes: Syntax, Citations & Anchors

Primary SyntaxExtended Markdown

Here is a statement.[^1]

[^1]: Here is the corresponding footnote.

Footnotes allow writers, researchers, journalists, and legal counsel to add scholarly citations, supplementary context, side commentary, and evidentiary references without interrupting the primary narrative flow.

Supported by Extended Markdown, Pandoc, MultiMarkdown, Obsidian, and Oyma, footnote syntax provides clean inline references paired with automatically sorted endnotes at the bottom of the document.

Basic footnote syntax

A Markdown footnote consists of two components: the inline reference tag and the footnote definition block:

Local-first software preserves user sovereignty over personal data.[^1]

[^1]: Kleppmann, M. et al. (2019). Local-first software: You own your data.

In the rendered output:

The inline [^1] compiles to a superscript link: [1].
The definition is moved to a dedicated footnotes section at the bottom of the document with an automatic back-link arrow (↩).

Named footnote identifiers

You are not required to use sequential numbers. Descriptive tags make raw plain text significantly easier to write and maintain:

ScreenCaptureKit provides high-performance audio capture on macOS.[^sck-spec]
Speech recognition models execute via the Apple Neural Engine.[^whisper-core]

[^sck-spec]: Apple Developer Documentation: ScreenCaptureKit Framework (macOS 14.2+).
[^whisper-core]: Radford, A. et al. (2022). Robust Speech Recognition via Large-Scale Weak Supervision.

Regardless of what names you assign in raw text, modern Markdown engines automatically number footnotes sequentially (1, 2, 3...) in the rendered document.

Multi-paragraph footnotes

To include multiple paragraphs, bullet lists, or code snippets inside a footnote, indent each additional paragraph by four spaces (or one tab):

Enterprise software audits require strict compliance validation.[^audit-note]

[^audit-note]: The initial security audit was completed in Q3 2026.

    Specific findings included:
    - Zero background telemetry egress detected.
    - All Whisper models execute 100% on-device on Apple Silicon.

    Reference: Internal Security Verification Report 2026-A.

Inline footnotes (Short-form syntax)

Some extended Markdown engines support inline footnotes using the syntax ^[This is an inline footnote]:

This approach guarantees total privacy^[Verified via local network packet inspection.] on macOS.

While convenient, standard reference tags ([^1]) are broader in compatibility and better supported across static site generators and Obsidian.

Best practices for footnote management

Keep definitions at the bottom: Place all footnote definitions at the very end of your document, organized under a ## References or ## Footnotes section.
Anchor closely to punctuation: Place the footnote tag immediately following the punctuation mark (e.g., statement.[^1] rather than statement [^1]).
Use descriptive identifiers: Using names like [^kleppmann2019] prevents numbering chaos when adding or removing footnotes during document revisions.

Footnotes in Oyma on macOS

In Oyma:

Footnote tags render as elegant, clickable superscript numbers.
Clicking a footnote anchor smoothly scrolls to the definition at the bottom of the note.
Clicking the return arrow returns your cursor precisely to your reading position.
Raw files remain 100% standard plain text on your Mac.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard syntax for creating a footnote in Markdown?: Place an anchor tag containing a caret inside square brackets directly following the text (`[^1]`). Then define the footnote at the bottom of the document with the matching identifier: `[^1]: Explanation text`.
Can I use descriptive text identifiers instead of numbers for footnotes?: Yes. Footnote identifiers can be numbers (`[^1]`) or alphanumeric strings (`[^rfc-spec]`, `[^privacy-audit]`). Markdown parsers automatically renumber them into sequential numerals (1, 2, 3) in the rendered output.
Can a footnote span multiple paragraphs in Markdown?: Yes. Indent subsequent paragraphs or code blocks by four spaces directly beneath the footnote definition line. The indented content remains part of that footnote.
How does Oyma render footnotes in the live editor?: Oyma displays footnote anchors as clean clickable superscripts that jump directly to the citation block at the bottom of the note, with bidirectional return navigation.