WhatsApp Message Text Formatter
WhatsApp can show bold, italic, strikethrough and monospace text, but only if you know the codes. Select your words, pick a format and see the message as it will look in the chat.
*Sale ends tonight* → Sale ends tonight
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Preview
How your message looks in WhatsApp
Your formatted message appears here.
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How to format a WhatsApp message
in four steps
-
1
Type or paste your message
Write your message in the editor, or paste one you already have.
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2
Select the words to format
Highlight the text you want to change, or click a format first and type inside it.
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3
Pick a format
Click Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Monospace. The preview shows the message as it looks in a WhatsApp chat.
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4
Copy and send
Click Copy and paste the message into WhatsApp. The symbols turn into formatting when you send it.
| Format | Type this | Shows as |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | *text* | text |
| Italic | _text_ | text |
| Strikethrough | ~text~ | |
| Monospace | ```text``` | text |
WhatsApp formatting
questions
Does WhatsApp support text formatting?
Yes. WhatsApp supports bold, italic, strikethrough and monospace text using special characters. This tool adds them for you, so you don’t need to remember the codes.
What’s the difference between *bold* and _italic_?
Asterisks make text bold and underscores make it italic. WhatsApp applies the formatting automatically when the message is sent.
Can I combine bold and italic?
Yes. Wrap the text in both, like *_bold and italic_*. The preview shows the combined effect.
Why isn’t my formatted text showing in WhatsApp?
Formatting codes only work in WhatsApp itself, and some third-party apps don’t support them. The symbols must also sit right next to the text, with no space between them, and a symbol in the middle of a word is left as it is. There’s no way to escape a symbol, so a pair like *this* is always formatted.
What’s the character limit for a WhatsApp message?
4,096 characters per message. The counter under the editor turns yellow as you get close and red near the limit.
Crafting broadcast messages?
Send them with Watso.
Watso sends formatted messages to thousands of contacts on the official WhatsApp API.