Hey everyone! I’m having a hard time with text formatting in my Python Telegram Bot. The markdown stuff is driving me crazy! There are two versions (Markdown and Markdown_V2) and they act differently. Plus, neither matches what happens when you type in the chat yourself.
I tried this:
*Bold*, _italic_, *_bold and italic_*, **double bold**, __double italic__, __**double bold and double italic**__
But it’s not working right in either version. Some things come out bold or italic, but others don’t. And forget about double bold or double italic!
Can anyone explain how to do bold AND italic text? Are there other cool formatting tricks like underlining? I’m lost here and could really use some help. Thanks!
I’ve encountered similar frustrations with Telegram Bot formatting. From my experience, sticking to Markdown V2 is generally more reliable. For bold and italic combined, try using ***text***. Underlining isn’t supported natively, but you can use __text__ for underline-like emphasis.
One trick I’ve found helpful is using a pre-formatted code block for complex formatting. It preserves spaces and special characters without escaping. Just wrap your text in triple backticks:
*Bold*
_Italic_
***Bold and Italic***
`Monospace`
This approach has saved me a lot of headaches when dealing with multiple formatting styles in one message. Hope this helps with your bot development!
yo, i feel ya on the formatting headache! markdown v2 is usually better, but it’s still a pain. try this for bold+italic. no underlining, sadly.
pro tip: use backticks for code blocks to avoid escaping characters. it’s a lifesaver when you’re juggling different styles!
I’ve been down that Telegram Bot formatting rabbit hole too, and it’s definitely a challenge.
For bold and italic together, use asterisks like this: bold and italic. It works consistently in Markdown V2.
One thing that’s helped me a ton is using a testing approach. I create a separate test bot and channel where I can experiment with different formatting styles without messing up my main bot.
Also, don’t forget about inline code formatting with single backticks. It’s great for highlighting commands or short snippets.
Lastly, when in doubt, I fall back to plain text. Sometimes simplicity is the best solution, especially if your users are on different devices or clients that might render formatting differently.