2 Best Hacks On How To Bold Text in Discord Chats

How to bold text in discord is one of those small but powerful skills that instantly makes you stand out in conversations. Whether you’re managing a server, giving instructions, or just adding emphasis during a late-night chat, knowing the proper way to bold text can make your message clearer and more effective. In fact, many new Discord users ask about how to bold text in discord because they see bold announcements or highlighted rules and wonder how it’s done. The good news is that it isn’t complicated you just need to know two reliable hacks that work every single time.
In this article, we’ll cover the two best methods for how to bold text in discord: the official Markdown method and the invisible character method. By the end, you’ll have a complete guide to using bold text with confidence, precision, and even a few advanced tricks.
Why Bold Text Matters in Discord
Before jumping into the hacks, it’s worth asking: why even bother learning how to bold text in discord? Bold text isn’t just for style, it’s for function. In crowded chats, bold text helps your message cut through the noise. For server moderators, it highlights rules and announcements. For friends, it adds humor or emphasis in casual conversation.
Think of bold as the digital equivalent of raising your voice slightly to be heard. When used sparingly and correctly, bolding keeps attention where you want it. That’s why so many users look up how to bold text in discord because communication online is all about clarity.
Hack #1 — The Official Markdown Method
The first and most common answer to how to bold text in discord is Markdown formatting. Discord supports a lightweight text styling system called Markdown. It’s simple: you put two asterisks ** on each side of the word or phrase you want bold, and Discord will render it that way.
Example:
Typing important appears as important when you hit enter.
Step-by-Step for Markdown:
- Open your Discord chat box.
- Type your sentence normally.
- Surround the word you want bold with two asterisks.
- Send, and watch your text appear bold.
If someone asks you how to bold text in discord on mobile, the process is identical—just type the asterisks using your phone’s keyboard.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Adding spaces between the asterisks and the word. ( bold won’t work.)
- Forgetting to close with two asterisks. (word stays plain.)
- Mixing italics by using one asterisk on accident.
Markdown also lets you combine styles. If you want bold and underline, type __word__. If you need bold italics, type word. Once you master these, explaining how to bold text in discord to others becomes second nature.
Hack #2 — The Invisible Character Method
The second method is less known but just as powerful. It uses invisible characters specifically the zero-width space (ZWSP) to control formatting. This hack is perfect for teachers, server admins, or anyone who wants more precision when showing how to bold text in discord.
Why Invisible Characters Help

Sometimes you want to show the syntax itself without activating it. For example, if you want to teach someone how to bold text in discord but don’t want your example to actually turn bold, you can insert a zero-width space between the asterisks. To the eye, the characters look the same, but Discord recognizes them as broken up, so they won’t trigger formatting.
Another use case is avoiding unwanted pings. Imagine you’re writing a guide and you type @everyone. You don’t want to notify the entire server. By adding an invisible character inside (@everyone), you stop the ping, while still showing what it looks like in bold formatting.
Steps for Using Invisible Characters:
- Copy a zero-width space character.
- Insert it between formatting symbols when you don’t want them to trigger.
- Use it to break up mentions, punctuation, or emoji that shouldn’t be bold.
- Send the message—your text will appear exactly how you intended.
This is the advanced solution to how to bold text in discord. It gives you fine-grained control. And interestingly, this same invisible character is also used in the whatsapp blank message trick , proving how versatile it is across messaging platforms.
When to Use Each Hack
Now that you know both methods, the question becomes: when should you use them?
- Use Markdown (Hack #1) when you simply want bold emphasis. It’s quick, clean, and supported everywhere.
- Use Invisible Characters (Hack #2) when you’re teaching, demonstrating, or avoiding accidental formatting. It’s advanced but incredibly useful.
Both approaches solve the question of how to bold text in discord, but each has its place depending on your context.
Practical Examples
To give you a feel for how these hacks look in real chat, here are some scenarios where you’d apply them:
- Announcements: “Reminder: Meeting starts at 5 PM.” (Markdown)
- Rules List: “Please follow Rule #1 at all times.” (Markdown)
- Tutorial: “Type **word** to make it bold.” (Invisible character method to avoid auto-bold)
- Safe Demo: “To bold @everyone without pinging, type @everyone.” (Invisible character inside mention)
These examples show the versatility of knowing how to bold text in discord properly.
Recap
Let’s quickly summarize the two hacks:
- Hack #1: Markdown — Add two asterisks around words. It’s the simplest and fastest way.
- Hack #2: Invisible Characters — Use zero-width spaces to prevent triggering bold when you’re only showing examples or to stop unwanted pings.
With these two methods, you’ll never struggle again with how to bold text in discord. Whether you need simple emphasis or advanced control, both hacks cover every situation.
Final Opinion
Learning how to bold text in discord may seem like a tiny detail, but small skills often make the biggest difference. Clear communication builds authority in servers, whether you’re leading a group or just chatting with friends. Bold text grabs attention, avoids misunderstandings, and shows professionalism.
By mastering both the Markdown method and the invisible character method, you’re ready to handle any formatting situation. The first hack gives you speed and simplicity, while the second offers precision and teaching control. Together, they’re the complete answer to how to bold text in discord.
So next time you see someone wondering how to bold text in discord, you’ll have not just one solution but two powerful hacks that always deliver.