Formatting

Callouts

Callout types, styles, icons, custom definitions and YAML forms.

Style and options

-C, --callout-style <pretty|simple>[:show-icons;show-simple-icons;fold-icons;label-inside;uppercase] - sets the callout layout and label behavior. show-icons uses Nerd Font glyphs; show-simple-icons uses portable ASCII markers such as [i], [*], [!], and [x]. The two icon options cannot be combined. label-inside is only supported with pretty, fold-icons requires show-icons.
--custom-callout <name:icon=...,color=...;...> - overrides or adds callout labels. icon and color are optional; color formats match --custom-theme.
A Nerd Font is required in the terminal for icons enabled by show-icons and fold-icons to render correctly. show-simple-icons does not require a Nerd Font.

Callout layout

mdv --no-config --theme catppuccin --cols 64 --callout-style pretty example.md

mdv outputVersion 6.1.1

╭─ Note ──────────────────────────╮
│ Read Markdown in your terminal. │
╰─────────────────────────────────╯

╭─ Tip ──────────────────────────────╮
│ Choose a theme for your workspace. │
╰────────────────────────────────────╯

Markdown source

> [!NOTE]
> Read Markdown in your terminal.

> [!TIP]
> Choose a theme for your workspace.

Callout icons

No icons, ASCII markers, or Nerd Font icons.

mdv --no-config --theme catppuccin --cols 64 --callout-style pretty example.md

mdv outputVersion 6.1.1

╭─ Note ──────────────────────────╮
│ Read Markdown in your terminal. │
╰─────────────────────────────────╯

╭─ Tip ──────────────────────────────╮
│ Choose a theme for your workspace. │
╰────────────────────────────────────╯

Markdown source

> [!NOTE]
> Read Markdown in your terminal.

> [!TIP]
> Choose a theme for your workspace.

Callout title position

mdv --no-config --theme catppuccin --cols 64 --callout-style pretty example.md

mdv outputVersion 6.1.1

╭─ Note ──────────────────────────╮
│ Read Markdown in your terminal. │
╰─────────────────────────────────╯

╭─ Tip ──────────────────────────────╮
│ Choose a theme for your workspace. │
╰────────────────────────────────────╯

Markdown source

> [!NOTE]
> Read Markdown in your terminal.

> [!TIP]
> Choose a theme for your workspace.

Callout title case

mdv --no-config --theme catppuccin --cols 64 --callout-style pretty example.md

mdv outputVersion 6.1.1

╭─ Note ──────────────────────────╮
│ Read Markdown in your terminal. │
╰─────────────────────────────────╯

╭─ Tip ──────────────────────────────╮
│ Choose a theme for your workspace. │
╰────────────────────────────────────╯

Markdown source

> [!NOTE]
> Read Markdown in your terminal.

> [!TIP]
> Choose a theme for your workspace.

Markdown input

> [!NOTE]
> Keep related information together.

> [!WARNING]
> Check the selected destination before continuing.

Built-in types are note, abstract, info, todo, tip, success, question, warning, failure, danger, bug, example and quote. Fold indicators describe presentation; terminal content remains visible.

Fold indicator

mdv --no-config --theme catppuccin --cols 64 --callout-style 'pretty:show-icons' example.md

mdv outputVersion 6.1.1

╭─  Details ───────────────────────╮
│ Terminal content remains visible. │
╰───────────────────────────────────╯

Markdown source

> [!NOTE]- Details
> Terminal content remains visible.

Examples

Custom callout color

mdv --no-config --theme catppuccin --cols 64 example.md

mdv outputVersion 6.1.1

╭─ Note ──────────────────────────╮
│ Read Markdown in your terminal. │
╰─────────────────────────────────╯

╭─ Tip ──────────────────────────────╮
│ Choose a theme for your workspace. │
╰────────────────────────────────────╯

Markdown source

> [!NOTE]
> Read Markdown in your terminal.

> [!TIP]
> Choose a theme for your workspace.

YAML and color precedence

callout_style:
  style: pretty
  show_simple_icons: true
  label_inside: true
  uppercase: false
custom_callout:
  tip:
    icon: "*"
    color: green
  custom:
    color: "#89b4fa"

Custom definitions merge by name and property. A color-only override keeps the icon. null clears a property or entry, and root null or {} clears the setting. CLI also accepts tip:color=null, tip:null and --custom-callout null.

At the same source priority, a type’s custom color wins over the common callout.label, then callout.palette. Higher-priority CLI colors beat lower-priority configuration colors. Frames use the independent callout.border; see the theme field reference.