How to Bold Text in Discord (Markdown, 2026)

Discord has two ways to get bold text. The official one is markdown: wrap a word in two asterisks, send it, and Discord renders it bold. You never leave the chat box.

The other is a unicode generator. You copy letters that already look heavy and paste them. That does not change how Discord structures the message. This guide covers both.

How to Bold Text in Discord with Markdown

If you need bold text Discord chat, use markdown. Type two asterisks, your words, then two more asterisks.

**Server reset at 9pm EST. Be online.** sends as a fully bold sentence.

Need one word loud? Bring **potions** and food bolds only potions. That is how to make text bold on Discord in a message. No extra app. Discord markdown bold is built in.

On desktop, select the words and press Ctrl+B (Cmd+B on Mac). Discord wraps the selection in ** for you.

The rest of Discord markdown

You can stack other formats in the same message. These all render in the composer.

*quietly* → italic
***read this twice*** → bold italic
__new rule__ → underline
~~old time~~ → strikethrough
`!play` → inline code
Three backticks before and after a block → a code block you can paste logs into

A real combo looks like this: **Boss:** *do not* ~~skip~~ the __loot rules__. Discord paints each piece when you send.

Want every formatting trick? See the full Discord text formatting cheat sheet for spoilers, quotes, lists, mix rules, and a fix list when the markers print as plain text.

Want literal asterisks instead of bold? Wrap them in backticks, or put a backslash in front: \*not bold\*.

Where markdown actually works

Use it in the message box. Chat, DMs, and announcements all parse **text**.

The iOS and Android apps do the same. You type the asterisks, send, and discord bold text shows up. You do not need the desktop client.

Display names do not parse markdown. Type **Nova** in that field and people will see the asterisks. That is when you switch to method 2.

How to Get Bold Discord Names with Unicode

Want a bold nickname, server name, or channel name? Asterisks will not help. Those fields never run markdown. You paste unicode letters that already look like 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝.

Step 1: Open the Bold Text Generator

Go to the Bold Text Generator. Keep Discord open so you can paste as soon as you copy.
Step 2: Type and copy

Type the short name you want. Copy the bold preview. Stick to one style. A 32-character display name fills up fast.
Step 3: Paste where markdown cannot reach

For a global look, go to User Settings → Profiles and paste into Display Name. For one server, paste into that server's nickname. Owners paste into the server name or a channel name. Save, then check the member list or sidebar.

What you paste

𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 · 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐚 · 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐝

These are standard Unicode mathematical bold letters, not a font file. Discord already renders them, so they show in display names, server names, and channel names.

Want kawaii style too? Keep the name bold and steal one cute word from cute fonts. Do not script the whole line.

Also want decorative unicode fonts for your display name? That is a different guide. This page is how to bold text in Discord. The other one is how to get Discord fonts — bubble, script, and other looks — with the same copy-paste loop.

What Discord Actually Allows

Messages vs display names

Discord native markdown works in the message box: **bold**, *italic*, ***bold italic***, __underline__, ~~strikethrough~~, inline `code`, and ``` code blocks ```.

It does not run on your display name. Asterisks stay asterisks there.

@username vs display name (since May 2023)

Your @username is globally unique. It only allows lowercase letters, numbers, underscores, and periods. You cannot put markdown or unicode bold in that handle.

Your display name is the other field. It can be 1 to 32 characters. It can include unicode fancy letters and emoji. It does not have to be unique. Two people can share 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐚. Only the @username has to be one-of-a-kind.

Unicode bold in names

Letters like 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 are normal Unicode. Paste them into a display name, server name, or channel name and they show up. Discord is not applying a style. It is drawing the character you pasted.

Text channel names still lowercase ordinary A–Z and turn spaces into hyphens. Unicode bold is not ordinary A–Z, so 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 keeps its look.

Mobile is the same

The mobile app parses the same markdown as desktop. Type **text** in the composer and it renders when you send. For names, copy-paste unicode the same way you would on a computer.

Mentions still use @username

Friends ping you with your unique @username, not the bold display name. A name like 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐚 does not change how people tag you. They still type @yourusername.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I bold text in Discord?

Wrap the words in two asterisks on each side. Type **hello** in the message box and Discord renders it as bold. That is Discord markdown bold. For a display name, copy unicode bold letters from a generator and paste them instead.

Does Discord markdown bold work on mobile?

Yes. The iOS and Android apps parse the same markdown as desktop. Type **text** in the composer and it renders as bold when you send. You do not need a different method on your phone.

Can I make my Discord display name bold?

Not with markdown. Display names do not parse **asterisks**. Open a bold text generator, copy the unicode result (like 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝), and paste it into Display Name. Keep it under 32 characters.

Why do asterisks show up in my nickname instead of bold?

Nicknames and display names are not message fields, so Discord never runs markdown on them. The asterisks save as literal characters. Use unicode bold letters instead.

Can I bold a Discord server name or channel name?

Yes, with unicode. Markdown does not render in those fields. Generate bold letters, copy them, and paste into the server name or channel name. They display because they are standard Unicode characters.

What is the difference between markdown bold and unicode bold?

Markdown (**text**) is Discord's built-in formatter. It only works in the message box. Unicode bold (𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝) is a different set of characters you copy and paste. Unicode travels into names, channels, and other apps.

Need bold where markdown cannot reach? Copy a line from the Bold Text Generator and paste it into your display name.

Open the Bold Text Generator