Compare a few things clearly.
Build a small table and recognise when a list or spreadsheet is a better fit.
Read the descriptive transcript
Follow the complete narration and the changes shown in the video. Each example can be copied.
1. A comparison needs shared fields
These two lines compare a format with its purpose. They look like a table in the source, but the preview is still a paragraph. We need the separator row.
Source shown
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| Markdown | Guides |On screen
The cursor points to the source or its result while the explanation is narrated.
2. 1. Separate the header
Below the header, type the separator row. Each cell contains three hyphens. The parser now recognises a table with two columns.
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The source changes one character at a time and the parsed preview updates.
3. 2. Add another option
Add Plain text and Short notes as a new row. The pipes divide the cells. Keep the same two columns so readers can compare like with like.
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| --- | --- |
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| Plain text | Short notes |On screen
The source changes one character at a time and the parsed preview updates.
4. A table is not a spreadsheet
The preview displays the words you supplied. It has not checked the comparison or calculated anything. Use a spreadsheet for formulas, and sections when the explanations become long.
Source shown
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| Markdown | Guides |
| Plain text | Short notes |On screen
The cursor points to the source or its result while the explanation is narrated.
5. Your turn: repair the separator
Now try the unfinished table below. Add the separator and the Plain text row. Read the result, then check the structure. Table support depends on where you publish the Markdown.
Source shown
| Format | Best for |
| --- | --- |
| Markdown | Guides |
| Plain text | Short notes |On screen
The cursor points to the source or its result while the explanation is narrated.
Start with a small comparison
Tables suit short entries that share the same fields. Use a list for a single stream of points, or sections for long explanations. A spreadsheet is a better fit when you need formulas, sorting or a large dataset. This lesson assumes you can edit a plain Markdown document.
Give the header a separator
The example compares formats by purpose. The first row names the fields. The next row marks it as a table, and the remaining rows hold entries.
| Format | Best for |
| ---------- | ----------- |
| Markdown | Guides |
| Plain text | Short notes |Tables are an extension in GitHub Flavored Markdown, not part of core CommonMark. A GFM table needs a header and a matching delimiter row. Test the document in its intended destination. See the GFM table specification.
Alignment and literal pipes
A colon at the right end of a separator requests right alignment, useful for a small numeric column. Alignment changes presentation, not the value. Escape a literal pipe in a cell so it is not treated as a column boundary:
| Item | Count |
| ------------ | ----: |
| Small pots | 3 |
| A \| B label | 1 |These forms are described in GitHub’s table-formatting guide.
See the mistake, then fix it
Without the separator, the starter reads as ordinary paragraph text. Insert the separator below the header and watch the cells appear. Then add Plain text as the second data row. The check requires two columns with the supplied header and two complete rows. It does not judge whether your comparison is true.
Keep the information usable
Keep cells short, use meaningful column labels and avoid a wide table that needs constant sideways scrolling on a phone. Do not use tables merely to position page elements. If an AI assistant creates a comparison, verify the entries and sources; a tidy grid is not evidence that the claims are correct.
YOUR TURN
Make the idea your own.
Add the missing separator row and a row for Plain text with Best for set to Short notes. Keep two columns in every row.
Readable result
| Format | Best for | | Markdown | Guides |
Compare with one possible answer
| Format | Best for |
| --- | --- |
| Markdown | Guides |
| Plain text | Short notes |This is one approach. Your writing can differ while meeting the same structural goal.
TAKE IT WITH YOU
A table compares repeated fields. It does not calculate them.
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