MD034 - URLs should be formatted as links¶
Aliases: no-bare-urls
What this rule does¶
Ensures URLs are properly formatted with angle brackets or as clickable links, not pasted as plain text.
Why this matters¶
- Clickability: Not all Markdown renderers make plain URLs clickable
- Consistency: Mixed URL formats look unprofessional
- Control: Proper link formatting lets you customize the display text
Examples¶
✅ Correct¶
For more information, see <https://example.com>.
Visit [our website](https://example.com) for details.
Email us at <contact@example.com>
Chat with me at <xmpp:user@example.com>
❌ Incorrect¶
For more information, see https://example.com.
Email us at contact@example.com
Chat with me at xmpp:user@example.com
🔧 Fixed¶
For more information, see <https://example.com>.
Email us at <contact@example.com>
Chat with me at <xmpp:user@example.com>
Configuration¶
This rule has no configuration options.
Automatic fixes¶
This rule automatically wraps plain URLs, email addresses, and XMPP URIs in angle brackets (< and >).
GFM extended autolinks¶
This rule supports GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown) extended autolinks, including:
- HTTP/HTTPS URLs:
https://example.com - FTP URLs:
ftp://files.example.com - Email addresses:
user@example.com - XMPP URIs:
xmpp:user@example.comorxmpp:user@example.com/resource - WWW URLs without protocol:
www.example.com
Learn more¶
- CommonMark autolinks - Technical specification for URL formatting
- GFM autolinks extension - GFM extended autolinks specification
- Markdown Guide - Links - Best practices for links