--- title: Writing and formatting url: https://www.tines.com/docs/cases/content-updates/writing-and-formatting/ updated: 2026-04-23T19:31:14+00:00 --- *[tines.com](https://www.tines.com/llms.txt) › [Docs](https://www.tines.com/llms.txt) › [Cases](https://www.tines.com/llm/docs/cases.md) › [Case content](https://www.tines.com/llm/docs/cases/content-updates.md)* # Writing and formatting *[View on tines.com](https://www.tines.com/docs/cases/content-updates/writing-and-formatting/)* Use CommonMark formatting, slash commands, and @mentions to write rich, structured content inside case descriptions, notes, and comments. ### Where the rich-text editor appears The same editor is used across all case content surfaces:

urface	What it's for	Character limit
Description	Primary narrative; searchable; always pinned to the top of the case.	640,000
Note blocks	Discrete rich-text sections within the block structure.	15,000
HTML blocks	Rendered HTML content within the block structure.	60,000
Comments	Activity timeline discussion. Sticky composer at the bottom of the panel.	640,000

> **TIP:** Headings you add inside the description appear in the table of contents sidebar, making long descriptions scannable. --- ### Slash commands (`/`) Type `/` anywhere in the editor to open the command menu. The available commands are: | Command | Description | | --- | --- | | **Heading** (1–6) | Insert a heading. Headings in the description appear in the table of contents. | | **Bullet list** | Unordered list. | | **Ordered list** | Numbered list. | | **Task list** | Checklist with toggleable checkboxes. | | **Callout** | Highlighted callout block. Once inside a callout, `/` also offers callout type variants (info, warning, success, error). | | **Code block** | Fenced code block for logs, IOCs, CLI output, or scripts. | | **Quote** | Block quote for referenced material. | | **Table** | Insert a table. Additional `/` commands for row and column operations are available when the cursor is inside a table. | | **Image** | Insert an image from file or URL. | | **Mermaid** | Insert a Mermaid diagram rendered inline. Useful for flowcharts, sequence diagrams, or timelines. | > **INFO:** Horizontal rules can be created ( ---) via markdown typing shortcuts but are not listed in the slash command menu. --- ### Mentions (`@`) Type `@` to open the mention picker. Mentions are **not limited to users** — you can mention a wide range of Tines entities: | Mentionable entity | What happens | | --- | --- | | **User** | Creates a mention pill linking to the user's profile. Subscribes them to case notifications. | | **Case** | Deep link to another case. | | **Story** | Deep link to a story. | | **Page** | Deep link to a page. | | **Action** | Deep link to an action within a story. | | **Resource** | Deep link to a resource. | | **Webhook** | Deep link to a webhook. | | **Case input** | Reference to a case input. | | **Case button** | Reference to a case button (case action). | | **Case file** | Reference to a file attached to the case. | | **Case block** | Reference to a block within the case. | | **Record type** | Reference to a record type. | > **TIP:** @mentioning a **user** subscribes them to the case and triggers a notification. Mentioning non-user entities creates a navigable link but does not trigger notifications. Use user mentions intentionally to keep notification noise low. ### Images and uploads You can add images to any rich-text surface: - **Paste from clipboard** — take a screenshot and paste (`Ctrl/Cmd + V`) directly into the editor. The image renders inline immediately. - **Drag and drop** — drag an image file from your desktop into the editor. - **Slash command** — type `/image` to insert via the command menu. Images are uploaded as case files and are subject to the **60 MB file size limit** per file. > **TIP:** Inline images are immediately visible to all case viewers — prefer pasting screenshots over attaching files when the visual context matters. ### Code blocks Use code blocks for preserving formatting on structured content like log entries, IOC lists, JSON payloads, or CLI output. - **Via slash command:** type `/code` and select **Code block**. - **Via markdown shortcut:** type ````` and press Enter. Content inside a code block is rendered in a monospace font and is not parsed for formatting. ### CommonMark and GFM formatting The editor supports [CommonMark](https://commonmark.org/) and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) syntax. You can type markdown directly or use the toolbar and slash commands. | Format | Syntax | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | Bold | `**text**` | **text** | | Italic | `*text*` | *text* | | Strikethrough | `~text~` | ~text~ | | Inline code | `` `code` `` | `code` | | Link | `[text](url)` | [text](https://hq.tines.io/workbench/url) | | Heading | `# H1` through `### H3` | Heading levels 1–3 | | Bullet list | `- item` | Unordered list | | Ordered list | `1. item` | Numbered list | | k list | `- [ ] item` | Checkbox list | | Block quote | `> text` | Block quote | | Code block | ` ``` ` | Fenced code block | > **TIP:** When working with the Cases API or story actions, content is stored and returned as raw CommonMark markup. Familiarity with the syntax is helpful when building automations that populate case content. ### Formulas in case content When formulas are enabled on a rich-text surface, you can embed Tines formula expressions directly in case content. This is primarily relevant when case content is populated by story automations — allowing dynamic values to be resolved at write time. ### Best practices - **Use headings in descriptions** to create a scannable structure — they populate the table of contents. - **Paste images inline** rather than attaching files — they're immediately visible to all viewers. - **Use @mentions intentionally** — mentioning a user subscribes them and triggers notifications. - **Use code blocks for IOCs, logs, and structured data** to preserve formatting and readability. - **Promote decisions from comments** into the description or a note block so they're durable and findable.