Working with Blocks
Blocks are the fundamental content units in Ascend pages — every paragraph, heading, image, and todo item is an individual block you can independently edit, move, duplicate, or delete.
All Block Types
| # | Block | Shortcut | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paragraph | Enter or just type | Body text, descriptions, notes |
| 2 | Heading 1 | # + space | Page title, major sections |
| 3 | Heading 2 | ## + space | Subsections |
| 4 | Heading 3 | ### + space | Sub-subsections, detailed breakdowns |
| 5 | Bulleted List | - + space | Unordered features, options |
| 6 | Numbered List | 1. + space | Steps, sequences, rankings |
| 7 | Todo / Checkbox | [] + space | Task lists, action items, checklists |
| 8 | Callout | /callout | Tips, warnings, important notes |
| 9 | Divider | --- on empty line | Section breaks, visual separation |
| 10 | Quote | > + space | Citations, testimonials |
| 11 | Code Block | ``` on empty line | Code snippets, terminal output |
| 12 | Image | /image | Screenshots, diagrams, photos |
Adding Blocks
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Toolbar | Click any button in the block toolbar |
| Enter key | Press Enter at the end of any block — creates a new paragraph below |
| Slash menu | Type / in an empty block → search and select a type |
| Markdown shortcut | Type the shortcut + space (e.g. # for H1, - for bullet) |
| Smart Paste | Paste text with lists or headings — Ascend auto-detects block types |
Block Operations
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Reorder | Hover → grab the ⋮⋮ drag handle → drag to new position |
| Move up / down | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ↑/↓ or click the ↑↓ buttons |
| Duplicate | Hover → click the 📋 duplicate button |
| Delete | Hover → click 🗑️, or press Backspace on an empty block |
Deleted something by accident?
Press Cmd/Ctrl + Z to undo immediately.
Inline Formatting
All text blocks support:
| Format | Shortcut | Markdown |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Cmd/Ctrl + B | **text** |
| Italic | Cmd/Ctrl + I | *text* |
| Underline | Cmd/Ctrl + U | __text__ |
| — | ~~text~~ | |
Inline code | — | `text` |
| Link | Select text → link icon | — |
Block Type Details
Callout
Highlighted card block — great for tips, warnings, and important notes. Use an emoji in the icon field to signal severity at a glance.
Code Block
Monospace font with syntax highlighting. Set the language (e.g. typescript, python) for colour highlighting. Includes a one-click Copy button.
typescript
function greet(name: string): string {
return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}Image
Upload JPG, PNG, GIF, or WebP. Supports an optional caption field. Images are auto-resized to fit the page width and scanned on upload.
Use the Right Block for the Job
| Content type | Best block |
|---|---|
| Body text | Paragraph |
| Section title | Heading 2 |
| List of items (no order) | Bulleted List |
| Step-by-step instructions | Numbered List |
| Action items / tasks | Todo |
| Important note or warning | Callout |
| Code or terminal commands | Code Block |
| Section break | Divider |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New block | Enter |
| Delete empty block | Backspace |
| Move block up | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ↑ |
| Move block down | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ↓ |
| Open slash menu | / |