# Could also support two spaces for list indentation?

**URL:** <https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022>\
**Category:** Spec\
**Created:** [February 23, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022 "2016-02-23T12:53:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/jackycute/32/908_2.png) [@jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/jackycute)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022/1 "2016-02-23T12:53:17Z")

</div>

Example:

1. Test 1.

- Blah.
- Blah.

1. Test 2.

```auto
1. Test 1.
  - Blah.
  - Blah.
2. Test 2.

```

Because GitHub support two spaces indentation list. (also here)  
Could CommonMark also support two spaces for list indentation?

Thank you guys!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jgm](https://talk.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/jgm/32/1360_2.png) [@jgm](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/jgm)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 5:52am UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022/2 "2016-02-24T05:52:56Z")

</div>

See the spec for [an extensive discussion of the choice points for indented lists](http://spec.commonmark.org/0.24/#motivation), including an explanation of why a rigid 2-space rule wasn’t chosen.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/jackycute/32/908_2.png) [@jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/jackycute)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 6:17am UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022/3 "2016-02-24T06:17:36Z")

</div>

Thanks, I get it now.  
Seems CommonMark would never use other rules than 4-spaces indentation rule.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jgm](https://talk.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/jgm/32/1360_2.png) [@jgm](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/jgm)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022/4 "2016-02-24T21:43:00Z")

</div>

@jackycute no, CommonMark does _not_ use the 4-space rule (or a 2-space rule). That, too, is explained in the document I linked to.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/jackycute/32/908_2.png) [@jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/jackycute)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022/5 "2016-02-25T01:46:54Z")

</div>

Huh, OK, Now I read whole paragraph.  
I was wrong.  
So different structure have different indent rules.  
Right?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jgm](https://talk.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/jgm/32/1360_2.png) [@jgm](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/jgm)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022/6 "2016-02-25T17:08:43Z")

</div>

The basic idea is that you need to indent to where the text after the list marker starts – not just for sublists, but for any block-level content to be included under a list item.

So,

```auto
- Here
  - two spaces is enough

```

```auto
 - Here
    - you need four

```

```auto
1. Here
   - you need three

```

```auto
1. Here
     - you need five

```

Please read the whole section on list items, which covers the rules in great detail with many examples.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/jackycute/32/908_2.png) [@jackycute](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/jackycute)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/could-also-support-two-spaces-for-list-indentation/2022/7 "2016-02-28T03:17:54Z")

</div>

Thank you! Now I totally get it!