format-for-x

name	format-for-x
description	Convert markdown articles to X/Twitter-compatible format. Removes markdown syntax, converts tables to em-dash format, and provides formatting instructions for the X editor.

Format for X (Twitter)

Convert markdown content to X article editor format. The X editor is a rich text editor that does NOT support markdown syntax - formatting must be applied manually using keyboard shortcuts or toolbar buttons.

What This Skill Does

1. Removes all markdown syntax that X doesn't render
2. Converts content to plain text with clear section breaks
3. Provides formatting instructions so you know what to select and format after pasting

X Editor Capabilities

Supported:

• Bold (Cmd+B after selecting text)
• Italic (Cmd+I after selecting text)
• Strikethrough (Cmd+Shift+X)
• Headings (via "Body" dropdown → "Heading")
• Subheadings (via "Body" dropdown → "Subheading")
• Links (inline hyperlinks)
• Line breaks and paragraph spacing

NOT Supported:

• Markdown tables (| syntax)
• Code blocks or inline backticks
• Blockquotes (> syntax)
• Markdown bold/italic markers (text, text)
• Markdown headings (# syntax)
• Lists with automatic styling
• Horizontal rules

---

Conversion Process

When the user provides markdown content, apply these transformations:

1. Headings

Before:

# Main Heading
## Section Heading
### Subsection

After:

Main Heading
[HEADING]

Section Heading
[SUBHEADING]

Subsection
[SUBHEADING]

Remove # characters. Add [HEADING] marker for top-level headings, [SUBHEADING] for all others.

2. Bold and Italic

Before:

This has **bold text** and *italic text* and ***both***.

After:

This has bold text and italic text and both.

Track formatting locations for the instructions section:

• "bold text" → BOLD
• "italic text" → ITALIC
• "both" → BOLD + ITALIC

3. Tables

Before:

| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| -------- | -------- | -------- |
| Value A  | Value B  | Value C  |
| Value D  | Value E  | Value F  |

After:

Column 1 — Column 2 — Column 3
Value A — Value B — Value C
Value D — Value E — Value F

Remove pipe characters and separator rows. Use em-dashes (—) as separators.

4. Code

Inline code:

Use `npm install` to install dependencies.

→

Use npm install to install dependencies.

Code blocks:

```javascript
const x = 1;
```

→

const x = 1;

Remove all backticks. Code will appear as plain text - context makes it clear what's code.

5. Blockquotes

Before:

> This is an important quote that spans
> multiple lines.

After:

"This is an important quote that spans multiple lines."

Remove > characters, wrap in quotes, and note for italic formatting.

6. Lists

Before:

- Item one
- Item two
- Item three

1. First
2. Second
3. Third

After:

• Item one
• Item two
• Item three

1. First
2. Second
3. Third

Convert - or * bullets to •. Keep numbered lists as-is.

7. Horizontal Rules

Before:

---

After:

⸻

Replace with a visual separator or extra blank line.

8. Links

Before:

Check out [this article](https://example.com) for more.

After:

Check out this article (https://example.com) for more.

Or if link text is descriptive enough:

Check out this article for more.
[LINK: "this article" → https://example.com]

---

Output Format

Produce two sections:

Section 1: Formatted Content

The clean, paste-ready text with:

• All markdown syntax removed
• Tables converted to em-dash format
• Proper paragraph spacing (blank lines between sections)
• [HEADING] and [SUBHEADING] markers on their own lines after headings
• Quotes wrapped in quotation marks

Section 2: Formatting Instructions

A numbered list of manual formatting to apply after pasting:

## Formatting Instructions

After pasting into X, apply these formats:

1. Line 1: Select "Main Heading" → Set style to Heading
2. Line 5: Select "Section Title" → Set style to Subheading
3. Line 7: Select "bold text" → Apply Bold (Cmd+B)
4. Line 9: Select "italic phrase" → Apply Italic (Cmd+I)
5. Line 12: Select "link text" → Add link to https://example.com
6. Lines 15-17: Select entire quote → Apply Italic (Cmd+I)

---

Example Transformation

Input:

# Getting Started with AI Agents

This is a paragraph with **bold text** and _italic text_.

## Configuration

| Setting | Value |
| ------- | ----- |
| theme   | dark  |
| version | 1.0   |

Here's some code: `npm install`

> **Important**: This step is critical for success.

### Next Steps

1. Read the docs
2. Try the examples
3. Build something

Output:

Getting Started with AI Agents
[HEADING]

This is a paragraph with bold text and italic text.

Configuration
[SUBHEADING]

Setting — Value
theme — dark
version — 1.0

Here's some code: npm install

"Important: This step is critical for success."

Next Steps
[SUBHEADING]

1. Read the docs
2. Try the examples
3. Build something

Formatting Instructions:

After pasting into X, apply these formats:

1. Select "Getting Started with AI Agents" → Set style to Heading (dropdown)
2. Select "Configuration" → Set style to Subheading (dropdown)
3. Select "bold text" → Apply Bold (Cmd+B)
4. Select "italic text" → Apply Italic (Cmd+I)
5. Select "Next Steps" → Set style to Subheading (dropdown)
6. Select "Important:" → Apply Bold (Cmd+B)
7. Select entire quote line → Apply Italic (Cmd+I)

---

Tips for Best Results

Spacing:

• Add blank lines before and after headings
• Add blank lines between sections
• Keep paragraphs under 150 words for readability

Character encoding:

• Use proper em-dashes (—) not double-hyphens (--)
• Smart quotes ("") work but straight quotes are fine too

Editor quirks:

• Avoid keyboard selection across multiple lines (can cause jumps)
• Triple-click to select entire lines
• Edit small sections at a time

---

Invocation

User says: "Format this for X" or "/format-for-x" followed by markdown content.

Response: Provide the cleaned content and formatting instructions. Do not add commentary - just the two output sections.