# Discourse BBCode nested lists

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bbcode-nested-lists/256593
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** bbcode
**Created:** [March 1, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bbcode-nested-lists/256593 "2023-03-01T00:39:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Robotos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@Robotos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Robotos)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bbcode-nested-lists/256593/1 "2023-03-01T00:39:15Z")

</div>

I’ve noticed that the BBCode plugin, while having lists, does not allow nesting. When I try a nested list using BBCode, it just continues on the top-level list.

I would like to ask if it is possible to add nested BBCode lists to Discourse.

---

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### Author: ![MarcP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/marcp/32/160184_2.png) [@MarcP](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MarcP)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2023, 1:54am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bbcode-nested-lists/256593/2 "2023-03-01T01:54:08Z")

</div>

- You
  - Mean
    - This?

```plaintext
- You
  - Mean
     - This?

```

It’s done with spacing (2 spaces) in front of `-` or `*`.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Robotos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@Robotos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Robotos)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2023, 2:03am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bbcode-nested-lists/256593/3 "2023-03-01T02:03:36Z")

</div>

I’m meaning something more like

```plaintext
[list=1]
[*] Item 1
[*] Item 2
[list=i]
[*] Item 1
[*] Item 2
[/list]
[*] Item 3
[/list]

```

I’m asking this especially regarding ordered lists that use systems like alphabetical numbering or Roman numerals.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2023, 4:56am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bbcode-nested-lists/256593/4 "2023-03-01T04:56:31Z")

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Hello and welcome @Robotos 🙂

I think it would be good to get parity between them, but just in case a workaround would be useful in the short term I think you can do this currently with the html:

```plaintext
<ol type="A">
<li> item 1
<ol type="i">
<li>item 1.1
<li>item 1.2
</ol>
<li> item 2
<li> item 3
</ol>

```

1. item 1
  1. item 1.1
  2. item 1.2

2. item 2
3. item 3

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Canapin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/canapin/32/119591_2.png) [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-bbcode-nested-lists/256593/6 "2023-03-03T00:25:49Z")

</div>

> [@Robotos](#):
>
> BBCode plugin, while having lists, does not allow nesting.

I may be wrong, but I think it’s not possible to achieve what you want with standard BBCode.

I suspect adding the feature would be tedious and not reliable in the sense that it won’t work if you paste your Discourse’s BBCode into another software.

It could also cause issues if you need to parse your BBcode to another formatting language in the future.

* * *

That said, I’m not a programmer. It’s just more of feelings and thoughts.