# Unexpected formatting in triple-tick code blocks
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 6, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101 "2025-03-06T15:42:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101/1 "2025-03-06T15:42:56Z")
I know a new editor is in the works, but presumably the underlying markdown will be the same, and its interpolation will stay the same, so…
In triple-backtick (`````) code blocks, I’ve noticed that some formatting is improperly applied. Here’s a screenshot from me fixing a user’s post. This is the before:
If I change it to a single-tick block there’s no formatting, as expected (please ignore the Grammarly underline on the left):
---
### Author:  [@per1234](https://meta.discourse.org/u/per1234)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101/2 "2025-03-06T16:05:29Z")
Hi @ganncamp. What is the value of the “Default code lang” site setting on that forum?
---
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101/3 "2025-03-06T16:19:14Z")
It’s `auto`
---
### Author:  [@supermathie](https://meta.discourse.org/u/supermathie)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101/4 "2025-03-06T20:10:03Z")
The `auto` lang for this particular code block is detecting the language as `markdown`, that’s why:
(lang=auto; my incomplete snippet is detected as ruby)
```auto
sonar-scanner … etc etc include=src/ **,apps/** ,include/ **,gui/** -Dsonar=true…
```
(lang=markdown)
```markdown
sonar-scanner … etc etc include=src/ **,apps/** ,include/ **,gui/** -Dsonar=true…
```
(lang=text)
```plaintext
sonar-scanner … etc etc include=src/ **,apps/** ,include/ **,gui/** -Dsonar=true…
```
(lang=bash)
```bash
sonar-scanner … etc etc include=src/ **,apps/** ,include/ **,gui/** -Dsonar=true…
```
You can change this for _every_ post by changing the default code lang to `text` or one post by writing e.g.:
````
```text
sonar-scanner … etc etc include=src/ **,apps/** ,include/ **,gui/** -Dsonar=true…
```
````
producing the (lang=text) block above
---
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2025, 12:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101/5 "2025-03-07T12:34:21Z")
But why would formatting _ever_ be applied in a code block?
---
### Author:  [@renato](https://meta.discourse.org/u/renato)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2025, 12:59pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101/6 "2025-03-07T12:59:43Z")
It’s just syntax highlighting your code, but with the wrong language after HighlightJS “auto-detected” it.
Notice the same doesn’t happen here on Meta unless you explicitly start your code block with ````auto`, because we have “Default code lang” set as `text`.
---
### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unexpected-formatting-in-triple-tick-code-blocks/356101/7 "2025-09-17T22:44:07Z")