Writing bullet lists that are easy to scan
How to choose a marker, keep items parallel, and decide between bullets and numbers so a list guides the eye instead of cluttering the page.
Bullets versus numbers
Reach for a numbered list when order matters, such as steps in a recipe or a sequence you must follow in turn. Use plain bullets when the items are peers with no ranking, like features, ingredients or options. Mixing the two sends a subtle signal readers pick up on, so a numbered list implies do this first, then this. Choosing the right one up front means the reader never wonders whether sequence is important.
Keep every item parallel
A list reads best when each line starts the same grammatical way, for example all verbs or all nouns. Compare a ragged set that mixes Buy milk with Milk should be bought against a clean run of Buy milk, Walk the dog, Call Ada. Parallel phrasing lets the eye skim the first word of each line and grasp the pattern instantly. When you paste lines into this tool, tidy them into the same shape first and the finished bullets will feel deliberate.
Picking a marker for the destination
The right marker depends on where the list will live. Dash and asterisk are the safe choice for Markdown, GitHub issues and chat apps that render lightweight formatting. The round dot and arrow are literal glyphs that survive a copy into a slide, an email or a document that does not understand Markdown. Numbers suit anything a reader will act on in order. Matching marker to medium keeps the list looking intentional rather than broken.
Indentation and nesting
Adding a couple of leading spaces before each marker pushes a list rightward so it reads as a sub-level beneath a parent point. In Markdown that indent is what turns a flat list into a nested one, with child items tucked under their heading. Keep the indent consistent, since uneven leading space breaks the visual hierarchy and, in Markdown, the nesting itself. A single indent step of two spaces is usually enough to signal one level of depth.