# `MD036` - Emphasis used instead of a heading

Tags: `emphasis`, `headings`

Aliases: `no-emphasis-as-heading`

Parameters:

- `punctuation`: Punctuation characters (`string`, default `.,;:!?。，；：！？`)

This check looks for instances where emphasized (i.e. bold or italic) text is
used to separate sections, where a heading should be used instead:

```markdown
**My document**

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet...

_Another section_

Consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod.
```

To fix this, use Markdown headings instead of emphasized text to denote
sections:

```markdown
# My document

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet...

## Another section

Consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod.
```

Note: This rule looks for single-line paragraphs that consist entirely
of emphasized text. It won't fire on emphasis used within regular text,
multi-line emphasized paragraphs, or paragraphs ending in punctuation
(normal or full-width). Similarly to rule MD026, you can configure what
characters are recognized as punctuation.

Rationale: Using emphasis instead of a heading prevents tools from inferring
the structure of a document. More information:
<https://cirosantilli.com/markdown-style-guide#emphasis-vs-headers>.