markdownlint/doc/md022.md

# `MD022` - Headings should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: `blank_lines`, `headers`, `headings`

Aliases: `blanks-around-headers`, `blanks-around-headings`

Parameters:

- `lines_above`: Blank lines above heading (`integer`, default `1`)
- `lines_below`: Blank lines below heading (`integer`, default `1`)

Fixable: Some violations can be fixed by tooling

This rule is triggered when headings (any style) are either not preceded or not
followed by at least one blank line:

```markdown
# Heading 1
Some text

Some more text
## Heading 2
```

To fix this, ensure that all headings have a blank line both before and after
(except where the heading is at the beginning or end of the document):

```markdown
# Heading 1

Some text

Some more text

## Heading 2
```

The `lines_above` and `lines_below` parameters can be used to specify a
different number of blank lines (including `0`) above or below each heading. If
the value `-1` is used for either parameter, any number of blank lines is
allowed.

Note: If `lines_above` or `lines_below` are configured to require more than one
blank line, [MD012/no-multiple-blanks](md012.md) should also be customized.

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including `kramdown`,
will not parse headings that don't have a blank line before, and will parse them
as regular text.