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Ulysses Tables Not Working

Workaround available macOS, iOS, iPadOS Updated October 21, 2026

Quick answer

Ulysses supports tables since version 27, but only in the Markdown XL markup. If (tbl) does nothing, convert the sheet to Markdown XL or assign the (tbl) tag in your custom markup.

Most likely fix: Switch to Markdown XL.

Symptoms

Typing (tbl) inserts plain text; Insert > Table is missing; tables vanish in RTF exports or placeholder cells export empty.

Why it happens

  • Sheet uses Markdown, Minimark or Textile'd instead of Markdown XL
  • Custom markup has no (tbl) tag assigned
  • RTF export doesn't support tables
  • Lorem ipsum placeholder cells export as empty

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Switch to Markdown XL

    1. Mac: Edit > Convert Markup > Markdown XL
    2. iPhone/iPad: tap the ellipsis in the editor > Customize Editor > Markup > Markdown XL

  2. 2. Insert the table

    1. Mac: type (tbl), use Insert > Table, or press Cmd-9 and pick (tbl) Table
    2. iPhone/iPad: type (tbl) or tap Insert above the keyboard > Table
    3. Click/tap the table header to change rows, columns and caption

  3. 3. Fix custom markup (Mac)

    1. Ulysses > Settings > Markup > [your markup]
    2. Assign the (tbl) tag to tables

  4. 4. Export to a supported format

    1. Use DOCX, PDF, HTML, ePub or Markdown - RTF doesn't support tables
    2. Replace placeholder text before exporting

This guide also covers

  • ulysses tables
  • ulysses table not working
  • how to add table in ulysses
  • ulysses markdown xl

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