# MD032 - Separate lists with blank lines
Aliases: `blanks-around-lists`
## What this rule does
Ensures lists have blank lines before and after them, making them visually distinct from surrounding content.
## Why this matters
- **Reliable parsing**: Many Markdown parsers require blank lines to properly recognize lists
- **Visual clarity**: Blank lines make lists stand out from paragraphs
- **Better readability**: Clear separation helps readers scan documents quickly
- **Consistent rendering**: Prevents lists from merging with adjacent content
## Examples
### ✅ Correct
```markdown
Text before the list.
* Item 1
* Item 2
* Item 3
Text after the list.
```
### ❌ Incorrect
```markdown
Text before the list.
* Item 1
* Item 2
* Item 3
Text after the list.
```
<!-- rumdl-enable MD032 -->
### 🔧 Fixed
```markdown
Text before the list.
* Item 1
* Item 2
* Item 3
Text after the list.
```
## Configuration
| `allow-lazy-continuation` | boolean | `true` | Whether to allow lazy continuation (unindented text after list items) |
### Lazy continuation
By default, this rule allows "lazy continuation" - a CommonMark feature where unindented text following a list item becomes part of that list item:
```markdown
1. List item
Some text that continues the list item.
```
When `allow-lazy-continuation` is set to `false`, the rule requires a blank line between the list item and any following unindented text:
```toml
[MD032]
allow-lazy-continuation = false
```
With this setting, the above example would trigger a warning and be auto-fixed to:
```markdown
1. List item
Some text that continues the list item.
```
The fix adds proper indentation to align with the list item's content column, making the continuation explicit rather than relying on lazy continuation behavior.
## Automatic fixes
This rule will:
- Add a blank line before lists that follow other content
- Add a blank line after lists that precede other content
- Handle nested lists correctly (only the outermost list needs surrounding blank lines)
- When `allow-lazy-continuation` is `false`: add proper indentation to lazy continuation lines
## Learn more
- [CommonMark Spec: Lists](https://spec.commonmark.org/0.31.2/#lists)
- [CommonMark Spec: Blank lines](https://spec.commonmark.org/0.31.2/#blank-lines)
## Related rules
- [MD022 - Separate headings with blank lines](md022.md)
- [MD031 - Separate code blocks with blank lines](md031.md)
- [MD004 - Use consistent list markers](md004.md)
- [MD058 - Separate tables with blank lines](md058.md)