# MD027 - No multiple spaces after quote marker

Aliases: `no-multiple-space-blockquote`

## What this rule does

Ensures quoted text has only one space after the > symbol, not multiple spaces.

## Why this matters

- **Consistency**: Extra spaces create uneven indentation in quotes
- **Readability**: Consistent spacing makes quoted content easier to follow
- **Standards**: One space after > is the Markdown convention

## Examples

### ✅ Correct

```markdown
> This is a properly formatted quote.
> Each line has one space after the > symbol.
> 
> Even with paragraph breaks.

> > Nested quotes also follow this rule.
> > Each level has one space.
```

### ❌ Incorrect

<!-- rumdl-disable MD027 -->

```markdown
>  This quote has two spaces after >
>   This line has three spaces
>    This line has four spaces

> >  Nested quote with extra spaces
```

<!-- rumdl-enable MD027 -->

### 🔧 Fixed

```markdown
> This quote has two spaces after >
> This line has three spaces
> This line has four spaces

> > Nested quote with extra spaces
```

## Configuration

```toml
[MD027]
# Also flag blockquoted lines that introduce or continue a list item.
# Default: false (rumdl) — see "Known Behavioral Differences" in
# docs/markdownlint-comparison.md. The legacy snake_case key
# `list_items` is also accepted.
list-items = false
```

### `list-items`

When `true`, the rule also flags blockquoted lines that introduce or continue a list item (for example, `>  - item` or `>  more text` directly after a list item). When `false` (rumdl default), such lines are skipped because the extra spaces are typically list-indentation rather than formatting noise.

This mirrors markdownlint's `list_items` option, but rumdl's default is `false` instead of `true`. Set `list-items = true` to opt into the strict markdownlint behavior. See the "Known Behavioral Differences" section of [docs/markdownlint-comparison.md](markdownlint-comparison.md) for the rationale.

## Automatic fixes

This rule automatically removes extra spaces, leaving just one space after each > symbol.

## Learn more

- [CommonMark block quotes](https://spec.commonmark.org/0.31.2/#block-quotes) - Technical specification for quotes
- [Markdown Guide - Blockquotes](https://www.markdownguide.org/basic-syntax/#blockquotes-1) - Quote formatting guide

## Related rules

- [MD028](md028.md) - No blank lines inside quotes
- [MD009](md009.md) - No trailing spaces
- [MD032](md032.md) - Lists should be surrounded by blank lines
