diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 282dc97..dfa5899 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ You can process your site with the power of nixpkgs - eg you could process image
 ## How
 
 Read `flake.nix` for basic usage.
-
 The default package will serve the site locally (using caddy)
 
 ```sh
@@ -40,11 +39,11 @@ nix run .#watch
 
 ## features
 
-- [X] file paths
-- [X] global styles
-- [X] custom components with styles
-- [X] component extend / inheritance
-- [ ] templating
+- file paths
+- global styles
+- custom components with styles
+- component extend / inheritance
+- templating
 
 ### markdown
 
@@ -52,16 +51,20 @@ nix run .#watch
 - [X] headers
 - [X] paragraphs
 - [ ] tables
-- [X] lists
-- [ ] embedded lists
+- [X] unordered lists
+- [ ] ordered lists
+- [ ] nested lists
 - [X] checkboxes
+- [X] [links](https://www.markdownguide.org/basic-syntax/#links)
 - [ ] images
-- [ ] links
-- [X] `codeblocks`
-- [X] ~superscript~
-- [X] ^subscript^
-- [X] ==highlight==
-- [X] *italics*
-- [X] **bold**
-- [X] ~~strikethrough~~
+- [ ] block quotes
+- [X] `codeblocks are pretty neat`
+- [X] ~sub~script
+- [X] ^super^script
+- [X] ==mark== my words
+- [X] *italics* _emphasis_ inside*of*the words_with_underscores
+- [X] **bold** __strong__ even**in**words but__dont__break
+- [X] ***bold italics!***
+- [X] ~~strikethrough everything~~
+
 
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index deeeb97..05996ca 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@
         ];
 
         watch = let w = import ./testing/watch.nix pkgs;
-        in w "nix run .#test" "fx";
+        in w "nix run .#test --show-trace" "fx";
 
         dev = let w = import ./testing/watch.nix pkgs;
-        in w "nix run .#" "caddy";
+        in w "nix run .# --show-trace" "caddy";
       };
     };
 }
diff --git a/nixite/md.nix b/nixite/md.nix
index b36be1c..7aa0e36 100644
--- a/nixite/md.nix
+++ b/nixite/md.nix
@@ -1,17 +1,5 @@
 let
   elems = import ./elems.nix;
-  html = import ./html.nix;
-  H = n:
-    let
-      v = if n < 1 then
-        builtins.trace "attempted to make heading size ${toString n} (min is 1)"
-        1
-      else if n > 6 then
-        builtins.trace "attempted to make heading size ${toString n} (max is 6)"
-        6
-      else
-        n;
-    in html.tag "h${toString v}" { };
 in rec {
   readMd = md:
     if builtins.isPath md then
@@ -19,9 +7,7 @@ in rec {
     else
       processMd md;
 
-  processMd = md:
-    (map (c: if builtins.isString c then mdBlock c else "")
-      (builtins.split "\n\n" md));
+  processMd = processStr;
 
   recReadMd = root:
     assert builtins.isPath root;
@@ -46,25 +32,6 @@ in rec {
   mdToPage = md:
     elems.Doc { } [ [ (elems.title { } "markdown file") ] (readMd md) ];
 
-  mdBlock = block:
-    (let
-      h = heading block;
-      c = code block;
-      ul = list block;
-    in (if h.matched then
-      h.block
-    else if c.matched then
-      c.block
-    else if ul.matched then
-      ul.block
-    else
-      elems.p (processStr block)));
-
-  heading = block:
-    matchThen "(#+) (.*)" block (m:
-      let l = builtins.stringLength (builtins.elemAt m 0);
-      in H l (builtins.elemAt m 1));
-
   code = block:
     matchThen "(```)(.*)(```)" block (m: elems.code (builtins.elemAt m 1));
 
@@ -95,16 +62,16 @@ in rec {
       content
     ];
 
-  replace = matcher: apply: block:
+  replace = regex: apply: block:
     (let
-      m = builtins.match matcher block;
+      m = builtins.match regex block;
       before = let v = builtins.elemAt m 0; in if v == null then "" else v;
-      inner = builtins.elemAt m 1;
-      after = builtins.elemAt m 2;
+      after = toString( builtins.elemAt m (matchCount - 1));
+      matchCount = builtins.length m;
     in if m == null then
       block
     else
-      (replace matcher apply before) + (apply inner) + after);
+      (replace regex apply before) + (apply m) + after);
 
   rule = matcher: apply: blocks:
     map (b: if builtins.isString b then replace matcher apply b else b) blocks;
@@ -118,19 +85,77 @@ in rec {
     in assert i < len;
     if next < len then rule (applyRules next rules group) else rule group;
 
+  basicRule = matcher: elem: rule matcher (m: elem (builtins.elemAt m 1));
+
   processStr = applyRules 0 [
-    (rule (wrap "\\^") elems.sup)
-    (rule (wrap "~") elems.sub)
-    (rule (wrap "\\*") elems.em)
-    (rule (wrap "`") elems.code)
-    (rule (wrap "==") elems.mark)
-    (rule (wrap "~~") elems.del)
-    (rule (wrap "\\*\\*") elems.strong)
-    (rule (contains "<([-[:alnum:].%?&#=:/]+)>") (m: elems.a m m))
+    (basicRule (wrap "\\^") elems.sup)
+    (basicRule (wrap "~") elems.sub)
+    (basicRule (wrap "\\*") elems.em)
+    (basicRule (wrapBreak "_") elems.em)
+    (basicRule (wrap "`") elems.code)
+    (basicRule (wrap "==") elems.mark)
+    (basicRule (wrap "~~") elems.del)
+    (basicRule (wrap "\\*\\*") elems.strong)
+    (basicRule (wrapBreak "__") elems.strong)
+    (rule (contains "\\[(.*)]\\((.*)\\)") (
+      m:
+      let
+        href = builtins.elemAt m 2;
+        text = builtins.elemAt m 1;
+      in
+      (elems.a href text)
+    ))
+    (rule (''
+      (.*
+      )([^-][^
+      ]+
+      )((- [^
+      ]+
+      )+)(.*)'') (
+
+        l:
+        (elems.ul (basicRule (''
+          (.*
+          )?- ([^
+          ]+)
+          (.*)'') (m:
+            elems.li (basicRule ("()\\[(.)](.*)") (check:
+              elems.input {
+                type = "checkbox";
+                checked = check != " ";
+                disabled = true;
+              }) [ m ])) [ (builtins.elemAt l 2) ]))
+
+      ))
+    (basicRule ( "(.*\n\n)?(.+)\n(.*)?" ) elems.p)
+    (basicRule ("(.*\n\n)?```(.*)```(.*)?") (elems.textarea { readonly = true; }))
+    (basicRule (containsBreak ''
+      ###### ([^
+      ]+)'') (elems.h6))
+    (basicRule (containsBreak ''
+      ##### ([^
+      ]+)'') (elems.h5))
+    (basicRule (containsBreak ''
+      #### ([^
+      ]+)'') (elems.h4))
+    (basicRule (containsBreak ''
+      ### ([^
+      ]+)'') (elems.h3))
+    (basicRule (containsBreak ''
+      ## ([^
+      ]+)'') (elems.h2))
+    (basicRule (containsBreak ''
+      # ([^
+      ]+)'') (elems.h1))
+    (basicRule (containsBreak "<(${linkmatcher})>") (m: elems.a m m))
   ];
 
-  contains = matcher: "(.* )?${matcher}(.*)";
-  wrap = matcher: contains "${matcher}(.+)${matcher}";
+  linkmatcher = "[-[:alnum:].%?&#=:/]+";
+  contains = matcher: "(.*)?${matcher}(.*)";
+  wrap = matcher: contains "${matcher}([^${matcher}]+)${matcher}";
+
+  containsBreak = matcher: "(.*[[:space:]])?${matcher}(.*)";
+  wrapBreak = matcher: containsBreak "${matcher}([^${matcher}]+)${matcher}";
 
   matchThen = matcher: block: func:
     let m = builtins.match matcher block;
diff --git a/testing/md.test.nix b/testing/md.test.nix
index c2b58e7..a358cf9 100644
--- a/testing/md.test.nix
+++ b/testing/md.test.nix
@@ -4,30 +4,6 @@ let
   it = import ./it.nix;
 in with md; [
 
-  (it "gets md heading" {
-    actual = mdBlock "# title of the page";
-    expected = elems.h1 "title of the page";
-  })
-
-  (it "gets md heading 2" {
-    actual = mdBlock "## a subheading";
-    expected = elems.h2 "a subheading";
-  })
-
-  (it "limits to 6 #" {
-    actual = mdBlock "######## super ultra tiny heading";
-    expected = elems.h6 "super ultra tiny heading";
-  })
-
-  (it "makes a code block" (let
-    code = ''
-      this is my code
-    '';
-  in {
-    actual = mdBlock "```${code}```";
-    expected = elems.code code;
-  }))
-
   (it "matches a list of one element" ({
     actual = list ''
       - something
@@ -100,31 +76,11 @@ in with md; [
     };
   }))
 
-  (it "finds surrounded parts" ({
-    actual = replace (wrap "\\*\\*") elems.strong ''
-      this text **may** contain **bold** words inside it.
+  (it "processes whole string with all rules" ({
+    actual = processStr ''
+      this text **may** *or may not* contain **bold** words *inside* it.
     '';
-    expected = [
-      "this text"
-      (elems.strong "may")
-      "contain"
-      (elems.strong "bold")
-      ''
-        words inside it.
-      ''
-    ];
-    asString = true;
-  }))
-
-  (it "surrounds in list of elems" ({
-    actual = rule (wrap "\\*") elems.em [
-      "this text"
-      (elems.strong "may")
-      "*or may not* contain"
-      (elems.strong "bold")
-      "words *inside* it."
-    ];
-    expected = [
+    expected = (elems.p [
       "this text"
       (elems.strong "may")
       (elems.em "or may not")
@@ -133,42 +89,18 @@ in with md; [
       "words"
       (elems.em "inside")
       "it."
-    ];
+    ]);
     asString = true;
   }))
 
-  (it "processes whole string with all rules" ({
-    actual = processStr ''
-      this text **may** *or may not* contain **bold** words *inside* it.
-    '';
-    expected = [
-      "this text"
-      (elems.strong "may")
-      (elems.em "or may not")
-      "contain"
-      (elems.strong "bold")
-      "words"
-      (elems.em "inside")
-      ''
-        it.
-      ''
-    ];
-    asString = true;
-  }))
-
-  (it "processes md block" {
+  (it "makes paragraphs" {
     actual = readMd ''
-      # foo bar
-
       lorem ipsum
+      dolor sit
+
+      foo bar
     '';
-    expected = [
-      (elems.h1 { } "foo bar")
-      ""
-      (elems.p { } ''
-        lorem ipsum
-      '')
-    ];
+    expected = "<p >lorem ipsum\ndolor sit\n</p><p >foo bar</p>";
     asString = true;
   })