Try this out

.github/workflows/pull_request.yml

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ jobs:
       toggle_style_code: "${{ env.STYLE_CODE }}"
       toggle_url_check: "${{ env.URL_CHECKER }}"
       toggle_quiz_check: "${{ env.CHECK_QUIZZES }}"
+      toggle_md_linter: "${{ env.MARKDOWN_LINTER }}"
       toggle_render_preview: "${{ env.RENDER_PREVIEW }}"
       rendering_docker_image: "${{ env.RENDERING_DOCKER_IMAGE }}"
 
@@ -110,6 +111,23 @@ jobs:
           git commit -m 'Style *mds' || echo "No changes to commit"
           git push origin || echo "No changes to commit"
 
+############################# Check Markdown Formatting ###################################
+  markdown-linter:
+    name: Markdown linter
+    needs: yaml-check
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: ${{needs.yaml-check.outputs.toggle_md_linter == 'yes'}}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout files
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - uses: DavidAnson/markdownlint-cli2-action@v19
+        with:
+          globs: '*md$'
+
 ############################# Render Preview ###################################
 
   render-preview:

_output.yml

@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ bookdown::gitbook:
        <p style="text-align:center; font-size: 12px;"> <a href="https://github.com/rstudio4edu/rstudio4edu-book/"> Style adapted from: rstudio4edu-book </a> <a href ="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/"> (CC-BY 2.0) </a></p>
 bookdown::word_document2:
   toc: true
+  always_allow_html: true

config_automation.yml

@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ render-preview: yes
 spell-check: yes
 # Style any R code
 style-code: yes
+# Would you like your markdown files to be checked for formatting
+markdown-linter: yes
 # Test build the docker image if any docker-relevant files have been changed
 docker-test: no
 # Should URLs be tested periodically?