For example, from the Gauss code of Borromean rings {{1,2,4,5},{1,6,4,3},{2,6,5,3}}, from the unordered pair {1,5} we immediately conclude that the second component must be rotated one place to the right, so we obtain {{1,2,4,5},{3,1,6,4},{2,6,5,3}}. The parity is now fixed, so D = {{1,6},{3,8},{5,12},{7,10},{9,2},{11,4}}. After dividing D into the components (where the length of each is a half of its length in the Gauss code) we obtain Dow = {{2,2,2},{6,8,12,10,2,4}}.

The same result can be obtained directly from a plane graph of a knot if we enumerate vertices visited in Component Algorithm by 1, 2,..., 2n. Then, every point of a knot shadow will be denoted by two numbers: one even and the other odd. After that, we work in the same way as before. In the case of links we enumerate first one component, then we continue to enumerate the second, beginning from its point that is visited only once. If the parity is disturbed for some component, we continue from the next number (that is the same as a rotation of a component used before). Applying the same enumeration algorithm until the graph is exhausted (that is, until two numbers, one odd and the other even, are assigned to every point) we obtain a Dowker code of a KL. 

Dowker code of a KL is sufficient for drawing its corresponding shadow. 

In the Dowker codes of knots with n crossings, loops can be easily recognized: the corresponding odd and even numbers assigned to a loop vertex are successive numbers in a cycle (1, 2, ..., 2n) (where the numbers 1 and 2n are treated as successive as well), but this criterion cannot be applied to links. For example, the Dowker code {{1,1},{4,2}} denotes a shadow of a Hopf link 2₁² (2 in Conway notation) without loops.