Related Tools
How to Use
- 1Type or paste your Markdown text into the left editor panel.
- 2Read the rendered preview on the right — it updates instantly as you type, with no button to click.
- 3Use heading syntax (# H1, ## H2, ### H3), bold (**text**), italic (*text*), and bullet lists (- item or * item).
- 4For code, wrap inline snippets in backticks (`code`) or use triple backticks with a language name (```js) for syntax-highlighted code blocks.
- 5For tables, use pipe syntax: | Column 1 | Column 2 | followed by a separator row (| --- | --- |) and data rows.
- 6Click Copy HTML to get the rendered HTML output for use in your CMS, email template, or web project.
About Markdown Preview
The Markdown Preview provides a split-view editor with a Markdown input on the left and a live HTML preview on the right, updating instantly as you type with no button click required. It supports the full CommonMark specification — the standardized Markdown syntax defined at commonmark.org — plus GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extensions including tables, strikethrough, task lists, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting. This combination covers virtually every Markdown feature you will encounter in modern documentation and content workflows.
Markdown has become the universal writing format for technical content. Created by John Gruber in 2004 with contributions from Aaron Swartz, it uses simple punctuation-based formatting that is readable as plain text and renders as clean HTML. Today, Markdown is the native format for README files on GitHub and GitLab, documentation sites built with static site generators like Docusaurus, MkDocs, VitePress, and Jekyll, technical blogs on platforms like Dev.to and Hashnode, and note-taking applications like Obsidian, Notion, and Bear. Its adoption across the software industry makes it an essential skill for developers, technical writers, and content creators alike.
The split-view layout mirrors the writing experience of professional Markdown editors like Typora, MarkText, and the GitHub web editor. The left panel accepts raw Markdown text, and the right panel shows the rendered HTML preview in real time with no perceptible delay. This side-by-side view makes it easy to learn Markdown syntax by seeing the immediate visual effect of each formatting element — invaluable for beginners who are still learning the syntax. Experienced writers also benefit from instant feedback when crafting complex structures like nested lists, multi-row tables, or documents mixing code blocks with prose.
Key syntax elements include headings (# through ######), bold (**text**), italic (*text*), inline code (`code`), fenced code blocks (```language), blockquotes (> text), ordered and unordered lists, links ([text](url)), images (), horizontal rules (---), and tables using pipe syntax. GFM extensions add task lists (- [ ] item), strikethrough (~~text~~), and automatic URL linking. The preview renders all of these elements with clean, readable styling that closely matches how they appear on platforms like GitHub and npm package pages.
Developers use this tool to preview README files before committing to Git, draft API documentation with accurate formatting, write changelogs following the Keep a Changelog convention, and prepare technical blog posts with embedded code samples. Writers and content creators use it to format articles in Markdown for publishing to CMS platforms that accept Markdown input, such as Ghost, Hugo, and Contentful. Students use it to write formatted notes, lab reports, and academic papers. The Copy HTML button lets you extract the rendered markup for direct use in email templates, WordPress posts, or any web project that needs formatted content.
All Markdown rendering happens locally in your browser using JavaScript-based parsing — no server communication occurs at any point. No text is transmitted, stored, or logged anywhere outside your device. This makes it completely safe for previewing confidential documentation, internal wikis, proprietary technical specifications, API design documents with sensitive endpoint details, and any content containing information that should not leave your machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Markdown features are supported?
The full CommonMark specification plus GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extensions: headings (# through ######), bold, italic, strikethrough, inline code, fenced code blocks with language hints, blockquotes, ordered and unordered lists, task lists (- [ ] and - [x]), links, images, tables with pipe syntax, and horizontal rules. This covers virtually everything you would write in a README, documentation page, or technical article.
Can I export the HTML?
Yes. Use the Copy HTML button to copy the rendered HTML markup. This is useful for pasting formatted content into email clients, CMS platforms (WordPress, Ghost, Contentful), web page templates, or any system that accepts HTML input.
Does it support GitHub Flavored Markdown?
Yes. GFM features including tables, strikethrough (~~text~~), task lists (- [ ] item), and fenced code blocks (```language) are supported. The preview rendering closely matches how content appears on GitHub, making this a reliable tool for previewing README files and repository documentation.
Can I use this to write README files?
Yes — this is one of the most common use cases. The live preview shows you exactly how your README will render on GitHub, including headings, code blocks, tables, badges, and links. Write your content here, verify the formatting, then paste the Markdown into your README.md file and commit.
Is my text sent to a server?
No. All Markdown parsing and HTML rendering happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your content is never transmitted to any server, never stored, and never logged. This makes it safe for previewing internal documentation, proprietary content, and drafts containing sensitive information.
How do I create a table in Markdown?
Use pipe characters (|) to separate columns and a separator row with dashes. Example: '| Header 1 | Header 2 |' on the first line, '| --- | --- |' on the second line, and '| Cell 1 | Cell 2 |' on subsequent lines. You can align columns by adding colons in the separator row: ':---' for left, ':---:' for center, '---:' for right alignment.
Can I include images in my Markdown?
Yes. Use the image syntax: . For README files on GitHub, you can reference images in your repository using relative paths like . For this preview tool, use full URLs to external images or data URLs for local images.
What is the difference between Markdown and HTML?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language designed to be readable as plain text, with simple syntax like ** for bold and # for headings. HTML is the full markup language of the web with verbose tag-based syntax like <strong> and <h1>. Markdown is converted to HTML for display. The advantage of Markdown is that it is faster to write, easier to read in source form, and portable across platforms. HTML gives you full control over structure and styling but is harder to read and write by hand.