How to write and preview Markdown
- Type or paste Markdown into the editor on the left, or edit the sample.
- Use the toolbar for bold, italic, headings, links, inline code, lists and quotes.
- Check the live preview on the right as you write.
- Click Download .md, Download .html or Copy HTML when you're done.
What you can do with Markdown Editor & Preview
- Live side-by-side preview
- The rendered result updates as you type, so you see headings, lists and tables the way they will appear once published.
- GitHub-flavored Markdown
- Supports tables, task lists, strikethrough, fenced code blocks and autolinks, the syntax used in GitHub READMEs and issues.
- Formatting toolbar
- Wrap selected text in bold, italic, inline code or a link, or start a heading, list item or quote with one click.
- Export to HTML
- Download a clean standalone .html file with readable typography, or copy the generated HTML to paste into a CMS.
- Safe preview
- Scripts, iframes and event handler attributes are stripped from the preview and the exported HTML, so pasted content can't run code.
- Word count
- A running word count sits above the editor, which is handy for READMEs, documentation pages and blog drafts.
Markdown and GitHub-flavored Markdown syntax basics
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004 that uses plain characters for formatting: # for headings, ** for bold, * or _ for italics, - for lists and backticks for code. It's the standard format for README files, GitHub issues, documentation sites, note apps like Obsidian and many static site generators. GitHub-flavored Markdown (GFM) adds tables written with pipes and dashes, task lists with - [ ] and - [x], strikethrough with ~~ and fenced code blocks with three backticks.
A live preview helps catch the mistakes that make Markdown render wrong: a missing blank line before a list, a table row with too few pipes, or an unclosed code fence. This editor renders with the open-source marked library using GFM rules, and the exported HTML file takes its page title and file name from your first # heading. Line breaks follow standard Markdown, so end a line with two spaces for a line break, or leave a blank line to start a new paragraph.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Markdown document stored online?
No. Your writing stays in the browser tab and is rendered locally. The marked library is downloaded once to render the preview, but your text is never sent to a server. Download a .md file to keep a copy, because refreshing the page resets the editor.
Can I convert Markdown to HTML?
Yes. Click Copy HTML to put the rendered HTML on your clipboard, or Download .html to save a complete web page with basic styling for headings, code blocks, tables and quotes. The HTML is sanitized, so script tags and inline event handlers are removed.
Does it support tables and task lists?
Yes. It supports GitHub-flavored Markdown, including pipe tables, task lists with checkboxes, strikethrough, fenced code blocks and automatic links. Code blocks are shown in a monospace box, but syntax highlighting colors are not applied.
Can I open an existing .md file?
There's no file picker, but you can open the .md file in any text editor, copy its contents and paste them into the editor. The preview renders immediately, and you can download the edited version as a new .md file.
Does the markdown editor work offline?
The preview needs the Markdown library, which loads from a CDN the first time you open the tool. After that it keeps working without a connection for as long as the page stays open in your browser.