Markdown Previewer
Write and preview Markdown in real-time. See how your Markdown renders as HTML instantly.
About the Markdown Previewer
Markdown is a lightweight markup language used to format text with simple, readable syntax. It's the standard for README files on GitHub, documentation, blog posts, and technical writing. Our Markdown Previewer provides a live, split-pane editing experience — type Markdown on the left and see the rendered HTML on the right instantly as you type. Copy the HTML output for use anywhere.
What Is Markdown Previewer?
Markdown was created in 2004 by John Gruber with input from Aaron Swartz, with the goal of letting writers produce structured HTML using plain text that remains readable even before conversion. Its syntax maps to common HTML elements: '#' becomes a heading, '**' or '__' makes bold, '*' or '_' makes italic, '>' creates a blockquote, '-' or '1.' creates lists, and '[]()' creates links. Because the source is plain text, Markdown works perfectly with version control and diffing. Many platforms extend the original spec — GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, and fenced code blocks, and has become the de facto standard for developer documentation. This previewer renders Markdown to HTML in your browser using the marked library.
How to Use
- Type or paste Markdown text in the left textarea.
- Watch the right panel display the rendered HTML in real time as you type.
- Use standard Markdown syntax: # for headings, ** for bold, []() for links, etc.
- Click 'Copy HTML' to copy the rendered HTML to your clipboard.
- Paste the HTML into your website, CMS, or blog platform.
Common Use Cases
- Drafting README files and documentation for open-source projects
- Writing blog posts that will be published in a Markdown-aware CMS
- Composing structured notes and wikis that need both source and rendered views
- Generating HTML email or page content from a plain-text source
- Reviewing how GitHub will render a .md file before pushing a commit
Tips & Best Practices
- Supported syntax includes headings, lists, code blocks, tables, links, images, and blockquotes.
- Markdown is much faster to write than HTML for structured documents.
- The preview updates on every keystroke — no need to click any button to see changes.
- Commonly used by developers for project documentation and by writers for draft articles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Markdown flavor does the previewer support?
It uses the marked library with GitHub-Flavored Markdown extensions, so tables, fenced code blocks, task lists, and strikethrough all render. This closely matches how GitHub renders .md files.
Is the generated HTML safe to paste directly into my site?
The HTML is valid, but if your Markdown comes from untrusted users you should sanitize it with a library such as DOMPurify before rendering to prevent script injection. Markdown allows raw HTML, which can carry XSS payloads.
Can I export a PDF or image of the preview?
The previewer outputs HTML, which you can copy. To produce a PDF, paste the HTML into a page and use your browser's 'Print to PDF' feature with a clean stylesheet.
Does the previewer work offline?
Yes. Conversion runs entirely in your browser, so once the page is loaded you can disconnect from the internet and continue editing.
This markdown previewer runs entirely in your browser. No data is uploaded to any server. Your privacy is completely protected.
Related Tools
Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs. Get reading time estimates for your text.
Case Converter
Convert text to uppercase, lowercase, title case, sentence case, camelCase, snake_case, and more.
Text Diff Checker
Compare two texts and find differences instantly. See what was added, removed, or changed line by line.
HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder
Encode special HTML characters to entities and decode HTML entities back to readable text.