Markdown Preview
Write Markdown and see a live HTML preview — supports GitHub Flavored Markdown with tables, task lists, and code blocks.
Last updated: March 25, 2026
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Buy me a coffeeWhat is Markdown Preview?
Markdown is a lightweight text formatting convention where simple characters create rich document structure: ## for headings, **text** for bold, [link](url) for hyperlinks, and - for bullet lists. Created by John Gruber in 2004, it has become the universal standard for developer documentation, README files, pull request descriptions, GitHub wikis, technical blog posts, and content management systems. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extends the standard with support for tables (|col1|col2|), task list checkboxes (- [ ]), strikethrough (~~text~~), and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting.
A live Markdown preview editor lets you see the rendered output instantly as you type, without needing to push to GitHub or deploy a website to verify formatting. This is invaluable when writing README documentation, composing a complex table, or verifying that a long technical document renders correctly. The output HTML can be copied for direct embedding or the Markdown source can be downloaded as a .md file
How to Use Markdown Preview
Type or paste Markdown syntax in the left "Editor" panel
The rendered HTML preview updates in real time in the right "Preview" panel as you type
Use the toolbar for quick-insert: headings, bold, italic, link, code, table, task list
Toggle "GFM Mode" to enable GitHub Flavored Markdown extensions (tables, strikethrough, task lists)
Click "Copy HTML" to copy the rendered HTML, "Copy Markdown" for the source, or "Download .md" for a file
Common Use Cases
- Writing and previewing a GitHub README.md before pushing to a repository
- Composing technical documentation for a project wiki and verifying table rendering
- Drafting a pull request description with task lists and code blocks
- Writing blog post content for a Markdown-based CMS (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi) and previewing it
- Learning Markdown syntax by typing and instantly seeing what each convention produces
- Composing a technical email with code snippets in Markdown before converting to HTML
- Verifying that a .md file copied from a documentation system renders the way you expect
- Drafting changelogs and release notes for a software project following Keep a Changelog convention
Example Input and Output
A sample README section demonstrating common GFM elements and their rendered output:
## Installation
Install via npm:
```bash
npm install my-package
```
### Features
| Feature | Status |
|-----------------|--------|
| GitHub push | ✅ Done |
| CLI support | 🔄 In Progress |
| Browser plugin | ⬜ Planned |
### Checklist
- [x] Initialize project
- [x] Write core logic
- [ ] Write tests
- [ ] Publish to npm<h2>Installation</h2>
<p>Install via npm:</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash">npm install my-package</code></pre>
<h3>Features</h3>
<table>
<tr><th>Feature</th><th>Status</th></tr>
<tr><td>GitHub push</td><td>✅ Done</td></tr>
<tr><td>CLI support</td><td>🔄 In Progress</td></tr>
<tr><td>Browser plugin</td><td>⬜ Planned</td></tr>
</table>
<h3>Checklist</h3>
<ul>
<li class="task-list-item"><input checked> Initialize project</li>
<li class="task-list-item"><input checked> Write core logic</li>
<li class="task-list-item"><input> Write tests</li>
<li class="task-list-item"><input> Publish to npm</li>
</ul>Client-Side Processing
Markdown parsing and HTML rendering happen entirely in your browser using a JavaScript Markdown library. Your document content is never uploaded to our servers.
Markdown in VS Code
VS Code has an excellent built-in Markdown preview (Ctrl+Shift+V or the split-preview icon). For writing documentation directly in a code editor, it's the best workflow. Use this online tool when you're away from your editor, sharing a quick preview link, or when working on a machine without VS Code installed.
Markdown vs Rich Text
The main advantage of Markdown over WYSIWYG rich text editors (TinyMCE, Quill) is version-control friendliness — plain text .md files produce human-readable diffs in git. Prose written in Markdown is easier to review in pull requests than binary Word documents or opaque rich-text JSON blobs from Quill/Slate editors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)?
What is the difference between Markdown and HTML?
How do I create a table in Markdown?
Can I use custom HTML inside Markdown?
How do I escape a Markdown special character?
What Markdown flavor does this editor use?
How This Tool Works
The Markdown input string is fed to a CommonMark-compliant parser (marked.js or similar) that tokenizes the input into an AST (Abstract Syntax Tree). The AST is traversed by a renderer that converts each node type (heading, paragraph, code fence, list item) into the corresponding HTML element. If GFM mode is on, additional tokenizer rules for tables and task list items are applied. The resulting HTML string is set as the innerHTML of the preview panel, which the browser renders natively.
Technical Stack