Markdown Preview
Write and preview Markdown with live rendering, formatting toolbar, and HTML export
Formatting
Your rendered markdown will appear here...
Actions
Quick Templates
Start with a pre-made template
Markdown Quick Reference
Text Formatting
| **bold** | bold |
| *italic* | italic |
| ~~strike~~ | |
| `code` | code |
Headings
| # Heading 1 |
| ## Heading 2 |
| ### Heading 3 |
Links & Images
| [text](url) | Link |
|  | Image |
Lists
| - item | Bullet list |
| 1. item | Numbered list |
| - [ ] task | Task list |
Other
| > quote | Blockquote |
| --- | Horizontal rule |
| ```lang | Code block |
Table
| Col 1 | Col 2 | |-------|-------| | A | B |
About the Markdown Preview Tool
Write and preview Markdown in real-time with our free online Markdown editor. Perfect for developers, technical writers, and content creators who work with Markdown files. Features a live split-view editor, formatting toolbar, and instant HTML export—all running client-side in your browser for maximum privacy.
What is Markdown?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It allows you to write formatted text using simple, readable plain text syntax that can be converted to HTML. Markdown has become the standard for documentation, README files, blog posts, and technical writing across the software industry.
Key Features
- Live Preview — See your rendered Markdown instantly as you type, no manual refresh needed
- Formatting Toolbar — Quick-access buttons for common Markdown syntax (bold, italic, headings, links, lists, code blocks)
- Multiple Layouts — Switch between split view, vertical view, preview-only, or editor-only modes
- Keyboard Shortcuts — Standard shortcuts like Ctrl+B (bold), Ctrl+I (italic), Ctrl+K (link)
- Sync Scrolling — Editor and preview scroll together for easy navigation of long documents
- Quick Templates — Start with pre-made templates for READMEs, blog posts, meeting notes, and more
- Export Options — Copy or download as Markdown (.md) or rendered HTML
- GitHub Flavored Markdown — Full support for GFM including tables, task lists, strikethrough, and fenced code blocks
- Client-Side Processing — Everything runs in your browser; your content is never sent to any server
Common Use Cases
- Writing README files for GitHub/GitLab projects
- Drafting blog posts and articles
- Creating documentation and wikis
- Taking structured notes
- Writing technical specifications
- Preparing content for static site generators (Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby)
- Learning Markdown syntax
GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)
This editor supports GitHub Flavored Markdown, an extension of standard Markdown that adds:
- Tables — Create tables using pipes (|) and hyphens (-)
- Task Lists — Checkboxes with
- [ ]and- [x]syntax - Strikethrough — Strike text with
~~double tildes~~ - Fenced Code Blocks — Use triple backticks with optional language for syntax highlighting
- Autolinks — URLs are automatically converted to clickable links
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Ctrl + B — Bold text
- Ctrl + I — Italic text
- Ctrl + K — Insert link
- Ctrl + Shift + C — Copy rendered HTML
- Tab — Indent (in editor)
Tips for Writing Better Markdown
- Use headings hierarchically — Start with H1 for the title, H2 for sections, H3 for subsections
- Add blank lines — Separate paragraphs and sections with blank lines for cleaner parsing
- Use code fences — For code blocks, always specify the language for syntax highlighting
- Keep lines short — Consider wrapping at 80-100 characters for better version control diffs
- Use reference links — For documents with many links, use reference-style links at the bottom