Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It allows you to write formatted text using a plain-text editor by adding simple symbols such as asterisks for bold or italic text, hash marks for headings, and dashes for bullet lists. The goal of Markdown is to be as readable as possible in its raw form while still converting cleanly into structured HTML.

Today Markdown is used everywhere from GitHub README files and pull request descriptions to documentation platforms like Read the Docs, blogging engines like Jekyll and Hugo, and note-taking applications like Obsidian and Notion. Its simplicity has made it the de facto standard for developer documentation and technical writing.

Our Markdown Preview tool lets you write Markdown in one panel and see the rendered HTML output in real time in the adjacent panel. All processing runs entirely in your browser, so your content never leaves your device.

Headings — Use one to six hash marks (#) at the start of a line. One hash creates an h1, two hashes create an h2, and so on up to h6.

Bold & Italic — Wrap text with double asterisks (**bold**) for bold or single asterisks (*italic*) for italic. Combine them with triple asterisks (***bold italic***).

Links & Images — Create links with [text](url) and images with . You can also add optional titles in quotes after the URL.

Lists — Start lines with dashes (-), asterisks (*), or plus signs (+) for unordered lists, and numbers followed by periods (1.) for ordered lists. Indent with spaces for nested lists.

Code — Use backticks for inline code (`code`) and triple backticks for fenced code blocks. Optionally add a language identifier after the opening backticks for syntax highlighting hints.

Blockquotes — Start a line with a greater-than sign (>) to create a blockquote. Nest them by adding multiple greater-than signs.

Tables — Use pipes (|) to separate columns and hyphens (-) to create the header row separator. Align columns by adding colons to the separator row.

• Live side-by-side preview that updates as you type with zero delay
• Toolbar buttons to quickly insert bold, italic, heading, link, code, and list syntax
• Copy rendered HTML to clipboard for pasting into websites, emails, or CMS editors
• Copy raw Markdown source for saving or sharing
• Real-time word count and character count for content planning
• Full CommonMark support including tables, blockquotes, code blocks, and horizontal rules
• Styled preview with proper formatting for headings, lists, code, tables, and links
• 100% client-side processing — your content never leaves your browser

GitHub & GitLab — README files, issues, pull request descriptions, and comments all use Markdown. Preview your content here before pushing to ensure proper formatting.

Technical Documentation — Tools like MkDocs, Docusaurus, and Read the Docs generate documentation sites from Markdown files. Write and preview your docs before building.

Blogs & Static Sites — Static site generators such as Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, and Astro use Markdown for blog posts and pages. Draft your posts here with instant preview.

Note-Taking — Applications like Obsidian, Notion, and Bear use Markdown for notes. Use this tool to practice syntax or preview notes before importing them.

Email & Communication — Many email clients and chat platforms support Markdown formatting. Preview your messages here to confirm they render correctly.