Markdown Preview & Editor
Live markdown editor with instant preview. Supports GitHub Flavored Markdown, tables, code blocks, and task lists. Export to HTML. Free, no signup.
Markdown Syntax Guide
Headings
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Use 1-6 hash symbols for different heading levels
Text Formatting
Bold text
Italic text
Strikethrough
Use asterisks and tildes for emphasis
Lists
- Unordered item
- Ordered item
- Task item
Create bullet lists, numbered lists, and checkboxes
Links & Images
Embed hyperlinks and images inline
Advanced Markdown Features
Code Blocks with Syntax Highlighting
Use triple backticks (```) with a language identifier:
function greet(name) {
console.log(`Hello, ${name}!`);
}
Tables
Create tables using pipes and hyphens:
| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cell 1 | Cell 2 | Cell 3 |
| Cell 4 | Cell 5 | Cell 6 |
Blockquotes
Prefix lines with > for blockquotes:
This is a blockquote. It can span multiple lines.
Markdown Best Practices
1.
Use consistent heading hierarchy: Don't skip heading levels. Go from H1 to H2 to H3 in order for better document structure and accessibility.
2.
Add blank lines around blocks: Separate paragraphs, headings, lists, and code blocks with blank lines for better readability.
3.
Use inline code for technical terms: Wrap commands, function names,
and file paths in backticks (code) to distinguish them from regular text.
4.
Keep line length reasonable: While Markdown supports long lines, keeping lines under 100 characters improves version control diffs and readability in text editors.
What Is Markdown Preview
A Markdown preview tool renders Markdown syntax into formatted HTML in real time, allowing writers to see how their content will appear when published. Markdown—created by John Gruber in 2004—is a lightweight markup language used across GitHub, technical documentation, blogging platforms, note-taking apps, and content management systems. Its plain-text syntax is designed to be readable in raw form and convertible to HTML for web display.
Markdown has become the standard for developer documentation, README files, pull request descriptions, and technical blogging. The ability to preview rendered output while writing eliminates the guess-and-check cycle of writing raw Markdown, committing, and refreshing to see the result. Real-time preview is especially valuable for complex content with tables, code blocks, nested lists, and embedded images.
How Markdown Rendering Works
A Markdown renderer parses plain text according to the Markdown specification and converts it to HTML:
| Markdown Syntax | HTML Output | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
# Heading | <h1>Heading</h1> | Section headings (# through ######) |
**bold** | <strong>bold</strong> | Bold emphasis |
*italic* | <em>italic</em> | Italic emphasis |
[text](url) | <a href="url">text</a> | Hyperlinks |
 | <img src="url" alt="alt"> | Images |
| `code` | <code>code</code> | Inline code |
| ```lang | <pre><code>...</code></pre> | Code blocks with syntax highlighting |
- item | <ul><li>item</li></ul> | Unordered lists |
> quote | <blockquote>quote</blockquote> | Block quotes |
Markdown flavors: Different platforms extend standard Markdown with additional features:
- CommonMark: Standardized specification for consistent rendering
- GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM): Adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, and autolinks
- MDX: Allows JSX components inside Markdown for interactive documentation
Common Use Cases
- Documentation writing: Preview README files, API docs, and technical guides before publishing
- Blog post authoring: Write and preview blog content in Markdown-native CMS platforms
- GitHub collaboration: Preview issue descriptions, PR bodies, and wiki pages before submitting
- Note taking: Use Markdown in personal knowledge bases (Obsidian, Notion, Bear)
- Presentation creation: Preview Markdown-based slide decks (Marp, Slidev, reveal.js)
Best Practices
- Use CommonMark or GFM for compatibility — These are the most widely supported specifications across platforms
- Preview before publishing — Tables, nested lists, and code blocks are common sources of rendering issues
- Use reference-style links for readability —
[text][id]with definitions at the bottom keeps paragraphs clean - Add alt text to all images —
improves accessibility and serves as fallback when images fail to load - Use heading hierarchy correctly — Start with # (h1) and nest incrementally; don't skip heading levels (h1 → h3)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Markdown and why is it used for documentation?+
Markdown is a lightweight markup language using plain text formatting syntax that converts to HTML. Created by John Gruber in 2004, it uses simple symbols like # for headings, ** for bold, * for lists. Popular because: readable in plain text, easy to learn (5 minutes basics), widely supported (GitHub, Reddit, Stack Overflow, documentation platforms), separates content from formatting, version control friendly (git diff works well). Used for README files, documentation, blog posts, comments, notes. This tool provides live preview with GitHub Flavored Markdown support, showing exactly how your markdown will render.
What is GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) and how does it differ from standard Markdown?+
GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extends standard Markdown with additional features used on GitHub. Additions include: tables (| Syntax | Description |), task lists (- [ ] Todo item), strikethrough (text), auto-linking URLs without brackets, syntax highlighting in code blocks (```javascript), username mentions (@user), issue references (#123). GFM also has different line break handling - single line breaks create
tags. Standard Markdown requires two spaces or double line break. This tool supports full GFM syntax including tables, task lists, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting.
How do I create tables in Markdown?+
Tables use pipes | and hyphens - to separate columns and create headers. Basic syntax: | Header 1 | Header 2 | then | --------- | --------- | for separator, then data rows | Cell 1 | Cell 2 |. Alignment: left (default), center (:---:), right (---:). Cells can contain inline formatting like bold, italic, code. Tables must have header row and separator. Minimum 3 hyphens per column. This tool renders tables with proper HTML formatting. Note: tables are GFM extension, not in original Markdown.
What are the best practices for writing technical documentation in Markdown?+
Use clear heading hierarchy (# for title, ## for sections, ### for subsections). Start with brief overview and table of contents. Use code blocks with language specification (```python) for syntax highlighting. Include examples for each concept. Use lists (- or 1.) for steps and bullet points. Add links to related documentation. Use tables for comparing options or specifications. Include badges for build status, version, license. Keep paragraphs short (3-4 sentences). Use bold for important terms first use, inline code for commands/variables. Test all code examples before publishing. This tool helps preview documentation exactly as it will appear.
How do I add code blocks and syntax highlighting in Markdown?+
Use triple backticks with language name for fenced code blocks. Example:javascript for JavaScript, python for Python, bash for shell commands. Alternatively, indent 4 spaces for code block without syntax highlighting. Inline code uses single backticks: variable or function(). Common languages: javascript, python, java, go, rust, sql, html, css, json, yaml, bash, typescript. GFM supports 100+ languages. Syntax highlighting makes code more readable and helps identify errors. This tool provides real-time syntax highlighting preview for all major programming languages.
How do I create links and images in Markdown?+
Links: [link text](https://url.com) or [link text](https://url.com "Title"). Reference-style: [link text][ref] then [ref]: url at bottom. Images:  - same as link but with ! prefix. Image with link: [](https://example.com). Relative paths work: [docs](./docs/file.md) or . Auto-linking (GFM): bare URLs become clickable automatically. Best practices: always include alt text for accessibility, use descriptive link text (not "click here"), use HTTPS for external links. This tool renders all link and image types with proper HTML output.
What are task lists and how do I use them in Markdown?+
Task lists (GFM feature) create interactive checkboxes using - [ ] for unchecked, - [x] for checked. Example: - [ ] Write documentation, - [x] Review code, - [ ] Deploy to production. Tasks must start with hyphen and space, then brackets, then space, then text. Nesting works with indentation. On GitHub, clicking checkboxes updates the markdown source. Useful for: project TODOs, issue tracking, meeting notes, feature checklists. This tool renders task lists with proper checkbox styling. Note: checkboxes display-only in preview, editing requires changing [ ] to [x] in markdown source.
How do I export Markdown to HTML or PDF?+
Most markdown tools export to HTML - click "Export" or "Download HTML". Markdown converts to semantic HTML5 (# becomes