Markdown Preview
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004 that lets you format text using plain characters: # for headings, **bold**, *italic*, - for lists, and backticks for code. A Markdown preview tool renders that plain text into formatted HTML in real time, so you can see exactly how your document will look while you type. It is the standard writing format on GitHub, Reddit, Stack Overflow, and most documentation platforms.
This live editor supports the core Markdown syntax — headings, emphasis, ordered and unordered lists, links, images, blockquotes, and inline code — plus widely used extensions from GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) such as tables and fenced code blocks. Because the rendering happens instantly in your browser, it is ideal for drafting README files, writing documentation, preparing forum posts, or learning Markdown syntax without installing any software.
How it works
A Markdown renderer works as a parser that scans the text line by line and converts syntax patterns into HTML elements: a line starting with one to six # characters becomes an <h1> to <h6> heading, text wrapped in ** becomes <strong>, * becomes <em>, lines starting with - or 1. become <ul> or <ol> list items, [text](url) becomes an <a> link, > becomes a <blockquote>, and text fenced with ``` becomes a <pre><code> block. Tables use pipes (|) to separate columns, with a row of hyphens defining the header.
Use cases
- Drafting and previewing README.md files for GitHub or GitLab repositories
- Writing technical documentation and checking table and code-block formatting
- Preparing formatted posts for forums, wikis, and static site generators
- Learning Markdown syntax with immediate visual feedback
Frequently asked questions
What is Markdown and what is it used for?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004 that formats plain text using simple symbols: # for headings, asterisks for bold and italic, and hyphens for lists. It converts cleanly to HTML while staying readable as raw text. It is used for README files, documentation, forum posts, note-taking apps, and content on platforms like GitHub, Reddit, and Stack Overflow.
How do I make a table in Markdown?
Use pipe characters (|) to separate columns and a row of hyphens to mark the header, for example: | Name | Age | on the first line, | --- | --- | on the second, and | Ana | 30 | for data rows. Adding colons to the hyphen row (:--- for left, :---: for center, ---: for right) controls column alignment. Tables are part of GitHub Flavored Markdown rather than the original specification.
How do I add a code block in Markdown?
For inline code, wrap the text in single backticks, like `variable`. For multi-line code blocks, use fenced blocks: a line with three backticks (```), your code, then another line of three backticks. You can write a language name right after the opening fence, such as ```js, to enable syntax highlighting on platforms that support it.
What is the difference between Markdown and HTML?
HTML is the full markup language browsers render, using explicit tags like <h1> and <strong>, while Markdown is a shorthand that compiles into HTML. Markdown covers common formatting with far less typing and stays legible as plain text, but it is less expressive — for complex layouts you can embed raw HTML directly inside most Markdown documents.
Is this Markdown editor free and does it store my text?
Yes, the editor is completely free. All parsing and rendering happens locally in your browser using JavaScript, so the text you type is not uploaded or stored on any server. If you refresh or close the page, unsaved content may be lost, so copy your work before leaving.