Markdown Preview — Live Markdown to HTML Viewer

How to use Markdown Preview — Live Markdown to HTML Viewer

Three simple steps, with your content kept on your device.

Built for useful work

Fast, focused, and made to be clear on every screen.

What is a markdown preview?

A markdown preview renders Markdown as formatted HTML while you write. You see headings, lists, links, and code blocks the way readers will, instead of the raw source syntax.

Markdown is a lightweight markup language used across documentation, forums, and note-taking apps. A live preview makes it possible to write and format at the same time.

Preview vs converting and exporting

Preview is about seeing the rendered result on screen. Converting and exporting goes further — producing a standalone HTML document or another format you can save and publish.

This tool is built for the preview workflow: you write, check the rendering, and copy the Markdown source when it is ready. For a full export, use a dedicated markdown to html converter.

How Markdown rendering works

The preview parses common Markdown syntax — headings, emphasis, links, blockquotes, lists, tables, and fenced code blocks — and renders each element as HTML in real time.

Because rendering happens instantly as you type, mistakes like a missing closing fence or a broken link are visible immediately and easy to fix.

Sanitization and safety

Markdown can contain raw HTML, and raw HTML can carry scripts, event handlers, and unsafe URLs. This preview sanitizes the rendered document, removing unsafe tags and attributes before anything is displayed.

That means the preview is safe even when you paste Markdown from an untrusted source — nothing in the document can execute scripts in your browser.

Writing documents with Markdown

Markdown powers README files, documentation sites, forum posts, and notes. A preview is the writing environment: compose in source, watch the formatting appear, and keep the source portable.

The rendered preview is also a great way to check that your document will look right on the platform where you plan to publish it.

Privacy of your document

Your Markdown and its rendered result stay entirely in the current browser tab. Nothing is uploaded or stored, so drafts, documentation, and sensitive notes never leave your device.

Refreshing or closing the tab clears the current draft, so copy your final source before you navigate away.

Common Markdown elements

The most used Markdown elements are headings, bold and italic emphasis, links, lists, blockquotes, tables, and code blocks. Each has a small, memorable syntax that the preview renders instantly.

Because the syntax is plain text, Markdown stays readable even without rendering — a format that works in editors, version control diffs, and email alike.

Markdown for documentation and notes

Markdown is the default format for README files, documentation sites, and many note-taking apps. A preview lets you write those documents comfortably and verify the rendering before publishing.

Using the same tool across drafts keeps the workflow consistent: write in Markdown, preview the result, and copy the source wherever it is needed.

Checking formatting before publishing

Platforms render Markdown slightly differently, and mistakes only show up after publishing. Previewing locally catches broken links, mistyped syntax, and misplaced fences before your document goes live.

A quick preview pass is the cheapest quality check available to anyone publishing Markdown-based content.

Learning Markdown by previewing

The fastest way to learn Markdown is to write a small piece of syntax and watch the preview render it. Every element becomes memorable when you see its output immediately.

Keep a short sample — a heading, a list, a link, a code block — and experiment until each piece renders the way you expect.

A focused writing setup

For a focused writing session, keep the source and preview side by side, write in small chunks, and confirm each element renders before moving on. The live update means there is no render step to wait for.

It is a simple setup that works for anything from a quick note to a long documentation page.

Frequently asked questions