Markdown Writing and Preview Guide
Our Markdown editor and previewer lets you write Markdown syntax in the left pane and see the rendered HTML output in real time on the right. Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004 that converts plain text formatting to HTML. It's the standard for README files on GitHub, technical documentation, blog platforms (Ghost, Hashnode), and content management systems (Notion, Obsidian).
Essential Markdown Syntax
Headings: # H1, ## H2, ### H3. Bold: **bold text**. Italic: *italic text* or _italic_. Strikethrough: ~~crossed out~~. Links: [Link Text](https://url.com). Images: . Unordered list: - item or * item. Ordered list: 1. First item. Blockquote: > quoted text. Inline code: surround with backticks. Code block: Three backticks with optional language name. Horizontal rule: --- or ***.
Markdown vs. Rich Text Editors
Markdown keeps your hands on the keyboard — no mouse needed for formatting. It's version-control friendly (plain text diffs nicely). It's portable across platforms. The tradeoff is a learning curve for the syntax, though most developers and technical writers find it faster once learned.
Using Our Free Markdown Previewer
Type or paste Markdown into the left editor. The rendered HTML preview updates in real time on the right. Copy the Markdown or the rendered output with the copy buttons. All processing happens in your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Markdown syntax is supported?
Headings (H1–H6), bold, italic, strikethrough, links, images, ordered and unordered lists, blockquotes, inline code, code blocks, and horizontal rules.
Can I use this to write README files?
Yes. Our previewer renders standard GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), so what you see in the preview closely matches how GitHub renders README.md files.
Does my markdown get saved?
No. Content is not stored on any server. If you want to save your work, copy the Markdown text and save it locally as a .md file.