Markdown Preview

Live Markdown preview with GitHub Flavored Markdown support. See rendered output as you type.

Markdown Input

HTML Preview

Preview will appear here as you type...

Markdown Syntax Guide

# Heading 1
**bold**
## Heading 2
*italic*
- List item
`code`
[Link](url)
![Image](url)

What It Does

Markdown Preview tool renders Markdown-formatted text to HTML in real-time, showing exactly how your Markdown will look when published. Type Markdown syntax on the left (# headers, **bold**, [links](url), code blocks, lists, tables), and see formatted output on the right instantly. Supports GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) including tables, task lists, strikethrough, and syntax highlighting. Essential for writing documentation, README files, blog posts, GitHub issues/PRs, forum posts, or any Markdown content. The tool validates syntax, shows rendering errors, exports to HTML, provides split-screen editing, and helps learn Markdown syntax through immediate visual feedback. Perfect for developers, technical writers, bloggers, and anyone working with Markdown.

Key Features:

  • Real-time split-screen preview: see formatted output as you type
  • GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) support with extensions
  • Syntax highlighting for code blocks in multiple languages
  • Table rendering with alignment support
  • Task list support: - [ ] and - [x] checkboxes
  • Auto-linking URLs and email addresses
  • Emoji support via :emoji_name: syntax
  • Export to HTML or styled PDF

How To Use

Type Markdown syntax in the left editor pane, and the right preview pane updates automatically showing formatted output. Use toolbar buttons for common formatting.

1

Write Markdown Syntax

Type Markdown in left editor: # for headings (# H1, ## H2), **bold** or __bold__, *italic* or _italic_, [link text](url), ![alt text](image.jpg) for images, `code` for inline code, ```language for code blocks, - or * for unordered lists, 1. for numbered lists, > for blockquotes, and --- for horizontal rules. The tool provides syntax highlighting showing Markdown structure.

2

Preview Formatted Output

Right pane shows live HTML-rendered preview matching how Markdown appears on GitHub, in documentation sites, or blog platforms. Preview updates instantly as you type—no refresh needed. Scroll synchronization keeps editor and preview aligned. Check formatting: verify links work, images load, code blocks have proper syntax highlighting, tables render correctly, and lists format as expected. Toggle between split view (editor + preview) and full preview.

3

Export or Copy Content

Once satisfied with formatting, options: copy Markdown to clipboard (for pasting to GitHub, forums, CMSs), export to HTML (for embedding in websites), export to styled HTML (with CSS for standalone viewing), or print/save as PDF. HTML export includes: proper semantic tags, syntax-highlighted code (with CSS), responsive tables, and embedded styles. Use "Copy HTML" to get clean HTML code for manual integration.

Benefits

Immediate Feedback: See formatting instantly without publishing or committing changes
Error Prevention: Catch syntax errors before publishing (broken links, malformed tables)
Learning Tool: Learn Markdown syntax through real-time visual confirmation
Writing Efficiency: Use toolbar shortcuts instead of memorizing all syntax
Consistency Verification: Ensure content renders consistently across platforms
Professional Output: Preview ensures polished, properly formatted documentation
Export Flexibility: Convert Markdown to HTML for various publishing needs

Use Cases

GitHub README and Documentation Writing

Write and preview GitHub README files, wiki pages, and documentation with confidence that formatting renders correctly. GitHub uses GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) with specific extensions—this tool matches that rendering. Essential for: project READMEs (ensure badges, images, and sections format correctly), contributing guidelines (preview tables, code blocks with syntax highlighting), wiki documentation (verify complex formatting), PR descriptions (check task lists and code snippets), and issue templates (validate form layout). Preview before committing saves embarrassment of broken formatting on public repos. Common pitfalls prevented: incorrect image paths (preview shows broken images), malformed tables (missing pipes), code blocks without language specification (missing syntax highlighting), and broken anchor links (preview validates navigation).

Technical Blog Post Creation

Draft blog posts in Markdown for static site generators (Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, 11ty) or platforms supporting Markdown (DEV.to, Hashnode, Medium with extensions). Preview ensures: code examples format correctly with syntax highlighting, images display with proper sizing and alt text, headings create proper hierarchy (SEO important), inline code distinguishes from regular text, blockquotes format for emphasis, and lists render correctly (nested lists especially). Many static site generators add front matter (YAML metadata) at top—tool can include this in preview. Save time: catch formatting issues before building site or publishing. Export HTML if platform requires it instead of Markdown. Preview mobile responsiveness for responsive themes.

Learning Markdown Syntax

Perfect tool for learning Markdown—type syntax, immediately see results, building muscle memory. Beginners often confuse: # headers (require space: "# Header" not "#Header"), **bold** (two asterisks not one), list indentation (2 or 4 spaces for nesting), and code blocks (need three backticks + language). Preview instantly shows mistakes: if bold doesn't work, you see plain **text** with asterisks visible. Use as: syntax reference (experiment to see what works), learning resource (follow Markdown tutorials while previewing), teaching tool (demonstrate Markdown to students with live examples), and quick reference (keep open when writing). Most Markdown editors provide preview, but standalone tools help learning before committing to specific editor. Practice complex structures: nested lists, tables with alignment, code blocks with highlighting.

Converting Documents to Markdown

When migrating content from Word, Google Docs, or other formats to Markdown, use preview to verify conversion quality. Manual conversion workflow: copy rich text, paste into Markdown editor (most convert formatting to Markdown), paste result into preview tool, verify everything converted correctly (headings, bold, lists, links), fix conversion errors (extra spaces, incorrect list formatting, lost formatting), and export final Markdown. Common conversion issues: Word bullets become random characters (fix to proper - bullets), links break (restore [text](url) format), tables don't convert (manually recreate), images lost (re-add ![](url)), and formatting collapsed (restore bold/italic). Automated converters (Pandoc) exist but often need manual cleanup—preview tool validates cleanup success before publishing migrated content.

Forum and Stack Overflow Post Formatting

Write technical forum posts, Stack Overflow questions/answers, Reddit posts (some subreddits), or Discord messages (supports Markdown subset) with proper formatting. Technical posts need: code blocks for error messages and code snippets (with syntax highlighting for readability), inline code for file names, variable names, commands, bold/italic for emphasis, links to documentation or related questions, and lists for multiple points or steps. Preview ensures code blocks work (missing language specification = no highlighting), lists format correctly (Stack Overflow strict about spacing), and formatting doesn't break (unescaped special characters cause issues). Write complex answers: preview validates sections, code examples, and references format properly before posting. Saves editing after posting when formatting breaks unexpectedly.

Frequently Asked Questions

1 Why does my Markdown preview look different from GitHub/my blog platform?
Markdown has variations: CommonMark (standard), GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM with extensions), and platform-specific implementations. Differences include: table support (GFM has tables, standard Markdown doesn't), task lists (- [ ] checkbox syntax is GFM extension), strikethrough (~~text~~ in GFM), auto-linking (bare URLs auto-link in GFM), emoji support (:smile: in some systems), and HTML support (some renderers block HTML for security). Ensure your preview tool matches target platform: use GFM preview for GitHub, CommonMark for most documentation, or platform-specific preview if available. Styling differences (fonts, colors, spacing) also vary—preview shows structure but exact visual appearance depends on platform CSS. For accurate preview, use platform's draft/preview feature for final check.
2 How do I add syntax highlighting to code blocks?
Use fenced code blocks (three backticks) with language identifier: ```javascript for JavaScript, ```python for Python, ```html for HTML, etc. Example: typing ```js\nconst x = 5;\n``` renders code with JavaScript syntax highlighting (keywords colored, strings highlighted). Supported languages vary by renderer but typically include: javascript/js, python/py, java, c/cpp, html, css, bash/shell, sql, json, yaml, markdown, and dozens more. Language identifiers are case-insensitive (JavaScript = javascript = js). Without language spec (just ```), code renders as plain text (no highlighting). For inline code use single backticks: `const x = 5` renders as monospace without highlighting. Check your platform's supported languages—most use highlight.js or Prism with 100+ languages.
3 Can I use HTML inside Markdown?
Yes, most Markdown renderers allow inline HTML for advanced formatting not possible in pure Markdown: <kbd> for keyboard keys, <details>/<summary> for collapsible sections, <sub>/<sup> for subscript/superscript, <mark> for highlighting, <table> with complex formatting, or <img> with specific attributes (width, height, alignment). Use when Markdown limitations prevent desired formatting. Examples: <img src="img.jpg" width="200"> for sized images, <details><summary>Click to expand</summary>content</details> for collapsible sections. Limitations: some platforms (GitHub, DEV.to) sanitize HTML for security—script tags, event handlers, dangerous attributes removed. ContentSecure platforms may strip all HTML. Test HTML in target platform preview. Don't overuse—defeats Markdown's simplicity. Reserve for cases where Markdown truly insufficient.
4 Why aren't my table columns aligning correctly?
Markdown tables use pipes | for columns and dashes for header separator. Common issues: inconsistent column counts (header has 3 columns, row has 2—breaks table), missing header separator (| --- | --- | required after header row), improper alignment syntax (use :--- for left, :---: for center, ---: for right in separator row), and extra/missing pipes (start/end pipes optional but inconsistency breaks parsing). Correct example: ``` | Left | Center | Right | |:-----|:------:|------:| | A | B | C | ``` Alignment symbols go in separator row (second line), not header. Preview shows immediate feedback—if table breaks, recheck pipes and separator. For complex tables, use table generators (tablesgenerator.com/markdown_tables) then preview. Note: column content doesn't need to align in source (pipes can be ragged), only pipe count must match.
5 How do I create links to sections within the same document?
Use anchor links to jump to headers within document. Create anchor: every header automatically gets ID slug (lowercase, spaces→hyphens, special characters removed). Link to it: [Link text](#anchor-id). Example: header "## Advanced Usage" gets ID "advanced-usage", link with [See Advanced Usage](#advanced-usage). GitHub automatically generates header IDs this way. For custom anchors (link to non-header), use HTML: <a name="custom-anchor"></a> then link [text](#custom-anchor). Preview tool with table of contents auto-generates header links showing proper anchor format. Special cases: duplicate headers get -1, -2, -3 suffixes (second "Introduction" becomes "introduction-1"). Some platforms differ: check anchor generation in target platform. Test links in preview—clicking should jump to section. Essential for: long documentation (table of contents with jump links), READMEs (quick navigation), and tutorial multi-step guides.

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