Markdown Previewer

📝 What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight text formatting language that lets you write content using simple, readable syntax. Created by John Gruber in 2004, it's become the go-to format for documentation, README files, notes, and web content. Instead of wrestling with complex HTML tags, you can focus on your ideas while Markdown handles the presentation.

This previewer takes your Markdown text and renders it instantly, supporting everything from basic formatting to advanced features like tables, task lists, and footnotes. Whether you're drafting a blog post, writing documentation, or just taking notes, you'll see exactly how your content will look.

⚙️ How This Previewer Works

Powered by the pulldown-cmark library, this tool parses and renders your Markdown following the CommonMark specification with GitHub Flavored Markdown extensions. Everything happens right in your browser—no server needed, no data uploaded.

🔥 Core Capabilities:

Live Rendering: Watch your Markdown transform into formatted content as you type
CommonMark Standard: Full support for the CommonMark specification ensuring consistent rendering
GitHub Flavored Markdown: Tables, task lists, strikethrough, and autolinks just like on GitHub
Footnotes: Add references and citations with automatic numbering
Smart Punctuation: Convert straight quotes to curly quotes and dashes to proper typography
Emoji Shortcodes: Type :smile: to get 😄 and many more
Table of Contents: Auto-generated navigation from your headings
Flexible Views: Side-by-side, preview only, or editor only modes
HTML Export: Download a complete, styled HTML file ready to share
One-Click Copy: Copy the rendered HTML directly to your clipboard

📋 Markdown Syntax Guide

📌 Headings

Use hash symbols to create headings. More hashes mean smaller headings.

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4
##### Heading 5
###### Heading 6

✏️ Text Formatting

**bold text**
*italic text*
***bold and italic***
~~strikethrough~~
`inline code`

📋 Lists

Unordered list:
- Item one
- Item two
  - Nested item
- Item three

Ordered list:
1. First
2. Second
3. Third

Task list:
- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Pending task

🔗 Links and Images

[Link text](https://example.com)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Title")

![Image alt text](image-url.jpg)
![Image with title](image-url.jpg "Image title")

💻 Code Blocks

Wrap code in triple backticks. Add the language name for syntax hints.

```javascript
const greeting = 'Hello World';
console.log(greeting);
```

📊 Tables (GFM)

| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   | Cell 3   |
| Cell 4   | Cell 5   | Cell 6   |

Alignment:
| Left | Center | Right |
|:-----|:------:|------:|
| L    | C      | R     |

📎 Blockquotes

> This is a blockquote.
> It can span multiple lines.
>
> > Nested quotes work too.

📚 Footnotes

Here's some text with a footnote[^1].

[^1]: This is the footnote content.

💼 Practical Uses

1. 📖 Documentation & READMEs

Most open-source projects on GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket use Markdown for their README files. This previewer helps you craft polished documentation before pushing to your repository.

2. ✍️ Blog Posts & Articles

Many static site generators like Hugo, Jekyll, and Gatsby use Markdown for content. Preview your posts here before publishing to catch formatting issues early.

3. 📝 Note-Taking

Tools like Obsidian, Notion, and Typora have popularized Markdown for personal notes. Use this previewer when you need a quick, distraction-free writing environment.

4. 📧 Technical Communication

Draft technical emails, Slack messages, or GitHub issues with proper formatting. The HTML export feature lets you paste styled content anywhere.

5. 📚 Learning & Teaching

Create lesson materials, tutorials, or study notes. The clear syntax makes it easy to teach others while producing professional-looking documents.

😀 Supported Emoji Shortcodes

:smile: → 😄:heart: → ❤️:fire: → 🔥:rocket: → 🚀:star: → ⭐:check: → ✅:x: → ❌:warning: → ⚠️:bulb: → 💡:memo: → 📝:thumbsup: → 👍:thumbsdown: → 👎:clap: → 👏:tada: → 🎊:party: → 🎉:coffee: → ☕:computer: → 💻:gear: → ⚙️:lock: → 🔒:key: → 🔑

And many more! Type the shortcode (like :smile:) in your Markdown and it will be converted to the corresponding emoji.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown?

A: CommonMark is the base specification that defines core Markdown syntax. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extends it with features like tables, task lists, strikethrough, and autolinks. Most users want GFM enabled for full functionality.

Q: Is my content saved or uploaded anywhere?

A: No. Everything happens locally in your browser using WebAssembly. Your text never leaves your device. Only your preferences (view mode, enabled features) are stored in your browser's local storage for convenience.

Q: How do I export my work?

A: Click the Download button to save a complete HTML file with built-in styling. You can also use the Copy HTML button to grab just the HTML content for pasting elsewhere.

Q: Why doesn't syntax highlighting work in code blocks?

A: This previewer focuses on Markdown rendering. While you can specify the language for code blocks, full syntax highlighting requires additional JavaScript libraries. The exported HTML is ready for you to add your preferred highlighting library.

Q: Can I use this offline?

A: Yes! Once the page loads, all processing happens locally. You can even disconnect from the internet and continue working.

🎯 Pro Tips

Use the TOC: Enable Table of Contents for long documents to see your document structure at a glance
Try Different Views: Switch to Preview Only mode for focused reading, or Editor Only for distraction-free writing
Load the Sample: Click Load Sample to see examples of every supported feature in action
Keyboard Workflow: Keep typing and watch the preview update—no need to click any buttons
Smart Punctuation: Enable this for polished typography with proper quotes and dashes
Export Early: Use Download to create checkpoints of your work as standalone HTML files

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View Settings

View Mode:

Show Table of Contents:

Sync Scroll:

Markdown Options

Enable GFM (GitHub Flavored):

Tables:

Strikethrough (~~text~~):

Task Lists (- [x] item):

Footnotes [^1]:

Smart Punctuation:

Markdown Editor

Preview

Quick Syntax Reference:

# H1 to ###### H6 - Headings**bold** - Bold text*italic* - Italic text~~strike~~ - Strikethrough[text](url) - Links![alt](img) - Images`code` - Inline code```lang - Code block- item - Unordered list1. item - Ordered list- [x] task - Task list> quote - Blockquote--- - Horizontal rule| col | - Tables[^1] - Footnotes:emoji: - Emoji shortcodes