Write Markdown and see rendered HTML live — free, fast, private.
What is Markdown?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It lets you write
formatted text — headings, lists, links, quotes and code — using plain, readable characters, and
then convert it to clean HTML. This editor renders the result live as you type, so you can see
exactly what your document will look like before you publish it.
How to use this tool
- Type or paste Markdown into the editor on the left.
- The preview on the right updates instantly with every keystroke.
- Click Sample Markdown to load an example document you can experiment with.
- Use Copy HTML to copy the generated markup, or Download .html to save a complete HTML file.
Supported syntax summary
# Heading 1 through ###### Heading 6**bold**, *italic* and `inline code`- Fenced code blocks marked with triple backticks (```)
- item unordered lists and 1. item ordered lists[link text](https://example.com) links and  images> quote blockquotes and --- horizontal rules- Paragraphs and single line breaks
Raw HTML typed into the editor is escaped, not executed — the preview shows exactly what your
Markdown generates and nothing more.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- Missing space after the hash.
#Title renders as plain text — headings need a space: # Title. Same for lists: - item works, -item does not.
- Using underscores for italics.
_text_ renders literally here. Use asterisks instead: *text* for italic and **text** for bold.
- Expecting tables, strikethrough or nested lists. This preview covers GitHub-style basics only:
~~strike~~ and pipe tables appear as plain text, and indented list items flatten into a single-level list.
- Putting spaces in a link URL.
[a](my page.html) will not convert — the URL ends at the first space. Percent-encode spaces as %20.
- Forgetting blank lines between paragraphs. Consecutive text lines merge into one paragraph joined by a
<br> line break; add an empty line to start a new paragraph.
Copy HTML vs Download .html
Copy HTML puts only the generated fragment on your clipboard — ideal for pasting into a CMS or existing page. Download .html wraps that fragment in a complete document with a doctype, UTF-8 charset and viewport meta tag, saved as markdown-preview.html, so it opens correctly standalone. Two safeguards: link and image URLs whose scheme is not http, https or mailto (such as javascript:) are rewritten to #, and anything inside inline code backticks is shown literally instead of being formatted.
Frequently asked questions
What is Markdown?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language that uses plain-text symbols like #, * and - to mark headings, emphasis and lists. It converts cleanly to HTML and is widely used for README files, documentation, notes and forum posts.
Which Markdown syntax does this tool support?
Headings (# to ######), bold, italic, inline code, fenced code blocks, unordered and ordered lists, links, images, blockquotes, horizontal rules, paragraphs and line breaks — the GitHub-style basics.
Is raw HTML in my Markdown rendered or sanitized?
Raw HTML is escaped before conversion: any tags you type appear as literal text in the preview instead of being executed, so scripts and embedded markup cannot run.
Can I export the generated HTML?
Yes. Click Copy HTML to copy the generated markup to your clipboard, or Download .html to save a complete, ready-to-open HTML file. Everything happens locally in your browser.