Markdown Preview

What Is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It lets you write formatted content using plain text syntax that is easy to read and write. Markdown files use the .md extension and are widely supported by platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Reddit, Stack Overflow, Notion, and countless documentation systems. Its simplicity and portability have made it the de facto standard for developer documentation, README files, and technical writing.

Markdown Syntax Basics

Markdown uses intuitive characters to indicate formatting. Headings are marked with hash signs (# through ######), bold text with double asterisks (**bold**), and italic text with single asterisks (*italic*). Links use the format [text](url), images use ![alt](url), and code can be inline with backticks or in fenced blocks with triple backticks. Lists start with dashes or numbers, blockquotes with >, and horizontal rules with three dashes.

Why Use a Live Preview?

While Markdown is designed to be readable as plain text, seeing the rendered HTML output alongside your source is invaluable for catching formatting errors, checking link syntax, and ensuring your content looks as intended before publishing. This live preview renders your Markdown instantly as you type — no button clicks needed. The debounced rendering ensures smooth performance even with large documents.

Extended Syntax

Beyond the original Markdown spec, this preview supports tables using pipe characters (|), fenced code blocks with triple backticks, and other common extensions found in GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM). Whether you are drafting a README, writing documentation, or composing a blog post, this tool gives you instant visual feedback entirely in your browser — no data is sent to any server.