Markdown Preview
Render Markdown into HTML instantly with live preview.
About the Markdown Preview
The Markdown Preview & Renderer converts Markdown text into styled HTML in real time. Markdown is the lightweight markup language used by GitHub, Reddit, Stack Overflow, Notion, Obsidian, Jekyll, Hugo, and countless documentation systems — its philosophy is that the source text should be readable even without rendering. A heading looks like # Heading, bold looks like **bold**, a list looks like a list. This tool shows you what your Markdown will look like when rendered, without installing any software.
Writing in Markdown is faster than writing in HTML and more portable than writing in a word processor. The same .md file can be rendered on GitHub, converted to PDF via Pandoc, published as a blog post via Jekyll, or opened in Obsidian — all from the same source. The rendered HTML is clean and semantic, which is why Markdown is the default format for technical documentation, README files, and developer blogs.
This tool supports the core Markdown syntax (headings, bold, italic, links, lists, blockquotes, code blocks) plus optional GitHub Flavored Markdown extensions (tables, strikethrough). The rendered preview is shown alongside the generated HTML source, which you can copy and paste into any HTML context.
How It Works
The renderer is a line-by-line parser that processes each line of the Markdown input and emits corresponding HTML. It recognizes:
- Headings:
# H1,## H2, through###### H6. - Lists: unordered (
- itemor* item) and ordered (1. item). - Code blocks: fenced with triple backticks (
```), with optional language identifier. - Inline code: single backticks (
`code`). - Blockquotes: lines starting with
>. - Tables (GFM): pipe-separated rows with a separator row of dashes.
- Strikethrough (GFM):
~~text~~. - Inline formatting:
**bold**,*italic*,[text](url).
HTML special characters in the input are escaped (& becomes &, < becomes <) to prevent XSS, except inside code blocks where the raw content is preserved but escaped for display. The line-breaks option converts single newlines to <br> tags (standard Markdown requires two newlines for a paragraph break).
Worked Examples
The default input demonstrates most Markdown features: a level-1 heading, bold and italic text, a level-2 heading, an unordered list with three items, another heading, a link, inline code, a fenced code block, and a blockquote. The preview shows each element rendered as styled HTML — the heading is large, the bold text is bold, the list has bullets, the code block is in a monospace font, and the blockquote is indented.
Toggle GFM mode and add a table to see GitHub Flavored Markdown in action. A table like | Name | Age |\n| --- | --- |\n| John | 30 |\n| Jane | 25 | renders as a proper HTML table with header row and borders. Without GFM mode, the pipes are treated as literal text.
For a real-world example, paste a GitHub README file. The rendered preview shows you what the README will look like on GitHub, including headings, code blocks with syntax highlighting (note: this tool does not apply syntax highlighting colors — just the monospace code block formatting), lists, links, and images (if you use the  image syntax, the image will render in the preview).
When to Use This Tool
- Previewing README files before pushing to GitHub.
- Drafting blog posts in Markdown and copying the rendered HTML to a CMS.
- Writing documentation that will be rendered by static site generators (Jekyll, Hugo, MkDocs).
- Drafting emails in Markdown and converting to HTML for email clients.
- Converting Markdown notes from Obsidian or Notion to HTML for web publishing.
- Learning Markdown syntax by experimenting with different elements.
- Generating clean semantic HTML from Markdown for embedding in web pages.
Limitations & Disclaimer
This tool implements a subset of Markdown (CommonMark plus basic GFM) and does not support all features: nested lists, footnotes, task lists, definition lists, math (LaTeX), mermaid diagrams, image rendering, HTML embedded in Markdown, and syntax highlighting are not supported or are partially supported. The parser is line-based and may not handle edge cases like multi-line list items or setext headings correctly. For production Markdown rendering, use a maintained library like marked.js, markdown-it, or Pandoc, which handle the full specification and edge cases. The rendered HTML does not include CSS — you must provide your own styles. See our disclaimer for full terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tool support syntax highlighting for code blocks?
No. The tool renders code blocks in a monospace font with a background color, but it does not apply syntax-specific coloring (which requires a highlighting library like Prism.js or highlight.js). If you need syntax highlighting, render the Markdown in a context that loads a highlighting library, or use a dedicated tool that integrates one.
Does the tool support images?
The tool supports the Markdown image syntax <code></code>, but the renderer does not currently parse it (it would be displayed as the literal text). For image rendering, use a full Markdown library like marked.js or markdown-it.
How is this different from the Markdown parser on GitHub?
GitHub uses CommonMark plus GFM extensions, with additional custom features (task lists, mentions, issue references, math, mermaid diagrams). This tool implements a subset of CommonMark plus basic GFM. For full GitHub-compatible rendering, use a library like marked.js with the GFM option enabled.
Can I use this to convert Markdown to HTML for my website?
Yes — the rendered HTML source is shown and can be copied. However, for production use, a server-side or client-side library (marked.js, markdown-it, Pandoc) is more reliable and supports more features. This tool is best for quick previews and learning.
Does the tool handle nested lists?
Partially. The current parser recognizes top-level list items but does not properly handle nested indentation (sub-lists within list items). For complex nested lists, use a dedicated Markdown library.
Is my Markdown uploaded anywhere?
No. Rendering happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your drafts — including any unpublished content or proprietary documentation — never leave your device.
Last updated: July 21, 2026 · Author: HT99 Tools Editorial Team · Reviewed by: HT99 Tools Editorial Team