Markdown Preview
Write and preview Markdown in real time
How to use Markdown Preview
Write and preview Markdown in real time with split view. Supports tables, code blocks and images. Free online Markdown editor.
What is Markdown used for?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created in 2004 by John Gruber. It uses simple plain-text syntax to add formatting — making it readable as-is and easily convertible to HTML.
- Technical documentation: README files on GitHub and GitLab are written in Markdown. Every open-source project uses it for installation guides, API docs and contribution guidelines.
- Static site generators: Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby and Eleventy build websites from Markdown files — write in Markdown, publish as HTML.
- Note-taking apps: Notion, Obsidian, Bear and Typora all use Markdown for rich text notes that stay portable and version-control friendly.
- Forums and chat: Reddit, Stack Overflow, Discord and Slack support Markdown for formatting posts and messages.
- Blogging platforms: Ghost, Hashnode and DEV.to use Markdown as the primary writing format for blog posts.
Basic syntax: # H1, ## H2, **bold**, *italic*, [link](url), , `code`, and ```code block```. Tables use pipes: | Col1 | Col2 |.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Markdown and HTML?
HTML is the actual language browsers render. Markdown is a simpler syntax that converts to HTML. '**bold**' in Markdown becomes '<strong>bold</strong>' in HTML. Markdown is faster to write and more readable as plain text, but HTML offers more control over styling and structure.
Which Markdown flavor should I use?
CommonMark is the standardized specification. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) adds tables, strikethrough, task lists and syntax highlighting — it is the most widely used. Use GFM for GitHub README files and most modern platforms.
Can Markdown include HTML?
Yes — most Markdown parsers allow raw HTML inline. You can use HTML for elements Markdown does not support, like colored text, custom classes or iframes. Some platforms (GitHub READMEs) sanitize HTML for security.
How do I add a table in Markdown?
Use pipe characters: | Header 1 | Header 2 | on the first row, then |---|---| for the separator, then data rows. Alignment is controlled with colons in the separator: |:---| for left, |---:| for right, |:---:| for center.
What is frontmatter in Markdown?
Frontmatter is a YAML block at the top of a Markdown file, delimited by ---. It stores metadata like title, date, author and tags that static site generators use to build pages. Example: --- title: My Post date: 2025-04-10 ---
Markdown vs reStructuredText vs AsciiDoc vs HTML
Markdown is the simplest and most widely adopted — ideal for README files, blogs and documentation. reStructuredText (RST) is more powerful and used by Python projects and Sphinx documentation — supports complex tables, directives and cross-references. AsciiDoc is the most feature-rich — used for technical books and documentation requiring PDF output (O'Reilly uses it). HTML gives full control but is verbose and hard to read as source. For most writing and documentation needs, Markdown is the right choice.