What is Markdown?
Markdown is a lightweight way to format text using plain characters: # for headings, asterisks for bold and italic, dashes for lists and brackets for links. Created by John Gruber in 2004, it's now used for README files, documentation, notes apps, chat messages and blogs, because it's readable even before it's rendered.
This previewer shows your Markdown rendered live beside the source, so you can check formatting before committing a README, posting to a forum or publishing documentation. The HTML view gives sanitized markup you can paste into a website or CMS.
How to use the Markdown Previewer
1.Write Markdown
Headings with #, **bold**, _italic_, lists, links, tables and fenced code blocks.
2.Watch the preview
It renders as you type, the way GitHub-flavoured Markdown does.
3.Export HTML
Switch to HTML to copy or download clean, sanitized markup.
Example: what the sample becomes
The sample document uses most common features:
- # Project notes
- <h1>
- **plain text**
- <strong>
- | Tool | Category |
- <table> with a header row
- ```js … ```
- <pre><code class="language-js">
The language name after the backticks becomes a class that syntax highlighters pick up.
Rendering and safety
Markdown is converted with the marked library using GitHub-flavoured Markdown, which adds tables, strikethrough and fenced code blocks to the original syntax. The HTML is then cleaned by DOMPurify, which strips scripts and dangerous attributes, so pasted Markdown can't run code in the preview.
The output is plain semantic HTML without styling, so it takes on your site's own CSS when you paste it in.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as GitHub's Markdown?
It supports GitHub-flavoured Markdown's tables, task lists and code blocks. GitHub adds extras such as mentions and emoji shortcodes.
Can Markdown contain HTML?
Yes, raw HTML is allowed, but scripts and event handlers are removed for safety.
How do I make a table?
Separate columns with |, and put a row of --- under the header row. The sample shows one.
Is my document saved?
No. It stays in this page only; copy or download it before closing the tab.
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