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Free Markdown Editor Online - Live Preview & HTML Export

Write and preview markdown instantly

Markdown Input
403 characters
Live Preview

Markdown Editor

Welcome! This is a powerful and simple markdown editor.

Features

  • Live Preview: See changes instantly
  • Responsive Design: Works on any device
  • Easy Formatting: Standard markdown support

Code Example

console.log('Hello, toolk!');

"Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers."

Check out toolk

Markdown Editor with Live Preview: Write and See It Render

A Markdown editor turns plain-text symbols like #, **bold**, and - list into formatted output. Type Markdown on the left and this tool renders a live CommonMark preview on the right as you press each key, with a character count and one-click copy. It runs 100% in your browser — free, with no upload.

How to use the Markdown editor

  1. Type or paste Markdown into the Markdown Input box on the left — the live preview updates on every keystroke.
  2. Pick a view mode: Write for source only, Preview for rendered output only, or Split to see both side by side (Split shows on screens 1024px and wider).
  3. Watch the character count in the input header to keep READMEs, comments, or posts within length limits.
  4. Press Copy to send the Markdown source to your clipboard for pasting into a .md file, GitHub, or a CMS.
  5. Press Clear (with confirm) to empty the editor and start fresh.

What is Markdown and how does the preview work?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004 to write formatted text using punctuation that reads cleanly even as plain source. A # becomes a heading, *stars* become emphasis, and a blank line starts a new paragraph. Because the source stays readable, Markdown is the default for GitHub READMEs, technical docs, static-site generators, and chat apps. The unambiguous rules are defined by the CommonMark specification, which this editor follows.

Under the hood the preview is rendered by the react-markdown library, which parses your text against CommonMark and outputs React elements — no dangerouslySetInnerHTML and no round-trip to a server. Parsing happens on every change, so what you see is exactly what a CommonMark renderer produces. To convert finished text into a standalone HTML file, send it to the Markdown to HTML converter.

Worked examples: Markdown → rendered output

Heading + bold + link

# Setup Run npm install then see the [docs](https://example.com).

Renders an h1 "Setup", a paragraph with bold npm install, and a clickable "docs" link.

Fenced code block

```js console.log('hi'); ```

Renders a monospaced code block; the js info string labels the language but does not add color highlighting here.

Nested list + blockquote

- Item   - Sub-item > A quote

Renders a bulleted list with one indented sub-item, followed by an indented blockquote.

Edge case · GFM syntax renders as literal text

Typing a pipe table (| A | B |), a task list (- [x] done), or strikethrough (~~old~~) does not render — you will see the raw characters. Those are GFM extensions, not CommonMark, and this preview is CommonMark-only. Build tables with the Markdown Table Generator instead.

CommonMark syntax reference

These elements all render in the live preview. The right-hand column shows the type the parser produces.

ElementMarkdown syntaxRenders as
Heading# to ###### Titleh1–h6 element
Bold / italic**bold** *italic*strong / em
Unordered list- itemul / li
Ordered list1. itemol / li
Link[text](url)a href
Image![alt](url)img
Inline code`code`code
Code block```lang ... ```pre > code
Blockquote> quoteblockquote
Horizontal rule---hr
Table (GFM)| A | B |literal text (not rendered)
Task list (GFM)- [x] doneplain list item, no checkbox
Strikethrough (GFM)~~text~~literal tildes (not rendered)

The CommonMark vs GFM gotcha most editors hide

GFM is a strict superset of CommonMark: it adds five extensions — tables, task lists, strikethrough, extended autolinks, and improved multi-paragraph list handling — on top of the core spec. This editor renders the CommonMark core only, so any GFM-specific syntax shows up as raw characters in the preview. According to the GitHub Flavored Markdown spec, the tables section is literally titled "Tables (extension)" precisely because it is not part of standard Markdown.

Practical rule: any valid CommonMark document renders identically on GitHub, but a GitHub README using tables or checkboxes will not preview faithfully in a CommonMark-only tool. If your target is GitHub, build the table with the Markdown Table Generator, generate a navigation index with the Markdown Table of Contents generator, then paste the result into your .md file.

Where Markdown is used

Markdown drives most developer and writer workflows because the source stays version-control friendly and diffs cleanly. Common destinations:

Code & docs

  • GitHub / GitLab README and issue comments
  • API and library documentation
  • Static-site generators (Next.js MDX, Hugo, Jekyll)
  • Wikis and changelogs

Writing & content

  • Blog posts and newsletters
  • Note apps (Obsidian, Notion export)
  • Chat formatting (Slack, Discord, Reddit)
  • Forum and Q&A posts

Need to check length before posting? Run the draft through the Word Counter, fix casing in headings with the Case Converter, or turn a heading into a clean slug with the URL Slug Generator.

Runs 100% in your browser

Your writing never leaves your device. Parsing and rendering happen locally with react-markdown, and Copy uses your browser's native clipboard — no uploads, nothing leaves your device. I tested the editor with headings, bold, nested lists, fenced code, blockquotes, links, and images across Write, Split, and Preview modes, and confirmed that GFM tables, task lists, and strikethrough come through as literal characters — behavior that matches CommonMark exactly. One caveat: the editor keeps no history, so copy your work before refreshing.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Markdown editor free?

Yes — 100% free with no signup and no usage cap. Type any amount of Markdown, preview it live, and copy the source without an account.

Does my text get uploaded anywhere?

No. The Markdown is parsed and rendered entirely in your browser, and Copy uses the local clipboard. Nothing is sent to a server, so it works offline once the page loads.

Does it support GitHub Flavored Markdown?

No. The preview follows the CommonMark spec, so GFM tables, task lists, strikethrough, and bare-URL autolinks render as literal text. Use the Markdown Table Generator for GFM tables.

How do I export to HTML?

This editor copies the Markdown source. To get clean HTML, paste your text into the Markdown to HTML tool, then tidy it with the HTML Formatter.

Related Markdown & text tools

Markdown to HTML

Convert Markdown into clean HTML markup

Markdown Table Generator

Build GFM pipe tables visually

Markdown TOC

Generate a table of contents from headings

Word Counter

Count words, characters & reading time

Case Converter

Fix heading and title capitalization

Find & Replace

Swap text across your Markdown source

Text Sorter

Alphabetize list lines and bullets

URL Slug Generator

Turn a heading into a clean URL slug

HTML Formatter

Beautify the HTML you export

Lorem Ipsum Generator

Fill layouts with placeholder text

Guide: Markdown Syntax

Read the full Markdown syntax guide

Guide: Text Tools for Creators

The text-processing workflow guide

All Tools

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Last updated: June 2, 2026 · Runs 100% in your browser — no uploads, nothing leaves your device.

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