Markdown Editor — Write and Preview Markdown Online
Our free online Markdown editor lets you write Markdown with a live side-by-side preview, a formatting toolbar, keyboard shortcuts, and automatic saving to your browser. Export your content as a .md file or rendered .html file. No account, no installation, no limits.
Markdown Syntax Reference
Here is a complete quick-reference guide to Markdown syntax. All of these are supported in this editor:
| Element | Markdown Syntax | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Heading 1 | # Heading | Large heading |
| Heading 2 | ## Heading | Medium heading |
| Heading 3 | ### Heading | Small heading |
| Bold | **bold text** | Bold text |
| Italic | *italic text* | Italic text |
| Bold + Italic | ***both*** | Bold italic text |
| Strikethrough | ~~struck~~ | Strikethrough text |
| Inline code | `code` | Monospace code |
| Code block | ```code``` | Code block |
| Blockquote | > quoted text | Indented quote |
| Unordered list | - item | Bullet list |
| Ordered list | 1. item | Numbered list |
| Link | [text](url) | Clickable link |
| Image |  | Embedded image |
| Horizontal rule | --- | Full-width line |
| Table | | col | col | | Data table |
What Is Markdown Used For?
README Files and Documentation
Markdown is the standard format for README files on GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. When you visit a repository page, the README.md file is automatically rendered as formatted HTML. Technical documentation platforms like Read the Docs, MkDocs, and Docusaurus also use Markdown as their primary authoring format.
Content Management Systems
Many modern CMS platforms and static site generators use Markdown for content authoring. Ghost, Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, Astro, and Nuxt all support Markdown content files. Writers can focus on content without dealing with HTML tags, while the CMS handles the rendering.
Note-Taking Applications
Applications like Obsidian, Notion, Bear, Typora, and Logseq use Markdown as their native format. Markdown notes are portable plain text files that can be opened in any text editor and are not locked to a proprietary format.
Developer Communication
GitHub Issues, Pull Requests, and comments all support Markdown formatting. Slack, Discord, and many team communication tools also support Markdown or Markdown-like syntax for formatting messages with bold, italic, and code blocks.
Markdown Flavors and Extensions
| Flavor | Used By | Key Extensions Over Basic Markdown |
|---|---|---|
| CommonMark | Most platforms | Standardized, strict specification |
| GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) | GitHub, GitLab | Tables, task lists, autolinks, strikethrough |
| MultiMarkdown | Academic writing | Footnotes, citations, math |
| Pandoc Markdown | Document conversion | Footnotes, definition lists, math (LaTeX) |
| MDX | React/Next.js | JSX components inside Markdown |
Markdown vs HTML — When to Use Each
| Consideration | Markdown | HTML |
|---|---|---|
| Learning curve | Very easy | Moderate |
| Readability | Excellent as plain text | Cluttered with tags |
| Speed of writing | Fast | Slower |
| Flexibility | Limited to supported syntax | Complete control |
| Portability | High — plain text file | Medium — requires browser to render |
| Best for | Documentation, notes, content | Web pages, complex layouts |
Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Insert Link | Ctrl + K | Cmd + K |
| Indent | Tab | Tab |
| Unindent | Shift+Tab | Shift+Tab |
| Save/Download | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Markdown and Rich Text?
Rich text uses invisible formatting stored in a proprietary format (like .docx or .rtf) that requires specific software to render. Markdown stores formatting as readable plain text symbols that work in any text editor. Markdown files are smaller, more portable, and readable even without rendering.
How do I create a table in Markdown?
Use pipe characters to separate columns and hyphens for the header separator row. For example:
| Name | Age | | --- | --- | | Alice | 30 | | Bob | 25 |
This produces a formatted table with a header row.
How do I add a line break in Markdown?
Add two or more spaces at the end of a line before pressing Enter to create a line break within the same paragraph. To start a new paragraph, leave a blank line between the two blocks of text.
Can I use HTML inside Markdown?
Yes. Most Markdown processors allow raw HTML to be used inside Markdown files and it will be passed through to the rendered output. This is useful for elements Markdown does not natively support, like colored text, custom div layouts, or embedded iframes.
How do I escape Markdown characters?
Use a backslash before any Markdown character to display it literally. For example \*text\* displays as *text* with asterisks visible rather than rendering as italic. This works for: \ ` * _ { } [ ] ( ) # + - . !