Markdown Editor

How to use Markdown Editor

1. Type or paste Markdown in the editor, or press Open file (or drop a .md or .txt file onto the editor) to load one.
2. Use the toolbar or shortcuts such as Ctrl/Cmd+B, I and K to format text. The preview updates as you type and scrolls with the editor.
3. Open the Cheat sheet if you need to look up syntax for tables, task lists or code blocks.
4. Export with the .md or .html buttons, Copy HTML, or Print / PDF and choose Save as PDF in the print dialog.

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a plain-text way of writing formatted documents. You add simple marks around the text, such as a pound sign for a heading or asterisks for bold, and a program turns it into HTML. It is widely used for README files, notes, documentation and blog posts.

Because the source is plain text, Markdown files are small, work with any text editor and are easy to keep in version control.

Using the editor

• Select text and press a toolbar button to wrap it, or click with nothing selected to insert a placeholder.
• Ctrl/Cmd+B makes bold, Ctrl/Cmd+I italic and Ctrl/Cmd+K inserts a link.
• Press Escape and then Tab if you want Tab to move focus instead of inserting spaces.
• The word count, character count and reading time (about 200 words a minute) update as you write.

Exporting your work

The .md button saves exactly what is in the editor. The .html button saves a complete page with a little built-in styling that you can open in any browser. Copy HTML copies only the converted markup, ready to paste into a CMS or an email template.

For a PDF, use Print / PDF and choose Save as PDF. Only the preview is printed.

Limits

Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded; your text is saved only in this browser, so clearing site data removes it. Rendering uses the marked library with GitHub-style tables, task lists and strikethrough, and the output is sanitised, so raw script tags, event handlers and javascript: links are removed. Syntax highlighting inside code blocks, math, diagrams and footnotes are not supported. Task list checkboxes in the preview cannot be clicked. Files over 5 MB are not opened. PDF output depends on your browser's print dialog.

Why use this markdown editor tool

• Live side-by-side preview. The rendered page updates on every keystroke, and the two panes scroll together. On a phone, switch between Editor and Preview.
• Toolbar and shortcuts. Buttons for headings, bold, italic, links, images, code, lists, task lists, quotes, tables and rules, plus undo and redo. Tab inserts two spaces.
• Several ways to export. Download the Markdown, a standalone HTML page with simple styling, copy the HTML, or print the preview and save it as a PDF.
• Private with autosave. Your text is saved in this browser as you type and is never sent to a server. There is no account and no watermark.

Frequently asked questions

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